Dr. Delaura Patel Joins Generations OB/GYN’s Wesley Chapel Office

The doctors of Generations OB/GYN are (l.-r., front row) Dr. Gem Ashby, Dr. Richard Dillon, Dr. Brian McNulty & Dr. Delaura Patel; and (back row, l.-r.) Dr. Kristen Segall, Dr. Tiffany Patrick and Dr. Vicar Qureshi.

Delaura Patel, M.D., may be the newest doctor at the obstetrics and gynecology practice of Generations OB/GYN, a division of Women’s Care Florida, but she says she’s already been present for the birth of 600 babies, including many she has personally delivered since joining the practice in September.

She now sees patients at all three Generations OB/GYN locations, including Wesley Chapel (at the Cypress Ridge Professional Center located off S.R. 56), Carrollwood and on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. south of New Tampa, near the University of South Florida (USF).

Dr. Patel is a Tampa Bay-area native who went to medical school at USF, completing a seven-year combined B.S./M.D. (Bachelor of Science and Doctor of Medicine) degree program, graduating in 2012. She then completed an OB/GYN residency at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, working at hospitals in New Orleans, where she completed the program this past summer.

Generations OB/GYN is one of many Women’s Care Florida offices that are located throughout the Tampa Bay area and the state of Florida. Generations OB/GYN traces its roots to 1995, when Richard Dillon, M.D., and Brian McNulty, M.D., joined together after about 10 years of each doctor practicing on his own, in an office near their current BBD location. Soon after, Dr. Vicar Qureshi, M.D., joined the office. Over the years, more doctors have joined the growing practice to better serve patients, including Kristen Segall, M.D., Gem Ashby M.D., and Tiffany Patrick, M.D. With Dr. Patel, that brings the total number of doctors in the practice to seven.

“It’s great because we rotate so that there are always two doctors at each of our three offices, plus one doctor at the hospital for any pregnant moms who are in labor,” says Dr. Patel. She says this is unique because many doctors don’t arrive at the hospital until a patient is ready to deliver her baby, but that timing can be unpredictable.

“With us, the doctor who is working in the office doesn’t also have to see patients at the hospital, so your appointment is not going to be rescheduled because a baby is being born,” she says. “It also means that the doctor at the hospital is not trying to rush back to the office to do a pap smear.”

This arrangement isn’t new. Dr. Patel says Generations OB/GYN has always done it that way, but that when she joined the practice, it allowed the other offices to be more fully staffed on more days of the week.

“All seven doctors go to all three locations,” she explains, “so you can see whatever doctor you want at whatever location is most convenient for you.”

All of the practice’s doctors are Board-certified by the American Board of Obstetrics & Gynecology, except Dr. Patel, who is Board-eligible, meaning she has passed the written portion of the certification but must practice for several years before receiving her certification. Dr. Patel also is a Junior Fellow of the American College of Obstetrics & Gynecology (ACOG), while the other doctors are all ACOG Fellows.

Services Available

Dr. Patel says that most women visit Generations OB/GYN for well-woman exams, contraception, STD testing, urinary issues, menstrual issues and pelvic pain.

The doctors serve these women, plus provide extensive gynecological and obstetric services, including infertility evaluations, counseling and treatment; prenatal and preconception care and services, in-office three-dimensional (3D) and 4D ultrasounds, plus all aspects of labor and delivery; as well as general women’s health care, such as cancer testing and screening, sterilization, hormone therapy and more.

Many surgical procedures are available, including tubal sterilization, a permanent birth control method that does not require incisions or a local anesthetic. The practice also offers an alternative to the traditional hysterectomy called an endometrial ablation, which helps to treat painful menstrual cycles and requires no incisions, along with less than 48 hours of recovery time for most women.

Other minimally invasive alternatives to hysterectomy also are available, which Dr. Patel says are called hysteroscopic myomectomy, and laparoscopic and robotic surgeries.

“These are really fantastic options,” says Dr. Patel. “The techniques have really expanded in recent years. While it’s still a major surgery on the inside, on the outside there’s really not much evidence of it. Women have less pain and less need for pain management, and much faster recovery, making for a much better experience than with a traditional hysterectomy.”

Generations OB/GYN also offers a weight-loss program and aesthetic services, such as Botox.

“Our weight-loss clinic was established as an adjunct to our other services,” explains Dr. Patel. “We refer patients from all of our offices to the Wesley Chapel office, where we have the weight-loss program.”

Dr. Patel says obesity and smoking are the biggest health issues in this country. As doctors who already have relationships with women who say they want to lose weight and are struggling to do so, they decided to bring a program into the Wesley Chapel office to be able to meet the needs of those women without having to refer them to outside sources.

“Patients can choose to use medications or do the program without appetite suppressants,” says Dr. Patel, who explains that the program also includes counseling on healthy diet and exercise.

Dr. Patel’s Perspective

Dr. Patel says she first became interested in the OB/GYN field in high school, when she had the opportunity to shadow several physicians in the operating room. She got to see several procedures, including a hysterectomy, and said it was so different than her concept of what “work” would be.

“This isn’t work,” she remembers thinking. “This is helping people.”

She says it’s important to her to help women who are facing health issues, including problems like fibroids and abnormal bleeding.

“Your period should not take over your life,” she says. “It is truly satisfying to be able to help someone who has been having problems that interfere with their ability to work and enjoy life.”

Dr. Patel adds that she feels that all the doctors at Generations OB/GYN practice in a similar way. “We build relationships with each of our patients as an individual,” she says. “For complex situations, we lean on each other and work together to decide what’s best for the individual patient.”

She says this is essential because, “When you’re talking about pregnancy, there are a lot of things that can happen that aren’t by the book,” says Dr. Patel. “I believe our approach leads to better outcomes for moms and babies.”

Dr. Patel also says that working at Generations OB/GYN is, “like a dream come true. Here, we grow with the field. We follow all of the latest guidelines to ensure that we’re doing what’s best, according to evidence-based medicine. So, we are willing to change and say to our patients, ‘We used to do this, but now we do this.’”

For more info, see the ad on pg. 12, visit GenerationsOBG.com, or call the office of your choice. The practice has locations at 26823 Tanic Dr. in Wesley Chapel (929-7377); 13601 BBD, a mile south of Tampa Palms (972-9300); and at 3321 W. Bearss Ave. in Carrollwood (269-2528).

GL Homes’ The Ridge At Wiregrass Ranch To Add Clubhouse Soon

This beautiful 12,000-sq.-ft. clubhouse and other amenities at GL Homes’ The Ridge at Wiregrass Ranch are expected to be completed and open by February 2017.

On S.R. 56 in Wesley Chapel, a couple of miles east of the Shops at Wiregrass, behind a stunning entrance with an eye-catching waterfall feature, a brand new community called The Ridge at Wiregrass Ranch is taking shape.

Families who want to enjoy the best possible Florida lifestyle in luxurious, custom homes began moving into the community earlier this year. Of the more than 180 homes that have been sold in the community so far, 50 have been completed. The Ridge is expected to eventually include 562 homes.

Homes in The Ridge are priced starting from $295,000 to $615,000, with sizes from just under 2,000 sq. ft. to more than 5,000 sq. ft. Most homes back up to ponds or conservation areas, and the few homes that back up to another home feature deeper lots and green space in between.

The Ridge is being developed, built and sold by Sunrise, FL-based GL Homes. GL Homes is a privately owned company that has been in business for more than 40 years. It started in Palm Beach and Broward counties and has grown to include communities throughout Florida.

The company is different from many community developers, because it also is the builder. “We purchase the land, work with engineers to create a site plan, go through the approval process, develop each home site and build each home,” says Marisa Lufkin, project manager for The Ridge at Wiregrass Ranch.

Although Marisa just recently began working at The Ridge, she says she has been with GL Homes for 17 years, most recently at Valencia Lakes (the only other GL Homes community in the Tampa Bay area), which is for adults ages 55 and older and located in the Sun City Center area of southern Hillsborough County.

She explains that being both the developer and the builder has its advantages. “We control the standard of the overall aesthetics,” Marisa says. “We start with the entrance and follow through with the elevations of the homes. We tie it all together, from the guardhouse to the landscaping, to the exterior of the clubhouse and the homes themselves.”

The elevations of the homes in The Ridge all include concrete roof tile, stacked stone exterior details, a covered patio, and brick pavers on driveways, walkways, entries, and covered patios.

“These are standard features in all of our homes,” explains Marisa. She adds that the high-end standard features continue inside, as well, where you won’t need to upgrade to get stainless steel appliances, granite countertops, 42” upper cabinets in the kitchen or luxury bathroom finishes.

“In this community, you really can have it all,” Marisa says.

Clubhouse & Pools

As homes are being constructed throughout the community, so is The Ridge’s amenity center. The 12,000-sq.-ft. clubhouse currently is under construction and GL Homes plans to open it in February. The clubhouse will include a fitness center with 24-hour resident access, aerobics room, indoor sports court, game room, kids room and even an arcade.

Outdoors, a resort-style pool is accompanied by a lap pool, kids water play area and a water slide. There also are four tennis courts, a shaded tot lot, a full-size, full-court basketball court, open play field and party pavilion.

“There’s nothing else like it in a community this size,” says Marisa. “We’re different for the market, and that’s what attracts buyers to this community.”

When the clubhouse is complete, a social director will be hired to build programs based on what the residents want, and schedule those programs based on when they want them.

“That’s the beauty of a brand new community,” she says. “We can mold it into an outstanding (facility), and the residents will dictate what those programs will be.”

“I can’t wait for the clubhouse to open,” says Steven Nguyen, a resident at The Ridge. “No doubt my two kids will use the pools.”

Steven says he moved from New York, “to get away from the cold weather.” The family moved into the new home in May.

“We bought a four-bedroom home,” he says, “where I live with my wife, my children and my parents. My brother lives next door.” He adds that the entire family chose to move into The Ridge because, “This community is definitely one of the best in all of the Tampa Bay area.”

He adds, “Here, everything is convenient. Shopping is just minutes away, and everything is close.”

Steven has that in common with many other residents of The Ridge, who also say they were attracted to it because of the location. In growing Wesley Chapel, with close proximity to The Shops at Wiregrass, Tampa Premium Outlets, and I-75, the community is where families want to be.

Steven also researched local schools and liked where students in The Ridge were zoned to attend. The community’s rear entrance, which is not yet open (and will be gated for residents only), backs up to Dr. John Long Middle School. Students also are zoned to attend nearby Wiregrass Elementary and Wiregrass Ranch High.

Marisa says Steven and his brother aren’t the only families who have purchased two homes next door to each other; other families have their parents next door. She adds that a wide variety of people are coming to live at The Ridge, “from newlyweds to families with children to empty nesters.”

She says many of the buyers are local. “Our community gives people who have outgrown their New Tampa homes an opportunity to build a bigger home in the area,” she says, adding that other local buyers are looking to downsize once they become empty nesters. “Other families just want to live in a brand new home with all the finishing touches and these amazing community amenities.”

In addition, she says, “GL Homes offers the whole package. From the multi-million-dollar entry that makes you feel like you’re coming into an upscale community, to our many floor plans and hundreds of options for customization, along with the great lifestyle.”

The sales center at The Ridge at Wiregrass Ranch is open every day, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. For more information about The Ridge, see the ad on the inside back cover (pg. 55) of this issue, visit GLHomes.com or call (855) 671-1700.

New Adventist Private School Breaks Ground On County Line Rd.

school-renderingNew Tampa families looking for a private, Christian education for children in grades pre-kindergarten (Pre-K) through high school will soon have another option — thanks to the Florida Conference of Seventh-Day Adventists.

Scheduled to open for the 2018-19 academic year, the still-unnamed school will be located on County Line Rd., on the New Tampa (south) side of the road. A groundbreaking ceremony for the school was held at the school’s future location on Nov. 6.

The Florida Conference of Seventh-Day Adventists has hired Georgia-based School Growth to manage all aspects of the school’s opening, aside from the design and construction of the building.

“We work with the Department of Education and the Florida Conference to design everything from the structure of the school, its operation, brand, and curriculum, to human resources strategies,” explains Scott Barron, the founder and CEO of School Growth.

school-groundbreaking3The campus will occupy about 43 acres of land. In the fall of 2018, it is expected to be open to students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade, although Barron says the school would enroll a ninth grade class if there is enough demand for it. Higher grades will be added in subsequent years.

“We expect to attract families looking for a more personalized approach to learning,” says Barron, who explains that the school will emphasize project-based learning and will provide, “awareness and support for each student as an individual.”

Barron says his company works with public and private schools all over the world and can take best practices from these schools  — as well as the best professional development strategies — to implemeschool-groundbreaking2nt one of the most advanced schools anywhere. “It’s kind of like a dream school,” he says.

The school will integrate outdoor learning as an essential focus of its curriculum. Barron says his company is working with an ecological architect to create an estuary and outdoor classroom, and take advantage of retention ponds on the property, so that students will be able to learn about birds and other wildlife that are attracted to the campus.

“We can do this in a way you can’t in many other locations,” says Barron. “First of all, because of the weather, and then also because of the natural features of the land.”

Barron says Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel, which is owned by the Adventist Health System, part of the worldwide organization of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, is supporting the school by providing resources for its development.

Architects for the project are Fielding Nair International, a global firm that builds schools worldwide, which has an office in Lutz, and St. Petersburg-based Wannemacher Jensen Architects, Inc.

The new school will be located at 5814 E. County Line Rd., Tampa. For more information, visit SchoolGrowth.com/tampa-new-school.

Hourly Childcare With No Reservations: Just Drop In At KidsPark!

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Owner Amanda Justus (left) and director Heather Perez invite you to check out KidsPark, located just off I-75 on S.R. 56 in Wesley Chapel.

KidsPark is a totally new concept in childcare for the New Tampa and Wesley Chapel area.

“If you’re a mom, you get it,” says Amanda Justus, the owner of the KidsPark Tampa, located just off of S.R. 56, east of I-75, in Wesley Chapel. She explains that KidsPark is available for children ages 2 through 12, for drop-in childcare.

“We offer hourly childcare on days, evenings and weekends with no reservations,” says Amanda. “For date nights, meetings, grocery shopping, appointments, anything… you just drop your kids off.”

The concept is popular. Since opening in August, KidsPark has registered about 600 families. The Wesley Chapel location is part of a growing franchise headquartered in San Jose, CA. Its 17 locations are in seven states, including three KidsPark facilities in Florida.

“My first experience with hourly childcare was when I was living in North Carolina and my husband was in the Marines,” Amanda says. “Hourly childcare saved my life. Sometimes, it was the only way for me to get to the store or clean the house.”

Amanda and her husband Ricky live in Wesley Chapel with their two children, Camryn, who is 10, and Gavin, who is 6. Amanda worked as a microbiologist at Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel before leaving her job to focus on opening and running KidsPark. While her undergraduate degree is in microbiology from the University of South Florida in Tampa, she also holds a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from nearby St. Leo University, which she earned in 2013.

“I’ve always wanted to own my own business, and I knew this was something the area needed,” she says.

When Amanda realized that she could open a KidsPark franchise, she says she signed the paperwork immediately, “And, it’s exceeded our expectations.”

KidsPark’s full-time director, Heather Perez, has 20 years of experience as a preschool director in Pasco County. “Heather has been a huge help for me,” says Amanda. “My background is in science, so it’s great that Heather understands all of the licensing and requirements.”

Meeting Your Needs

For anyone who works 12-hour shifts or evening hours, such as nurses, servers, or anyone in retail, traditional daycare just doesn’t work. Amanda says that since her husband is a firefighter, she used to pay for full-time childcare, even though she didn’t need it.

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Whether your kids are pre-school age or as old as age 12, they are welcome to enjoy KidsPark.

Dads and moms apparently like it for date night, too. “Parents tell us we’re saving their marriages,” says Amanda. “Dads actually high-five us and say thank you.”

KidsPark has something for all kids, from dramatic play to air hockey, board games and puzzles, as well as karaoke, Wii dance, Wii sports, and Xbox. Kids Park also has a private, enclosed outdoor space so kids can get some fresh air.

While visitors to KidsPark get time for open play, there also are scheduled activities. “We try to make sure every child takes home a craft or art project,” Amanda says, “so parents can see what they’ve been doing.”

KidsPark serves lunch at noon every day, and dinner at 6 p.m. The meals are catered and cost just $4. Snacks are provided at no additional charge at 10 a.m., 3 p.m. and 8 p.m.

“It’s huge to know that you always have child care, and – unlike what might happen with a babysitter – that they aren’t just sitting there watching TV,” Amanda says.

Preschool, Too

In addition to hourly childcare, KidsPark offers both Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten (VPK) for four year olds and preschool for ages two and three.

KidsPark’s one VPK class filled up quickly. These families use a voucher and pay nothing when they pick their child up by noon. On any day, whether the parent is running late or would like additional childcare, the kid simply stays longer and parents pay just the regular hourly rate for any additional time.

“Buddy Preschool” also is held each day from 9 a.m. to noon, but parents have the flexibility to choose which days they attend and pay hourly just for the times their child is there.

Affordable Rates

“We try to make it so everyone can afford child care,” Amanda says. The hourly rate is just $7.75 for one child, or $11.75 for two. Additional siblings are $3 per hour. A “preferred customer rate” is available for anyone who pre-pays $100 or more (in $50 increments, up to $250). Ten percent is added to your prepayment, so if you pre-pay $100, you actually get $110 credited to your account.

There is a $25 registration fee per family (not per child), which is a one-time fee, as long as you come at least once a year. Also, once you’ve paid the registration fee at any facility, you can use all of the KidsPark facilities across the country if you’re traveling.

Amanda also offers discounts to hospital employees and to anyone in the military.

On Sundays, before and after Kids Park is open, the staff hosts birthday parties and other private parties.

“For a private party, you have the whole center to yourselves,” says Amanda. “You choose a craft and a game, and the cost includes face painting, two staff members to keep the kids busy, and also includes invitations, paper products and even decorations.”

Happy Customers

Denise Drury’s two-year-old twins, John and James, were KidsPark’s very first clients.

“It’s a wonderful place,” says Denise. “The caregivers there treat my boys like they’re their own.”

Denise adds that KidsPark is, “the best concept ever, for a mom to be able to drop her kids off at the last minute,” whether it’s for grocery shopping, an appointment, or a night out with her husband. “It’s affordable, and I can’t get over all of the activities the kids get to do there.”

KidsPark is located at 26240 Golden Maple Loop, just off of S.R. 56 (east of I-75) in Wesley Chapel. The center is open Monday–Thursday, 8 a.m.–10 p.m., 8 a.m.–midnight on Friday, 10 a.m.–midnight on Saturday, and 1 p.m.–6 p.m. on Sunday. For more information, see the ad on page 18, call 803-4972, or visit KidsPark.com.

Dreaming Of A White Christmas? VIP Pest Control Can Blanket Your Lawn In ‘Snow!’

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VIP Pest Control owner Vicki Hutto (with her pomeranians Chloe, left, and Bailey) can promise you a White Christmas this year.

On Thanksgiving night, when Meadow Pointe resident Vicki Hutto has her yard set up for Christmas and flips the switch to light the decorations for the first time this season, not only will her lawn be ornamented with reindeer and snowmen, but also with a white sparkle that is reminiscent of northern winters. She’ll have a dusting of “snow” on her lawn, thanks to a service now being offered by her company, VIP Pest Control.

Vicki is both the owner and operator of VIP Pest Control, which is celebrating its tenth year in business in New Tampa, Wesley Chapel and surrounding areas in Pasco and Hillsborough counties. While the company’s specialty is keeping homes, businesses and lawns free from nuisance animals and insects (including termites, mosquitoes, ants, roaches, bed bugs and more), Vicki has developed a creative way to help those who have been dreaming of a white Christmas experience it here in Florida.

vipsnowThe VIP Pest Control lawn care technicians will actually paint your lawn white, providing the perfect backdrop for seasonal decorations. “We even figured out a way to make it sparkle, if you want,” says Vicki.

Vicki recalls an elderly customer who wanted snow in her yard, like she had up north, “and she sang Christmas songs from her wheelchair while she watched her lawn being painted,” she says. Vicki tells of another customer who wanted to propose marriage with a white Christmas backdrop. Now, Vicki is offering a way to make that happen, too.

“We use an organic paint that is kid- and pet-friendly,” she explains. “Dogs can play on it and kids can sit on it for pictures.”

How does it work? “We spray the lawn three times, so that all sides of each blade of grass are completely covered. It won’t rub off, wash off, or wear off, but it is removed after about three grass clippings.” She says that since grass is dormant in the winter, that usually takes about three months.

Especially for northerners who may miss the white beauty of winter, but not the cold, Vicki says, “Here’s your white Christmas.”

For videos that show the treatment being applied, and the results of one home’s snow application, visit VIPPestControlLLC.com/snow.

Green Lawns, Too!

Year-’round, the team at VIP Pest Control works to keep lawns pest-free, which helps them stay green and healthy. In the winter, when grass is dormant, you may have brown patches that take time to correct. VIP Pest Control offers a service to paint your lawn green until the brown patches grow back healthy. If your homeowners association requires you to have a green lawn, call VIP Pest Control to learn about painting it green for the winter.

Like all of VIP Pest Control’s treatments, the green lawn treatment also is environmentally friendly and can be used on lawns where both pets and kids play.

In Your Home…

This is the time of year when VIP Pest Control gets many calls about roaches and rodents, especially as people get boxes out of their attics with holiday decorations for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

“If you see signs of rodents (such as droppings or noises), call us right away,” says Vicki. “Rodents can be dangerous, because they can chew through wires and actually set your whole house on fire.”

Vicki says people often see roaches, especially palmetto bugs, which like to live in cardboard, and German roaches, which can be transported into your home as eggs on boxes delivered by shipping companies.

“German roaches are the ones that will make you sick,” she says. “They’re much smaller than the big palmetto bugs, but they carry diseases.”

And, while termites don’t typically swarm in winter, Vicki says that all Floridians need to be aware that both drywood and subterranean termites can cause damage to your home year-’round. With the drywood termites, sometimes people get a “false swarm.” When you turn on your heat, termites may think it’s swarm season and fly out of the walls of your home to mate. There’s nothing “false” about what they do to your home behind those walls, though.

“When that swarm is gone and you no longer see them, you still have termites,” Vicki explains. “They eat the wood of your home 24 hours a day, and there’s nothing you can do to get rid of them yourself. You really have to call a professional.”

When a VIP Pest Control technician comes out to your home to inspect for termites, they’ll help you determine what conditions in and around your house might lead to termites. For example, termites have easy access to your home when you have mulch up against your house, tree branches or plants that touch your house, or wood-to-ground contact. Hutto says you can help keep termites away from your home by reducing these “conducive conditions.”

When Vicki established VIP in 2006, she says it was her goal to provide a higher level of customer service than other local companies. She says she chose to name her business “VIP” to indicate that to her, customers are, “Very Important People.”

That’s why, for example, you’ll always talk with a live person when you call VIP’s office.  “We give our customers personal attention,” explains Vicki. “No two people are alike, and no two houses are alike.”

Same-day service is often available, especially if you have a serious issue that needs immediate attention. “If you call us in the morning,” says Vicki, “we can usually work you in that day.”

One of the company’s VIP customers is April Saland, who called Vicki when she discovered flying insects in her home.

“VIP came right out and told me I had subterranean termites,” says Saland. “It was a horrible issue, but Vicki held my hand and walked me through the process. She was awesome, and made us comfortable knowing she could save our home.”

VIP Pest Control is located at 119 Flagship Dr., in Lutz. It is open Mon.-Fri., 8:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m. For info, visit VIPPestControlLLC.com or call 234-8888. Also, check out VIP Pest Control on Episode 1 of WCNT-tv on YouTube.