Author: Celeste McLaughlin

Peggy Demetriou, ANRP, FNP-BC, is the owner and CEO of Qvita Health & Wellness, which provides primary care and cosmetic services and is located across Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. from Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel (FHWC) in the Windfair Professional Center.

Peggy opened the practice last December and says she is continuing to see growth, as new patients discover her practice and encourage their family and friends to try Qvita, too. She says the name Qvita signifies health and wellness in Latin.

She is an Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner (ARNP) and also a Family Nurse Practitioner who is Board-certified (FNP-BC). Peggy graduated in 1998 from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee with a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Nursing (BSN). She worked as a nurse for five years, and then graduated from Concordia University of Wisconsin (in Mequon) in 2002 with a Master’s degree in Science Nursing with a specialty in Family Practice. She became Board-certified that year, too.

Peggy first moved to New Tampa in 2002 and has worked in Wesley Chapel since 2008. She and her husband, Dr. Nektarios Demetriou, live with their blended family of five children in New Tampa. “I love living here,” she says. “There wasn’t much here when I first moved here, but I’m so glad I stayed because now there’s so much to do.”

Family Practice

Peggy sees people ages five and older for all primary care needs, including physicals for school and work (she is even certified to provide Department of Transportation physicals) and managing chronic and complex healthcare needs, such as for people who have diabetes or hypertension.

“We have a strong focus on providing excellent customer service,” says Peggy, “and we go the extra mile for our patients and clients.”

She is currently accepting new patients and says she can usually see them on the same day if they’re sick. Her office accepts all major insurance plans, along with Medicare and Medicaid.

“As a nurse practitioner-owned practice, our approach is different,” Peggy explains. “We focus on the whole person and on spending time with people.”

Qvita Health & Wellness, according to Peggy, is a good alternative for people who are frustrated with leaving a message for the doctor and not getting a call back, or waiting two hours to be seen for five minutes.

“I spend whatever time is necessary with my patients,” she says. “For new patients, I block more time, but it’s completely individual.”

She says her holistic approach includes addressing mental health issues, too, and that proper diagnosis between anxiety, depression, bipolar or other afflictions is the key.

“Sometimes we see patients who are treated for anxiety and depression with different types of medications, and they say the medications made them worse. That’s a red flag.”

Peggy says she has the experience, knowledge and tools to help make the right diagnosis and get the right referrals, including therapy.

“Medication is good,” she says, “But it’s also good to address these issues in another way. A counselor or therapist spends time to do teaching and give tools that help, too.”

Qvita also carries a preservative-free flu shot for anyone who would prefer a version of the vaccine that doesn’t have preservatives. Peggy says the ideal time to get a flu shot is around October of each year.

On the Qvita Facebook page at Facebook.com/QvitaHealthandWellness, Barbara Summerall writes, “I went to visit Peggy [and] she caught a problem that no doctor ever found. I sent my husband there, too, and he agrees that she really is amazingly caring.

“She takes the time to get to know your physical status and she is ready to explain future issues,” Barbara continues. “The facility is super clean and her staff is super friendly and always smiling. I highly recommend Qvita!”

Cosmetic Services

In addition to primary care, Peggy provides cosmetic services for anyone looking to maintain healthy skin and a youthful appearance. “We offer Botox and a variety of fillers, including Juvederm, Restylane, Radiesse and other major brands,” she says.

“We also have a new device called Ultherapy,” Peggy adds. “It’s the only FDA-cleared skin tightening device. It’s not invasive and is non-surgical, and it keeps working over three months for the full effect. You only need one treatment every two years. It is necessary to repeat the treatment because natural aging continues to occur.”

An aesthetician has just been added to the staff at Qvita Health & Wellness. Ashley Negron has a clinical skincare diploma from the American Institute of Beauty and is licensed by the State of Florida Board of Cosmetology as a registered facial specialist.

Peggy says Ashley provides medical-grade skincare procedures that are results-driven, not what she calls “buff and fluff.”

“We do procedures such as microneedling and plasma rich platelets (PRP), where we draw blood and extract the platelets, stem cells and growth factors, and use tiny needles to return those growth factors back into the skin. It’s excellent for wrinkles, spots, loose skin, and anti-aging.”

She says Qvita also offers Kybella, a treatment for double chins, but can also be a used for off-label areas, such as bra fat or love handles.

Peggy says she sees a lot of patients who come in for corrections, especially from people who have bought a Groupon. She has a warning for people who are looking for the lowest priced cosmetic services.

“Don’t bargain hunt for your face!,” she says. “You don’t want to have to pay for your bargain and then pay someone else to fix it. Always interview the person who is going to do the procedure and find out if they are certified and properly trained. I have been trained by each company for each product that I sell. Sometimes, the price other places advertise is less than my cost. If that’s the case, maybe the product is old or not authentic.”

She offers a free consultation for anyone interested in Qvita’s cosmetic procedures.

Vitamins & Supplements

Qvita shares its name with a line of vitamins that Peggy and her husband have developed over the last couple of years.

“We are interested in health and wellness for ourselves and for our family,” Peggy explains. “In our practices, people ask us, what’s a good vitamin?”

She says that while it’s hard to say, she generally doesn’t recommend anything readily available over the counter.

“They tend to be full of fillers and additives, with large amounts of vitamins you don’t need and not enough of the ones you do. So, we came up with something we actually take ourselves.”

She says they have an “awesome” multi-vitamin in powder form, and another powder for joint pain that people rave about. “People tell us all the time that they don’t need ibuprofen anymore because the powder works so well,” she says. “It’s got antioxidants that act as a high-potency anti-inflammatory.”

Peggy explains that the supplements are “triple certified” by the Food and Drug Administration, Good Manufacturing Practice, and NSF International Public Health & Safety Organization. She says each batch takes about three months to manufacture, because every ingredient is tested every time.

“These are medical-level supplements for people who are serious about their health and want to feel good,” she says, proudly.

For more information about the vitamins and supplements, which can be purchased without a prescription, visit MyQvita.com.

For More Information

Photos of cosmetic procedures performed at Qvita are on Instagram @QvitaHealthandWellness1 and Peggy provides her patients and the community with valuable information about health and wellness through posts on Facebook.

Qvita Health & Wellness is located at 2734 Windguard Cir., Suite 101. It is open Monday-Friday at 8:30 a.m., closing at 6 p.m. on Mon., 5 p.m. on Tues.–Thur., and 4 p.m. on Fri. For more information or to book your appointment online, visit Qvita Health & Wellness at www.QvitaHealthandWellness.com or call (813) 501-4130.