Author: Celeste McLaughlin

PCSO Corporal Alan Wilkett Awarded For Fighting Human Trafficking

Corporal Alan Wilkett, of the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office and the Pasco County Human Trafficking Task Force, is presented an award from Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi for “Law Enforcement Official of the Year” at the 2017 Human Trafficking Summit in Orlando.

Most days, you’ll find Corporal Alan Wilkett at the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) community office at the Shops at Wiregrass mall.

Cpl. Wilkett wears many hats, including that of the commander of the Pasco County Human Trafficking Task Force.

For his work on the task force, Wilkett was recently recognized as the “Law Enforcement Official of the Year” at the 2017 Human Trafficking Summit, held in Orlando on October 2. The summit was hosted by Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi’s office. She presented the award to Wilkett, along with awards for “Survivor Advocate of the Year,” “Community Advocate of the Year,” and “Prosecutor of the Year.”

“The award was given to one, but it was earned by many,” says Wilkett. “I didn’t earn it on my own. It’s a team effort by a lot of people, all who are as passionate as I am about ending human trafficking in our area, in Pasco County, in Florida and in the United States.”

Wilkett explains that working to eradicate human trafficking has been part of his job for about seven years. As efforts and awareness of trafficking have increased, he said he’s found that he’s spending more and more time fighting this heinous crime.

“I’ve had the opportunity to work in law enforcement for 20-plus years,” Wilkett says, explaining that he’s investigated all kinds of crimes, including child abuse. “In the course of investigating complaints, we would stumble across things that now we would know as human trafficking. At the time, we didn’t really understand that we had something so comprehensive. When the Trafficking Victims Protection Act became law in 2000, I looked back over my career and saw opportunities to have made a much bigger impact in the lives of people who were affected by this crime. That’s when I became very passionate about ending human trafficking.”

He adds that people often think of human trafficking as a prostitute and a pimp, or a laborer and a boss, but it’s much more than that.

He says it’s a huge business. Using the lowest number that is agreed upon, from the International Labor Organization, estimates are that human trafficking is a $150-billion-per-year business with 20.9-million victims. The United Nations says 27 million victims.

“It’s abhorrent that in the U.S. — the land of the free, home of the brave — that we would have this modern day slavery in our communities. We’re going to end this. I don’t know that we’ll end it in my career, but I can sow the seeds.”

In Wesley Chapel, Though?

You might think it’s limited to the seedier parts of the Tampa Bay area. But, is the human trafficking going on in Wesley Chapel?

Cpl. Wilkett says yes.

“It’s so entrenched in our fabric, it’s in every single community,” he says. “It could be the landscaping guy cutting the grass in a gated community, the construction crew on a new business, going on right in our own shadows. It could be a gated community in Wesley Chapel where girls are being kept during the day and then going to the street at night. We’ve seen examples of all of these things.”

He says he’s seen a “groundswell” in Pasco County, where people are saying, “It can’t happen in our community, in Wesley Chapel, in our country.”

And, Wilkett says there are ways everyone can get involved to end human trafficking.

“If you’re a member of a group – any group – ask that group if they would consider having a presentation,” he says. “We’ll talk about what it is, what to look for, and how to stop it.” Your group could also hold a collection drive to gather toiletries, shoes or clothes to support the organizations that help victims of this horrific crime to recover.

He says that once you know the signs, behaviors, and indicators, “you can be (our) eyes and ears out in the community.” He says don’t take direct action, but call 9-1-1 or the Human Trafficking hotline at (888) 373-7888.

Also, January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month. Mark your calendar now and plan to attend “Light Up The Night” at the Shops of Wiregrass on Saturday, January 20. Search “Light Up The Night Wiregrass” on Facebook for more information.

For more info, visit PascoSheriff.com/human-trafficking, or to schedule Cpl. Wilkett as a speaker on Human Trafficking, email a PCSO customer service specialist at css@pascosheriff.org.

FHWC Celebrates 5 Years; ‘Inspiration Place’ Women’s Center Set To Open!

When 8,000 people attended the public grand opening of Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel (FHWC) a couple of weeks before it opened to patients on October 1, 2012, they couldn’t have imagined how much of an impact on the community the hospital would have had on so many of us, just five years later.

FHWC continues to expand and grow, adding more services and technology to serve Wesley Chapel. In the last five years, FHWC has had 177,000 emergency room visits, more than 27,000 inpatient admissions and more than 1,900 babies born. And, the hospital’s medical staff physicians have performed nearly 17,500 surgeries.

In addition, FHWC also features its Health & Wellness Center (which now has more than 5,500 members), the Center for Women’s Health, Outpatient Rehabilitation services, robotic surgery systems and a recently completed expansion, which cost $78 million and added a heart catheterization lab, nearly doubled the number of emergency rooms and operating rooms, and added 62 patient rooms to the original 83. FHWC also will add a new wound care center in the spring of 2018.

FHWC also has provided advanced medical care for the Wesley Chapel community and has had a major economic impact on our area. For example, FHWC opened with 400 employees, but now the hospital and adjacent Wellness Plaza employ more than 1,000 people.

The hospital hosted a community celebration on October 1, with family activities, food trucks and community partners from the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office and Pasco County Fire Rescue. The hospital also showcased its new ambulance, which will transport patients from a new offsite emergency department in Land O’Lakes (opening in January) and transport patients between FHWC and the other local hospitals in the Florida Hospital/Adventist Health Care family when necessary.

“We are blessed and proud to have served our community for the last five years,” says FHWC president and CEO Denyse Bales-Chubb. “Our expansion reflects the community’s trust in our care and the awards and recognitions we have received are a testament to the expertise and compassion of our staff and physicians.”

She adds, “But, we’re not done. We continue to add services to better meet the needs of our community.”

True Inspiration!

A $2.8-million dollar women’s health center, which will be called “Inspiration Place,” will open in the FHWC Wellness Plaza, today, Monday, October 23, offering comprehensive care for women at every stage of life.

Services available at Inspiration Place include gynecology, obstetrics, and prenatal care, along with primary care services, wellness services and more. Inspiration Place also includes a spa, for services such as massage and skin care treatments. Appointments can be booked now on its website, FHInspirationPlace.org.

An open house for ladies will be held at Inspiration Place on Tuesday, November 14, 6 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Event is free, but registration is required at tinyurl.com/FHWCInspirationplace.

5 year anniversary FHWC florida hospital wesley chapel Inspiration Place

Get Healthy & Lose Weight With Richeson Wellness & NutriMost!

Mitze & chiropractic physician Dr. Micah Richeson can help you feel better and lose weight safely with their Richeson Wellness and NutriMost, both located at Cypress Creek Chiropractic & Wellness off S.R. 56.

At Cypress Creek Chiropractic & Wellness in the Cypress Ridge Professional Plaza off of S.R. 56, Micah Richeson, D.C. (Doctor of Chiropractic) and his wife Mitze offer a variety of programs to help people get and stay healthy and feel their best.

While Dr. Richeson focuses on wellness from a “structural” perspective (alignment of the spine), Mitze has been offering NutriMost, a weight-loss program supervised by her husband, for the past three years, Now, she’s pleased to announce the inception of Richeson Wellness, which will focus on nutrition and wellness through functional medicine (which is a medical practice that focuses on optimal body and organ function, generally through holistic treatments).

Dr. Richeson is a third-generation chiropractic physician who opened the practice in 2008, after eight years in his father’s practice in Gainesville. He earned his Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Public Health from the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond and his D.C. degree from Parker College in Dallas, TX, in 2000.

Mitze received her Certification as a Chiropractic Physician’s Assistant in 2013 from the Cleveland Chiropractic College, which is based in Cleveland, OH.

She is still offering NutriMost, a rapid weight-loss program that allows women to lose up to 25 pounds in 40 days (for men, it’s up to 40 pounds). It’s a national franchise with about 160 locations, with just three in the Tampa Bay area. Now, in addition to that intense weight-loss program, Richeson Wellness offers a different option for women and men whose bodies aren’t quite ready for the type of drastic lifestyle change that NutriMost requires.

“Some women and men do fantastic with NutriMost,” says Mitze, “but in some people, especially women, the program didn’t always work for them. They were frustrated, or felt lethargic, because their bodies weren’t ready to burn fat that rapidly, maybe because of thyroid issues, toxic liver (when the liver is inflamed by toxins), or adrenal (gland) fatigue. I started thinking that there’s got to be a better way for people in that category.”

Different Approaches For Different Needs

Mitze says that many people hear about NutriMost from friends and family who have had success with the program in other locations across the U.S., and find her through the NutriMost website. They come in for an initial consultation with either Mitze, or either of the office’s two health coaches — with Jill Fischer or Janine Kerschen.

After the consultation, the program includes weekly coaching sessions where participants are taught to eat healthy, whole foods. They are given a variety of natural appetite suppressants, using herbs and amino acids, and supplement support.

“Whatever area the body is weakened or lacking, we support those organs through specifically targeted supplements,” Mitze says, adding that NutriMost is a drastic program, and the body has to be healthy and functioning well for it to work properly.

Even at that first consultation, she explains, sometimes it’s obvious that NutriMost just isn’t the right fit.

“We know the red flags,” she says. “Sometimes, I’ve talked with a woman at her initial consultation and I have had to explain that NutriMost might not be the right fit for her.”

Mitze says she no longer has to tell people she can’t help them yet: “Now, I would recommend that people in that category do Richeson Wellness first.”

To prepare for the launch of Richeson Wellness, Mitze continued taking functional medicine classes and learning not only how to read and interpret blood work, but also the protocols that help balance the body.

“This new program begins with intense blood work to (see what it takes to) get the body in a state where it’s ready to handle rapid weight loss,” she says. “We can’t push your body to lose a pound a day if it’s too tired or just has other things it’s trying to do. It’s like carrying rocks in a backpack and adding a bowling ball.”

But, it works the other way, too.

“If someone calls me for Richeson Wellness and they just want to get 50 pounds off fast because they’re carrying too much weight, but they are otherwise healthy and their blood work is normal, then I’m going to recommend NutriMost.”

She adds that NutriMost, “is great because people get really great results really fast. With Richeson Wellness, we’re working on getting the body into focus first.”

She does that by starting with a comprehensive blood work-up, showing her clients how their bodies are out of balance, and then helping them gain control over their bodies through proper supplementation and good nutritional choices.

Mitze emphasizes that this blood work is much more comprehensive and will be better explained than what typically happens at most doctors’ offices.

“I’ve had so many clients bring their blood test results and tell me their doctor didn’t explain it,” Mitze says. “They tell me their doctor said, ‘Here’s your blood work, you’re fine,’ or ‘Here, now take this prescription.’ Then they leave with no real hope for resolution. They just do what they’re told.”

She says, in contrast, “We give a full, deep report of 17-25 pages that explains every marker in your blood tests, including (any) abnormalities (that could be affecting your ability to lose weight).”

Then, she takes the time to explain the entire report and what you can do to correct those abnormalities.

“When people understand what’s going on in their bodies, they are empowered to make improvements and take ownership of them,” Mitze says. “We want to educate and empower people to have control by how they’re eating.”

So, while NutriMost continues to help people who want to lose a significant amount of weight quickly — and are healthy enough to do so — Richeson Wellness will focus on each client’s overall wellness. Mitze says weight loss may be a natural byproduct of getting healthy, and working with her will set people up to be ready to lose weight once the initial program is complete.

“When the body gets into that balanced state, it starts losing weight naturally,” she says. “It might take 40 days to get to the point where your body is ready to lose weight. Then, once you get to that point, weight comes off pretty easily.”

Measurable Results

April Ray is a NutriMost client who started the program in January of this year. She says she wanted to lose 30 pounds and she did so, although it took her longer than 40 days.

“With the tools that NutriMost gives you, I have kept it off (for the last several months),” April says. “NutriMost is a new way of eating. I eat more calories and volume than what I used to eat before I went to NutriMost. It’s taught me how to combine protein, fats, and carbs in the right proportions, so I feel satisfied. I don’t feel like I’m starving, like on most diets.”

April, who is 59, says she loves the side effects of her new, healthier eating habits, too. “I don’t have to take any prescription medicine for cholesterol or high blood pressure, and I have a lot of energy,” she says. “A lot of women my age feel like they need to slow down, but I feel like I can do anything I set my mind to. Before starting the program, I didn’t feel like exercising or doing anything, but now I have a lot more energy.”

Cypress Creek Chiropractic, Richeson Wellness and NutriMost are located at 2304 Crestover Ln. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call (813) 241-7098 to reach the NutriMost staff or (813) 435-6643 to reach Mitze for Richeson Wellness. Also, visit RichesonWellness.com or search “Richeson Wellness” on Facebook.

Richeson Wellness

If you need someone to Clean-it, call Clean-it

Celly de Freitas is the owner and operator of Clean-it. She and her team work together to ensure their clients’ homes and offices are thoroughly cleaned.

If you’re in the market for a new cleaning service for your home or office, Celly de Freitas invites you to try Clean-it, her family-owned cleaning service based in Wesley Chapel and serving the surrounding areas, including New Tampa, Lutz and Land O’Lakes, which she has owned and operated since 2013. The company is unlike many, in that Celly herself meets with each client to get specific instructions and room-by-room requests and then returns to either do the job herself, or supervise it, every time your home is cleaned.

Celly says other cleaning services don’t usually offer the consistency she does. Large companies hire a lot of people, she says, so you don’t always get the same crew working in your home. She says this is a recipe for miscommunication, and also considerably slows down the cleaning process.

“For all of my clients,” explains Celly, “I either personally clean their house, or I check it after my crew is done. Every house, every time.”

Clean-it includes four crew members besides Celly, and they are all her family members and friends.

“I only have people working for me who I know and trust,” Celly says. “I’m not going to allow someone into my clients’ homes if I don’t know them.”

She says she often hears from people who are not happy with their current cleaning service.

“They tell me they’ve arranged their schedule to be home, then people don’t show up, and sometimes the cleaning company doesn’t even know they’re missing houses,” she says. “Or they don’t like that different people show up at their house for each cleaning. So, they tell me they’ll give me a try, and then they (usually) stick with me.”

Clean-it provides general cleaning services, including dusting, wiping down and disinfecting window ledges, baseboards, interior glass doors, countertops, the facings of all appliances, sinks, faucets, exterior cabinets, blinds and ceiling fans, as well as floor vacuuming and mopping. If you need something done that isn’t on this list, Celly says all you have to do is ask, as she is happy to accommodate special requests.

The same goes for offices, too. Celly says she vacuums, clean the bathrooms, tables and blinds, fans, and mops floors. She says offices tend to be more simple, but she still accommodates whatever is needed.

“I do whatever the client asks, and I always accomplish what I promise,” Celly explains. “My clients are always happy with my services, or I go back and make it right.”

She says this is another contrast to large cleaning companies, where a cleaning crew may have so many homes scheduled that they are in a rush at every home they visit.

“This isn’t a quick clean,” says Celly. “We’re not paid by the hour, so we don’t have to look at our watches while we’re cleaning, to be sure we get in and out quickly.”

She stresses that, in her business, the needs and desires of her clients are of the utmost importance. “We just do whatever it takes to make sure your house looks good every time we leave.”

Celly insists that each time she cleans your home, it will be as clean as the first time. She says that her reputation has been built on satisfied customers who know she does a thorough and detailed cleaning each and every time.

A Little Background

Celly has now worked in the cleaning industry for more than 20 years, the last five as the owner and operator of Clean-it. She moved to Florida 21 years ago from Brazil and her family settled in the Seven Oaks community in Wesley Chapel more than 15 years ago. With her roots in this area, she has many long-term relationships with her clients.

“I want people to know they can trust me,” she says. “I have houses I’ve cleaned for 15 years. I provide references and I welcome new clients to call my current clients and see what they have to say about me.”

Julie is one of those clients who is happy to talk about how much she appreciates Clean-it’s cleaning services. She says she first met Celly in 2006 when she was looking for someone to clean her home and a neighbor referred her.

“Celly is incredibly reliable, neat, prompt and honest,” Julie says. “She does a good job, and she’s careful with delicate things.”

Julie adds, “I have a lot of plantation shutters, and Celly is obsessed with keeping them dusted and clean, even more than me,” says Julie. “And that’s a big job! I’m very happy with her.”

Celly says Julie is just one of her many satisfied customers. She believes her customers stay happy because she dedicates her time to each one of her clients and puts her personal stamp of approval on each cleaning job.

“Homeowners like the fact that they know me and my crew,” says Julie. “If I don’t come to your house one day, but send a crew instead, it’s still going to be someone you know who has cleaned your house before.”

And, Celly will still stop by to make sure that everything has been done properly.

It’s also important to Celly to use environmentally friendly products, she says. She chooses products that are efficient, ones that, “work well but are not harmful,” she says.

“If you have kids and pets, we know they sometimes come into contact with cleaning products, whether that’s from licking the floor or just having their hands on the floor,” Celly explains. “So, we use products that will not be harmful to their health.” If a client wants their own, personal products to be used for cleaning instead, Celly says she is happy to oblige.

Clean-it offers a 10 percent discount on your first cleaning to Neighborhood News readers who mention this story. Be sure to see her ad on page 49 of this issue, too. Like it says, if you choose to give her a try, “you will see the difference.”

For a free estimate, call Celly at (813) 505-0431. You can learn more about Clean-it online at Facebook.com/CleanIt.Services. The business is licensed and insured. Appointments are available Mon.-Fri., with special request appointments available on Sat. Clean-it is accepting new residential and business clients for regular weekly, bi-weekly and monthly cleanings, as well as one-time services for moving in out.

Clean-it

Specialized Care Available In Wesley Chapel At Florida Orthopaedic Institute

It’s been two years since the newest office of Florida Orthopaedic Institute opened in the Shoppes of Wesley Chapel on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., directly across from Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel (FHWC).

The staff and doctors at the office are meeting the increasing demand for specialized orthopaedic care that can help the residents of Wesley Chapel and nearby communities stay active.

The Board-certified doctors and surgeons at Florida Orthopaedic Institute have been recognized globally for their expertise. Headquartered in North Tampa, the Wesley Chapel office is the tenth for the practice, which has been open for 27 years and now serves patients in or near Bloomingdale, Brandon, Citrus Park, Northdale, Oak Hill/Brooksville, Palm Harbor, South Tampa, Sun City Center, Temple Terrace and Wesley Chapel/New Tampa.

The Wesley Chapel office offers physician services, physical therapy and X-rays, with three Board-certified physicians on staff:

• Christopher Baker, M.D., a fellowship-trained specialist in sports medicine and shoulder reconstruction;

• Brian Palumbo, M.D., who specializes in hip and knee replacement surgery, with a focus on diagnosing and treating hip and knee arthritis, and

• Timothy Epting, D.O., orthopaedic foot & ankle surgeon, who focuses on injuries and disorders of the foot and ankle and general orthopaedic conditions.

To maintain the highest level of orthopaedic skill, Florida Orthopaedic Institute only employs doctors who have had fellowship training.

“This additional training is just part of what sets us apart,” says Dr. Baker, “especially when the sophisticated work of joints is involved. In order to keep our patients active, the precision of the treatment is paramount to success.”

Dr. Baker, a partner at Florida Orthopaedic Institute, has been with the group for four years and has practiced in the area for seven. He graduated cum laude with his M.D. degree from the University of Florida in Gainesville and completed his residency in Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. His fellowship at the Steadman Hawkins Clinic of the Carolinas (in Spartanburg, SC) gave him an extra year of study in sports medicine and shoulder reconstruction, making him the only fellowship-trained shoulder specialist in eastern Pasco County.

He also has been very influential in high school athletics, since he assisted in opening the sports medicine programs at Wesley Chapel and Zephyrhills high schools. Dr. Baker continues to serve as the team physician for several schools in both Pasco and Hillsborough Counties. He also treats professional athletes and has served as the orthopaedic and sports medicine physician for the Tampa Bay Storm Arena Football League team.

In addition to caring for athletes, he also treats patients who have shoulder pain stemming from aging or injury. Many patients avoid shoulder treatment because they are afraid they will need surgery or because of the misconception that pain is a normal part of aging, but Dr. Baker always informs his patients about all available alternatives.

“There are a lot of options other than surgery, like physical therapy or cortisone injections,’’ he says. “Our mission is to do what is best for the individual patient.”

Even when surgery is necessary, Dr. Baker says he does not go straight to invasive surgical techniques. He uses the latest technologies and says that many repairs are done with an arthroscope to minimize incisions, pain and recovery time. The other doctors at Florida Orthopaedic Institute, like Dr. Palumbo, also believe that minimizing surgical trauma and muscle damage should be a high priority for any surgeon.

Speaking of Dr. Palumbo, he served in the Special Operations Command for the U.S. Air Force. He later earned his M.D. degree from the University of South Florida in Tampa, where he also served as a resident in USF’s Department of Orthopedics & Sports Medicine. After that, he attended Harvard Medical School’s Hip & Knee reconstruction surgical fellowship for one year at Brigham & Women’s Hospital in Boston, MA.

Dr. Palumbo specializes in hip and knee arthritis management, joint replacement surgery and the treatment of failed or painful hip and knee joint replacements. He is Board-certified by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, a member of the American Association of Hip & Knee Surgeons, and serves as an assistant professor for the University of South Florida’s Orthopaedic Residency Program.

There are several unique aspects to Dr. Palumbo’s orthopaedic practice. He is a proponent of the direct anterior approach (DAA), also known as the frontal approach, for hip replacements. He says this technique minimizes surgical trauma and allows for faster recovery and decreased pain. He explains that, “Rather than cutting through or damaging muscles (with the DAA approach), you’re simply spreading certain muscles to the side, using their natural tissue planes. It’s like opening a window versus breaking through it.”

His approach to joint replacement surgery also includes a technique for total knee replacements called Kinematic Knee Alignment. This technique is unique in that the goal of the surgery is to restore the natural position and dynamics of the knee joint, rather than implanting it in an alignment that the surgeon believes is correct.

“Conventional total knee arthroplasty implants the knee where the surgeon thinks it belongs, while kinematic alignment implants the knee replacement in a way that attempts to replicate (that) knee before (the patient) had arthritis,” he states.

Dr. Palumbo also is an advocate for partial (rather than total) knee replacements whenever possible. He feels that sparing hip and knee joint muscles and preserving bone (when possible) can lead to improved and faster recovery and long-term outcomes.

He also firmly believes in the importance of fellowship-trained, specialized surgeons. “The added training and expertise this provides allows us to care for complex failed and painful joint replacement issues,” he says. “Approximately 30 percent of joint replacements I perform are re-do replacements for old or failed joint replacements.”

An Emphasis On Education

Educating patients is a core philosophy at the Florida Orthopaedic Institute, whose surgeons encourage patients to seek out options to ensure that they are getting a doctor who is experienced in treating their particular type of injury.

Dr. Epting is an orthopaedic foot and ankle surgeon, the only one in Pasco County. He is Board-certified and did his fellowship training at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.

Prior to joining the Florida Orthopaedic Institute team, Dr. Epting served three years as an orthopaedic surgeon at the U.S. Naval Hospital in Jacksonville, FL. He also served as an orthopaedic surgeon in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal in 2010. “My military experience and fellowship training allow me to explore all options for my patients so they can receive the best possible care,” he says.

Dr. Epting treats sports injuries of the ankle/foot (fractures, ligament and tendon injuries), as well as arthritis (fusions and ankle replacement) and foot & ankle deformities. He utilizes non-surgical measures (bracing and physical therapy) as well as surgical repair, arthroscopy and reconstruction, when appropriate. Orthopaedic surgery training gives him insight into foot and ankle conditions, as well as their impact on the body as a whole.

For more info, stop in at Florida Orthopaedic Institute’s Wesley Chapel office at 2653 BBD, or visit FloridaOrtho.com. The Wesley Chapel location is open Mon.-Fri., 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Call (800) FL-ORTHO for appointments.

Florida Orthopaedic Institute