Author: Celeste McLaughlin

Palms Pharmacy Is An Independent With A Prescription For Growth

There is a chain pharmacy right across the street, and two other Publix pharmacies located right down the road on each side of her.

And yet, Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) Shahida Choudhry says her Palms Pharmacy is thriving at its location in The Shoppes at The Pointe plaza in Tampa Palms — just off the Bruce B. Downs Blvd. exit of I-75.

Dr. Choudhry may not have the national and regional backing of her nearest competitors, but she has something she says is just as valuable — a hard-working and committed staff that is growing and genuinely cares about providing the exceptional neighborhood touch that comes with being a locally owned and community-focused business.

“And don’t forget, woman-owned,” says Choudhry, who opened the pharmacy in 2016 between the popular Ciccio Cali and Koizi Endless Hibachi & Sushi eateries in the plaza.

She says a strong relationship with local physicians, as well as word of mouth and advertising in the Neighborhood News have helped Palms Pharmacy grow from what was once just Choudhry and Naivis Valdez — who Choudhry says “runs the show” — to a staff that has grown to six people, including a second full-time pharmacist, two pharmacy students and a pharmacy clerk.

Despite Palm Pharmacy’s now-larger staff, Dr. Choudhry still promises the personalized service and familiarity that is hard to find in a typical chain drug store, and it has remained open during the COVID-19 crisis

She and her staff get to know all of their customers. Not only do they learn their names — so they can greet them personally and start getting their prescriptions ready as they’re walking in the door — they also learn about their patients’ medications so the staff can provide the best possible care for them.

“Lots of folks like the 1-on-1 service we give them,” Dr. Choudhry says proudly. “When they pull up, we have their stuff ready. I know you’ve heard that before, but it’s true.”

The pharmacy will celebrate its fourth anniversary in Tampa Palms on April 15.

It already has expanded once, in 2018, when it literally moved one door over to a larger location, allowing more room for pharmacists and technicians to work, a separate room for prescription compounding, and another separate room where durable medical equipment (such as walkers, crutches and nebulizers) is sold and fittings for compression garments are done.

Even so, Palms Pharmacy has almost already outgrown its newfound space.

Dr. Choudhry received her Bachelor of Science degree in Pharmacy, then went on to receive her Pharm.D. degree, both from Long Island University in Brooklyn, NY, in 2001.

Before opening Palms Pharmacy, Dr. Choudhry was the pharmacist at the Publix in Tampa Palms for 10 years. She loved her job and her customers, but her search for a better balance of her work life and home, where she has two small children, led her to starting her own business.

So, she says, she took classes and read books and asked questions of many people who served as mentors to her, eventually opening Palms Pharmacy and hiring Naivis to work alongside her.

“It’s a hustle,” she says about owning her own business.

She must be doing something right, though – she has been asked to speak in June about owning a pharmacy at a Women in Pharmacy conference in Austin, TX.

Success Spurs Growth

What’s Palms Pharmacy’s secret sauce?

“We do exactly the same as every other pharmacy,” Dr. Choudhry says, showing off her ever-present wide smile. “But, we do it better.”

And, she adds, just because Palms Pharmacy is a small business doesn’t mean its prices are any higher than the chains. “We actually are competitive and in many cases, cheaper,” she says.

Palms Pharmacy boasts a wait time that Choudhry says is usually “next to nothing,” along with compounding medications and selling durable medical equipment not available at typical big chain pharmacies. Choudhry and her staff also provide immunizations such as flu shots, vaccines for pneumonia and shingles, and travel vaccines.

Dr. Choudhry says she had Shingrix, a shingles vaccine, when no one else around had it.

“We try to stay ahead of the market,” she says.

The entire staff also thrives on helping patients with especially complicated health or insurance issues, which are becoming more and more common these days. Dr. Choudhry says that when insurance companies decline to cover a patient’s medications, that’s when she picks up the phone. “I know the doctors and the medical assistants,” she says. “I work with them to get their patients what they need, usually within the day.”

This is in huge contrast to other pharmacies, which may take 7-10 days to come up with a solution when an insurance company won’t cover a medication.

In fact, Dr. Choudhry says many of her patients find Palms Pharmacy through their doctors.

“Doctors are supportive of us because we take care of their patients,” she says.

And, it’s not always about the sale. Choudhry is always suggesting helpful lifestyle changes, such as exercise and diet recommendations, to help customers avoid bigger health problems down the road, as opposed to just handing over your medication and rushing you out the door.

Always Evolving

Dr. Choudhry also embraces new technologies when it comes to providing convenient customer service, as environmentally-friendly QR codes are now included with every prescription.

Patients can now point their cell phone cameras at the QR codes on their prescriptions and be taken to a website that will play a video offering the same description of the medication, and its possible side effects, that come on the folded up paper with the small print that has always previously come with your prescription.

The website also contains other information, as well as a form to fill out, and any questions will go directly to Dr. Choudhry’s email. “We started it in January, and have had a really good reception to it,” she says. “I think it’s really cool, and a lot of folks lose their stuff, so it’s really convenient, too.”

More Than Prescriptions

Choudhry also says she tries to hit the trade shows to make sure that Palms Pharmacy’s shelves are always stocked with the latest and best products.

She has recently begun carrying three different brands of CBD products — Procana, Medterra and Ananda — at various price points (you can get two tablets for $4 if you’re only looking to try it out), in various forms and in a variety of dosages. And, Dr. Choudhry and her staff will work with you to help you find the right product and dosage that will work best for you.

Over the past year, Palms Pharmacy has added products like handmade soaps from the highly-rated Old Whaling Company, as well as carrying aluminum-free natural deodorant from American Provenance, beeswax and honey soaps from Joan’s A Keeper and organic cleaners from Rena Naturals.

“I like to carry stuff no one else is carrying,” Dr. Choudhry says.

Palms Pharmacy also sells natural vitamins and supplements, from top companies such as Pure, Nordic, Metagenics and Mason. The store also sells LovePop pop-up greeting cards and most of the popular the Zum line, such as all-natural soaps, lip products, body lotions and more.

What’s the next hot product? “I’ll let you know in two weeks,” Dr. Choudhry says, as she is off to another trade show.

“Always hustling,” she says, adding that opening her own pharmacy has been extremely rewarding.

“I love it,” she says. “We’re growing every day and it’s a blessing. I wake up every morning and I’m excited to get to work every day.”

Palms Pharmacy is located at 17008 Palm Pointe Dr., Tampa, and is open Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. For more information, call (813) 252-9063, see the ad on pg. 23 or visit ThePalmsPharmacy.com.

Palms Pharmacy

HGE Opens Comfort Corner Sensory Room

For students who deal with sensory processing disorders such as autism, having a safe, comfortable space to calm down can make a difference in how successful that child is at school.

At Hunter’s Green Elementary (HGE), to meet this need, a brand new sensory room was unveiled on January 30. While a few other schools throughout Hillsborough County also have sensory rooms, the one at He is housed in a large classroom, making it the largest in the District.

Dubbed the “Comfort Corner” — with fabric softening the room’s lights and translucent curtains dividing it into many separate spaces — it doesn’t feel like a classroom. Filled with quiet areas with dark spaces, hanging hideaway chairs, and weighted blankets, as well as active areas with fidget toys and fine motor skills activities, the room meets the many varied needs of diverse students.

“Some kids with autism have a sensory overload,” explains Joni Cagle, HGE’s Exceptional Student Education (ESE) teacher, “while others don’t get enough sensory input. We wanted a place for kids who have differences to feel safe and learn coping strategies to meet them where they are so we can help them to be successful at school.”

But, Joni is quick to add, “It’s not just for kids with labels.”

She says typical kids who get anxiety before a big test, for example, can come to the room and bounce on a ball for a few minutes to help reduce that anxiety.

David and Veronica Mardo have two kids at HGE, a daughter in third grade and a son with special needs in pre-Kindergarten.

“This will help my son for sure,” David says. “I think it’s great the school has something like this for him.”

To bring the Comfort Corner to the school, more than $8,000 worth of equipment – from bouncing balls to rope lights to a weighted blanket in the shape of a hamburger – was donated by a local foundation called Sydney Has A Sister, founded in 2014 by Ernie and Becky Black of Land O’Lakes.

Sydney Has A Sister was established to provide scholarships that recognize the sacrifices that typical children make when they have siblings with special needs, such as long hours in doctors’ waiting rooms.

It expanded its mission to help provide sensory rooms at schools after seeing one in Jacksonville.

“This is our fourth sensory room,” says Ernie. “Some other sensory rooms are a small room or even a longer hallway. The challenge is they don’t have enough space. This is what we envisioned. And, even though it’s large, we’ve created these nooks so it’s not as sterile and the space is intimate.”

He says every item chosen for the Hunter’s Green sensory room was intentional, based on the recommendations of specialists and what they have learned creating rooms at other schools.

“For example, the way the room has dividers,” explains Ernie. “There can be five kids in here that don’t feel like they’re in the same room. And, the curtains are transparent so the teachers can still supervise all of them.”

He and Veronica believe the Hunter’s Green Comfort Corner will be a model for future rooms.

“This is a place that gets kids geared up to learn and focus and gets them back into the classroom,” Ernie says. “That’s the whole point.”

He says that Sydney Has A Sister was able to fund the room through the generosity of its sponsors and fundraising events.

In addition, a family at the school, who asked to not be named in this story, provided a donation to purchase additional needed furniture and supplies and ensure the ongoing success of the Comfort Corner.

Joni says the total cost of the room is more than $10,000. The good news is that it’s already making a difference.

“We’ve seen attention spans increase,” Joni says. “We’ve seen social skills increase. Fine motor skills. Gross motor skills. It really affects the whole child in a positive way.”

For more information, visit SydneyHasASister.com.

Creative Permanent Makeup By Pam: Worry-Free Eyebrows & More

Pam Edmonson has a warm, welcoming personality that sparkles. You might say she lights up the room. Her passion really shines through when she talks about helping and serving people, especially through her career.

Pam is an experienced permanent makeup artist who owns Serenity Salon & Spa Suites, located off S.R. 54 in the Brookfield Professional Park, about a half-mile west of Morris Bridge Rd./Eiland Blvd. in Wesley Chapel. At the salon, she provides permanent makeup for eyebrows, eyelids and lips.

“It’s such a blessing to know that I’m really being helpful to people,” she says, “especially when you see that end result that makes them feel better about themselves.”

One area of specialty for Pam is helping people who have had cancer. Some come to her after they’ve lost all of their hair from chemotherapy. Others find her before they lose their hair. Pam can help to create their eyebrows in permanent makeup, following the natural hairline that already exists.

Pam says her career in permanent makeup started after many years of running a business in the manufactured housing industry. In 2009, Pam says she wanted to do something different, so she went to school to become a hair stylist.

While she enjoyed hair, Pam says she soon discovered something that interested her even more.

“I love detail,” Pam says. “As a detail person, eyebrows are what first drew me into the permanent makeup field.”

She studied permanent makeup at the Boca Ta-2 School for Permanent Makeup in Williston, FL, in 2010 and began providing permanent makeup services in Zephyrhills in 2011. She is licensed in Florida as both a cosmetologist and as a tattoo artist.

Pam offers permanent makeup for eyebrows and lips, along with permanent eyeliner. Many of her clients who want permanent eyebrows choose a technique called microblading.

“Brows are always my favorite because of the drastic way they change how someone looks,” Pam says. “Our eyes are meant to be framed, and brows definitely complete the face. Some women look so much younger when they have them done.”

With microblading, Pam uses a small blade and ink to create individual stroke lines. She uses a pencil to draw an outline, then uses the microblade to draw each individual hair, adding a more natural look to the eyebrow.

Pam strongly recommends that anyone considering microblading “should do their homework,” explaining that some people who offer the service may only have taken a three-day class in the technique before they start working on clients. The person who will do your eyebrows should sit down with you and show you before-and-after pictures of their own work, Pam says.

Pam was trained in microblading in 2014, when the process was new. Since then, she says she has done hundreds of sets of eyebrows.

“It’s been close to 10 years since I first went to school,” says Pam. “I’ve learned so much over the years about different ways of doing things, using certain inks, learning from experience, and how everyone’s skin is so different.”

She requires a free, in-person, no-obligation consultation for all clients. Even for someone who is sure they want permanent makeup, Pam still requires a consultation, to look at each individual and their unique skin, and to help them decide which technique is right for them.

Johella Liguori is a client of Pam’s who just recently had microblading done on her eyebrows and permanent eyeliner both above and below her eyes.

“It was great,” she says. “She was very welcoming, super friendly. She’s awesome.”

Johella says she was looking for a way to simplify her daily routine, and not having to worry about eye makeup would make life easier for her.

When figuring out where to have those services done, she did her research, including spending time on Pam’s website at CreativePermanentMakeupByPam.com.

“What caught my eye is that she has tons of years of experience,” says Johella, adding that, “Pam told me from the get-go that I would have to come back for a touch up and fills. I actually came in a third time because my skin is very oily, so she wasn’t satisfied with the result. She had me come again and she didn’t charge me extra for either of the follow-ups.”

But, Johella says she has been thrilled with her results.

“I’m a dentist,” explains Johella, “and everyone notices. I’ve gotten tons of compliments from my patients and co-workers.”

She says many people ask her how much it hurts. For Johella, it wasn’t painful at all. She says Pam kept her numb so she didn’t feel anything, and she appreciated how Pam made her comfortable and ensured that she was never in pain.

Johella says her procedures were all done on Saturdays, and she was able to go right back to work two days later (on Monday). In fact, after her touch-ups, she was out that afternoon, even attending a Christmas party on the same day. She says she had no pain, no discomfort, and no redness or puffiness that would keep her from participating in normal activities.

“Let me tell you,” Johella says. “This lady, she knows her stuff. Eyebrows are her deal.”

There are many women who come to Pam wanting permanent makeup and, like Johella, leave with it, but Pam says there also are many other women who — for one reason or another — don’t.

“You always get a completely honest opinion from me,” says Pam. “It might not be what you want to hear, but I’ll tell you the truth. If somebody isn’t a good candidate, I’ll tell them.”

That might be because of issues with their skin or previous scar tissue. (In fact, Pam says some women are told they should get yearly touch-ups, but Pam recommends asking her for a more personalized recommendation, since yearly touch-ups can cause scarring, and most women don’t need touch-ups that often.)

Sometimes, Pam says she has turned some women away who already had beautiful brows and didn’t need the procedure.

“There are a lot of times that people come in for a consult and they walk out with brow powder,” laughs Pam.

Johella says that anyone considering having microblading or permanent makeup should consider Pam.

“She’s amazing and I’m grateful,” she says. “With Pam, you really bond and she takes you in as part of her family. She’s really passionate about what she does.”

Creative Permanent Makeup by Pam is located at Serenity Salon & Spa Suites at 33913 S.R. 54, Suite 101, in Wesley Chapel. For a free consultation or more information about Pam’s permanent makeup services, visit CreativePermanentMakeupbyPam.com or call or text Pam at (813) 997-6302.

eyebrows Makeup PAm

Real Living Casa Fina Realty Opens New Office!

It sounds like something they might hear from one of their clients — “We’ve outgrown our current place.”

The team at Real Living Casa Fina Realty has always loved the office’s Tampa Palms neighborhood, but needed more space than at the office in the Tampa Palms Professional Center.

So, in 2020, the agents will help people in New Tampa and surrounding areas buy and sell homes from a larger, more modern workspace in The Shoppes at Amberly, located on Amberly Dr., also in Tampa Palms.

Nick Parrinello, the Broker/owner of Real Living Casa Fina Realty, moved his company into its new digs on Dec. 17. “As we have continued to grow,” he says, “we needed more space and wanted a little more visibility.”

Casa Fina Realty began as an independent real estate brokerage in Tampa Palms in 2003. Nick came to work for the company in 2007, shortly before it became a franchise of GMAC Real Estate, which was rebranded as Real Living in 2011.

Nick bought the company in 2014. In the past few years, Nick says Casa Fina Realty has grown to be the third largest brokerage in New Tampa.

While the company has expanded from 15 agents, and Nick is excited to own a larger firm, he says he won’t let his Casa Fina outgrow its boutique feel.

“We have the same culture and our core values haven’t changed,” he says. “Some agents have been with us from the beginning.”

And, while the company serves 10 counties, and focuses on Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas and Polk counties, Nick says the heart of Casa Fina is right here, a few minutes south of Wesley Chapel.

“We have just one office and it’s always been in Tampa Palms,” says Nick. “We want to keep our roots here.”

He says many of the agents and staff live in New Tampa or Wesley Chapel, and the company sees the Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. corridor as its home and primary market.

While real estate agents typically work from anywhere — whether it’s driving around neighborhoods, meeting clients in restaurants or coffee shops, or making phone calls from home — Nick is optimistic that Casa Fina’s new space will be a place his agents will want to be.

“It’s a great location, in the same plaza with five spots to grab lunch without having to get in the car and drive,” he says. “We expect it to have a lively, vibrant atmosphere.”

Instead of cubicles, the new space offers agents shared private offices, where they can close the door for privacy, but have the efficiency of sharing the space with other agents.

The new location also features a large conference room for company meetings, or where agents can present seminars or classes to the community. Nick is planning to see that space used for customer appreciation parties, new homebuyer seminars and other events that bring people together, as well as to share valuable information.

While Nick says Casa Fina Realty serves about 700 families a year, the goal is to provide the best possible customer service to each one.

“We want to empower agents by ensuring they are well-trained and giving them the tools they need,” he says.

He describes himself as “a stickler for knowing the contract,” saying that having a license in real estate is just the bare minimum when it comes to being prepared to buy and sell homes.

“We’re not attorneys, but we are responsible for our clients,” he says. It’s a big responsibility, especially when contracts start at 12 pages and often grow from there.

He adds, “We all started out inexperienced and there’s nothing wrong with that, but inexperienced agents need the backing and support of management if something goes wrong.”

One Satisfied Customer’s Story

Lisa Souza is a Cross Creek homeowner who worked with Casa Fina agent Seena Allen when she and her family moved to the Tampa area from New York this past summer.

“It was extremely challenging, because we knew nothing about the Tampa area,” Lisa explains. “She honestly helped us get our dream home, and we’re so happy. It’s even better than what we hoped.”

Lisa says Seena was professional, patient and kind, and worked hard when things got complicated.

“We made an offer on a house but then found out there was lots of work that needed to be done after the inspection,” Lisa explains. “Our house in New York was sold, the one we wanted to buy fell through, and it was an extremely stressful time. But, Seena was such a pleasure to work with that it took the stress out of it.”

Lisa says that when issues popped up, Seena would call on her colleagues if she had questions or wanted another opinion about how to handle the issues. “They all got back with her almost instantaneously with text messages,” she says.

Nick says his agents work hard to ensure they are able to be a network of resources for their clients, whether they are in the middle of a transaction, or they are a past client from years ago.

“We try to be the go-to person if you need something,” Nick says. “Maybe you bought a house three years ago, but now you need a plumber. We think of ourselves as local guides or resources.”

*This Wesley Chapel home is just one of the many sold by Real Living Casa Fina Realty along the Bruce B. Downs corridor in New Tampa and Wesley Chapel in 2019.*

He says that even in the days of Google and Yelp, people still prefer a personal recommendation. No matter what you need, someone in the company has a connection and a personal experience they can share.

Another way the firm provides added value to its clients is by serving as a full-service brokerage, with agents who specialize in commercial services and property management.

“If you need help finding a tenant or you need full management of your property, we fully cover New Tampa and Wesley Chapel and some of the surrounding areas,” Nick explains.

Casa Fina Realty also can help anyone who may need to move but isn’t sure if they want to sell.

“It gives us the flexibility to offer different options,” he says. “I can’t tell you how many houses we put up for sale and for rent at the same time and then see which happens first.”

He says sometimes people relocate and then move back, or sometimes they choose to sell after their home has been rented for a few years.

No matter what your personal situation is, Nick and the agents at Casa Fina want to help you determine what’s best for you and help make it happen.

Lisa’s experience with Casa Fina Realty has led her to recommend the company to both her mom and sister — both of whom she hopes will move to New Tampa — and an acquaintance who already lives in the area.

She says she told them, “The details will be handled thoroughly, things will be done quickly, and there will be a level of professionalism that comes from the heart.”

Real Living Casa Fina Realty is located at 15343 Amberly Dr. in the Shoppes at Amberly. To learn more, visit CasaFinaRealty.com, call (813) 569-6294, or see the ad on page 29.

Casa Fina

Second Time Around As Good As The First

Back when Brenda Pennock was in high school, being a member of the marching band meant belonging, sharing camaraderie and participating in a fun activity that she loved.

For decades after high school, she thought she would never experience that again.

But, reliving her high school glory days is now a dream come true for the Meadow Pointe resident, since she joined a St. Pete-based band called The Greater St. Petersburg Area Awesome Original Second Time Arounders Marching Band, also known as the “Second Time Arounders.”

Brenda Pennock of Wesley Chapel (right) was able to relive some of her glory days when she marched in the recent Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. (Photo courtesy of Brenda Pennock)

According to its website, the band is known to be the largest permanent adult marching band in the world, with more than 400 members. It’s thought to be the first of its kind — started 37 years ago — open to those who played an instrument, twirled a baton or danced in a college, high school, drum corps or military marching band and want to do it again.

The band has a marching season in the spring where it participates in local parades throughout the Tampa Bay area.

This year, that season was extended when the Second Time Arounders were chosen to participate in the 2019 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City.

That’s how Brenda found out about the band. Last fall, she saw on the news that the Second Time Arounders had been selected to go to the Macy’s parade. She knew right away she wanted to be a part of a marching band again.

Brenda is a majorette, a baton twirler, which she started in high school at Ft. Frye in Beverly, OH, graduating in 1969.

“The highlight of my high school years was twirling in marching band,” says Brenda. “Over the years I had thought from time to time that it was so much fun, and something I would never be able to experience again. I had no idea there were organizations out there like the Second Time Arounders. It never occurred to me. When I saw that on TV, and it got me excited about the possibility of getting to experience one of the highlights of being in high school again.”

Brenda applied and was able to join in time to participate in the parades last spring and in the Macy’s parade last month.

“It was obviously the experience of a lifetime,” says Brenda. “There are a select few bands who ever get to do that. It was really special.”

Brenda says it was a longer parade than those where the Second Time Arounders have usually performed.

While most local parades are less than two miles, the Macy’s parade was 2.5 miles. It also was more crowded, of course, and it moves more quickly.

“The parade in New York is fast,” Brenda says. “For the most part, the band members are in good (enough) shape to be able to do that. We do have more limitations than we did in high school, but the adrenaline takes over and we do it.”

The trip also featured excursions planned for the group, including an event where most of the band members enjoyed Thanksgiving dinner together at the Liberty House, an event center in Jersey City, NJ, with a view of the Manhattan skyline.

Twice In A Lifetime

New Tampa resident Claire Keneally joined the Second Time Arounders in 2007.

While participating in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade is thought to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, 2019 was actually the second time for many of the Second Time Arounders.

The band also was chosen to participate in the parade back in 2008. While that was well before Brenda had ever heard of the group, New Tampa resident Claire Keneally was already a member of the Second Time Arounders, having joined in 2007.

“It’s totally a highlight,” says Claire. “I got to do it twice in a lifetime.”

Claire was a twirler and dancer in the marching band at Gloversville High in upstate NY, graduating in 1973.

She was a Tampa Bay Rowdies cheerleader in the 1980s and danced a bit through the years, and was thrilled when she got to participate in a marching band again.

In the Second Time Arounders, she’s also a dancer, carrying red, white, and blue pom poms and doing dance moves.

Claire and Brenda both travel to St. Pete for practices, typically once or twice a week during the marching band season, as well as when they were both preparing for the Macy’s parade.

“The commute is absolutely worth it,” says Claire. “Traffic can be challenging at times, but it’s worth it, so I do it every time.”

Like Brenda, Claire says the Macy’s parade was great, but she says that one-time thrill pales in comparison to the overall experience of participating in the Second Time Arounders.

“I just wanted to be a part of the band,” says Claire. “I love it every year, even if we don’t go to Macy’s. It’s the friendship and camaraderie and exercise, but also being part of something bigger than myself. You get to relive high school, but you never age out of it. Macy’s is just the icing on the cake.”

The Second Time Arounders’ is holding a new member orientation at Ferg’s Sports Bar in St. Petersburg on Jan. 21 at 7 p.m. Appetizers and first beverage provided by the band. For more information about the marching band, visit SecondTimeArounders.org.

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