By now, there’s probably not much I can tell you about self-serve frozen yogurt places. They pretty much all have similar flavors, similar toppings and similar brightly-colored décor.
So, what is that sets Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt — now open for several months in the same outparcel building that also includes the new Irish 31 at the Shops at Wiregrass mall — apart from its competition?
Based on my experience with first-time franchise owners Sheilla and Leroy Lee, two U.S. Army veterans (she spent four years in the service; he has more than 20 years in the Army and retired as a Sergeant Major, the highest rank for a non-commissioned soldier), it’s the people.
They’re both warm and friendly and Sheilla, who is usually on-site at the store, is proud to call the Wesley Chapel Menchie’s a family-run business. Teenage daughters Tamara (photo) and Tiffany both work at the store, although Tamara was getting ready to head of to school at the University of Central Florida in Orlando as we went to press.
“We knew we wanted to buy a franchise and we did our research,” Sheilla says. “Even though we both originally wanted different types of businesses, we agreed that Menchie’s was an outstanding, growing franchise (now the largest frozen yogurt franchise in the U.S., with more than 500 stores worldwide and about 70 in Florida) with a built-in audience,” as Menchies.com says that more than 90 percent of households in the U.S. indulge in frozen desserts.
And, a truly delicious frozen dessert it is, with a dozen constantly-changing flavors that include everything from the most popular toasty marshmallow to no-sugar-added peanut butter and from name-brand favorites like chocolate caramel biscuit, made with real Twix bars, and Dole pineapple sorbet, to New York cheesecake and “Jumpin’ Java Latté.”
“We rotate the flavors in the store every two to three weeks and receive two new flavors every month,” Sheilla says. “We already have quite a few regulars who look forward to the new releases, like the new piña colada sorbet that came out earlier in August. Our customers really seem to love the product.”
And yes, it is a healthy option, with probiotic cultures that aid digestion, plus gluten-free, vegan, and no high fructose corn syrup options. Menchie’s also strives to use natural flavors including real cake, cookies, spices, fruits and nuts. The entire line of frozen yogurt is certified Kosher and is awarded the live and active culture seal by the National Yogurt Association.
But, what I love most at Menchie’s may not be the healthiest thing about it, because the toppings rock my world. With everything from chocolate fudge and liquid marshmallow toppings to ground Kit-Kat and Reese’s candy bars, gummy worms and oh yeah, fresh strawberries and pineapple, I’m definitely a fan of the toppings at Menchie’s.
There’s also a great variety of pre-made and custom-made froyo cakes, quarts and pints of different Menchie’s flavors in the store’s freezer, plus Menchie’s “merch” like T-shirts, cute swirl-headed dolls, kickballs emblazoned with the franchise’s logo and even tie-ins to major motion pictures, like the new “Emoji Movie” cups and spoons.
At only 56 cents an ounce, it’s certainly an affordable indulgence, too. And, with its ideal location between Irish 31 and Noble Crust at the mall, it’s sure to become an even bigger favorite, especially with the buy-one, get-one-half-off coupon from the ad on pg. 38 of this issue. Speaking of savings, you’ll get another coupon for 20-percent off your next purchase when you donate a dollar to the American Heart Assn. at Menchie’s.
Great yogurt, even better toppings and people and super savings? You owe it to yourself to try Menchie’s today!
Menchie’s is located at 28356 Willet Way. For more info, call (813) 991-0365, search “MenchiesShopsatWiregrass” on Facebook or visit Menchies.com.
Dr. Yvette Suarez is the owner and medical director at Bella MedSpa, located in the same plaza as Nutrition S’Mart on Bruce B. Downs Blvd., just south of S.R. 56.
When a patient walks out of Bella MedSpa, one of owner Yvette Suarez, M.D.’s hopes is that no one can tell that the patient just walked out of a medspa.
She’d rather hear that her clients were complimented for having better skin, fewer wrinkles and a fresher look, maybe even mistaken for changing their hair color or benefiting from an extra few hours of sleep.
“It’s not, I know what you had done,’’ says Dr. Suarez, “because if they say that, it probably wasn’t a good job.”
Dr. Suarez says that everyone at Bella MedSpa (which is located next to Nutrition S’Mart on Bruce B. Downs Blvd., just south of S.R. 56 and the Shops at Wiregrass mall), takes great pride in being part of making their patients not only look better, but feel better, without using techniques that create harsh or jolting transformations.
While a plethora of services for one’s face and body, inside and out, are offered for men and women at Bella MedSpa, Suarez says her most popular services are non-surgical procedures performed with BOTOX and cosmetic dermal fillers, which help reduce lines and wrinkles. Dr. Suarez says it’s all about incremental improvements, via carefully prescribed programs designed to reverse many of the effects of aging.
“Who says now at the age of 40, you have to feel 80, when we have something to make us feel better?,” Dr. Suarez says. “Would you not want to feel like you were 30 again, when you’re 50? Most of us would.”
New Tampa’s Karen Mohn has been a Bella MedSpa client for more than five years, and has indulged in a number of services. She says she always appreciates the experience, starting with a staff she describes as warm and friendly, to the gentle touch of Dr. Suarez, who has produced a number of subtle changes that Mohn approves of, and — just as important — that no one else is struck by.
“I’m in a few ladies’ groups that meet monthly, and those who know I had something done always compliment me,’’ Mohn said. “But in general, those who don’t know will comment of how beautiful my skin looks, and ask how I keep it so nice.”
It’s simple, she says — “I take advantage of technology.”
Dr. Suarez and a staff of 13 help administer that technology at Bella MedSpa, which has roughly 11,000 clients, which speaks to the growing popularity of nonsurgical cosmetic enhancements. She began her practice in 2005, in the Summergate Professional Park behind Sam’s Club, before relocating Bella to its current location in 2011, because she needed more space.
As a child, Dr. Suarez says she always knew she’d be a doctor, because every time someone got hurt in the family, she was one doing the fixing up.
“I think I told my mother when I was in eighth grade that I was going to be a doctor when I grew up. That, or a pilot,’’ she says, laughing.
Either way, Dr. Suarez says she knew she wanted to do something to help people. She attended Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ,and earned her M.D. degree in 2000 from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in Newark.
She completed a residency program at the Arnold Palmer Hospital in Orlando. Since her residency, she worked for seven years as a Pediatric Emergency Physician in Tampa, four years as an Urgent Care Physician and six years as a Cosmetic Physician.
“I always loved orthodontics, I loved putting joints back in, loved putting in chest tubes, things that can make people feel better immediately,’’ Suarez said. “Fixing someone is the best thing.”
But, Suarez also says she was interested in a field that allowed her to spend more time with her patients, as well as more time with her husband, Bella MedSpa CEO David Singletary, and their children.
“Before, it was get them stable, get them treated, get them out,’’ Dr. Suarez says. “Here, you get to know them, they talk to you about all their problems. I find it very touching that you really have the time you don’t in most insurance-based practices. I’m blessed to have that luxury.”
Dr. Suarez says she never stopped learning, and is certified to provide all of the services available at Bella MedSpa. She is the regional instructor for a number of companies that make the products she uses, and also teaches other physicians the skills for Lipo Body Sculpting.
Dr. Suarez says that about 50 percent of her patients are men, who try everything from liposculpting (above) to hormone replacement therapy in order to look and feel better.
She says she has been training the past two years for Allergan, which lists BOTOX, Juvederm and Kybella among its many products, to train other physicians and practitioners so they can get certified, too.
Most common at Bella MedSpa are the injectables, such as BOTOX and dermal fillers. Because there are many varieties — for example, there are five different kinds of Juvederm — Dr. Suarez says it’s important to keep clients educated on which filler, and how much of it, is best for them.
“I’ve been to a place that used two syringes, or two vials, one on each side,’’ Mohn says. “All they cared about was selling the product.”
At Bella MedSpa, Mohn says one vial of the product was used, and it was carefully administered over a wider area. “Her staff is concerned and interested in you, and that’s more important to them than selling product.’’
It also helps patients avoid looking like Hollywood caricatures. While someone like Kylie Kardashian can drive in customers — “When she had her lips done, I think we had every young girl coming in wanting their lips done,” Dr. Suarez says — many clients want the exact opposite effect.
“I start slowly and work our way up instead of injecting tons of stuff right away, because I like a natural flow,’’ Dr. Suarez says. “They really like it as opposed to all at one time.”
Suarez says that Florida is one of the top states for injectables.
Vampire Facials?
Another recent trend, given a second life by the Kardashians, is a Vampire Facial, or facelift. It involves drawing a client’s blood and using a centrifuge to isolate the Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP), which is then infused back into the skin to stimulate collagen production. Suarez says Bella MedSpa probably administers at least one Vampire Facial a day. “It’s been going on for a long time, but obviously once you hear that one of the movie stars or a famous person does it, you’ll notice it,’’ she says.
She adds that the second most popular procedure at Bella MedSpa is liposculpting, which thanks to technology is not only better, but is no longer performed under general anesthesia; conscious sedation is used instead.
“We get to change the shape of someone, not just remove the fat,’’ Dr. Suarez says.
Facial treatments also are popular, she says. Bella MedSpa’s licensed aestheticians perform facials, chemical peels, eyelash extensions, eyebrow microblading, dermaplaning, microneedling and more.
Bella MedSpa also offers Liquivida IV Therapy which, in just 30-45 minutes, delivers vitamins, minerals and amino acids directly into the body’s bloodstream via an intravenous drip. A variety of vitamin drip combinations that serve specific purposes are available, as are medical weight loss programs.
The Fountain Of Youth?
Hormone Replacement Therapy is another treatment growing in popularity. For women, Dr. Suarez says that estrogen and progesterone deficiencies brought on by menopause can be controlled with Bio-Indentical replacements.
For younger men, Suarez says that testosterone levels should be around 800, but by the time men turn 40 or 50, that number can be closer to 400. Low testosterone can lead to decreased libido (sex drive), disturbed sleep, moodiness, loss of muscle mass and fatigue. Testosterone replacement with bio-identical Hormones can help reverse all those effects and Dr. Suarez says many of her male clients come in weekly for injections, while others have pellets surgically inserted in the buttocks area.
“We have a tremendous amount of male patients here,’’ says Dr. Suarez, who estimates that nearly 50 percent of her clients are men. She says most are fighting what she calls the “Couch Potato Syndrome”: once they get home and sit on the couch, they can’t get back up. She says that testosterone treatments can fix that.
“When I ask them if they have problems with focus, with memory, with energy and fatigue, or if they’re not getting the same results when going to the gym, they can relate,’’ she says. “That’s when you know. They think testosterone is just libido. Well, that’s a great thing to fix, but it’s not the only issue it can correct.”
Another popular choice of her male clientele is Kybella, an injectable that reduces the fat below a chin, or “double chin.” Dr. Suarez says that men are first bothered by that second chin because many wear shirts and ties that amplify it. At least half the clients receiving Kybella injections at Bella MedSpa are men, filling the waiting room many mornings.
“I had a woman walk in and look around and saw all these guys, and she looks at me, and I just said, “Yep, times are changing,’’’ Dr. Suarez says.
She adds that virtually all of her clients share common goals when they come to Bella MedSpa — to look better, and feel better. Dr. Suarez says she and her staff are always looking for ways to oblige them.
“My best day is when I treat a patient, and they get up and they hug me and say, ‘Thank you, I love coming to see you,’” she says. “That feeling that you really made a change is so much fun.”
Bella MedSpa is located at 1821 BBD Blvd. (between S.R. 56 and County Line Rd.) and is open Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m., and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday.
For free consultations and more information, call (813) 929-1500 or visit BellaTampa.com.
The skin care professionals of PHDermatology are ready to provide a range of medical and aesthetic dermatological services.
Keeping your skin healthy or enhancing its appearance can be challenging, but the medical and aesthetic professionals of PHDermatology (formerly known as Palm Harbor Dermatology) provide state-of-the-art skin care at four locations, all within a reasonably short drive from New Tampa: Westchase, Brandon, South Tampa and Palm Harbor.
PHDermatology’s Board-certified doctors treat skin diseases and disorders, including skin cancers, and its State-licensed aestheticians provide personalized skin guidance and permanent cosmetic procedures to help you look your best.
Visitors to the South Tampa office, located on S. MacDill Ave. (at the intersection of Azeele St.), may recognize Margaret Rinker, M.D., who treated patients at Tampa Palms Dermatology from 2004 until 2014. Dr. Rinker earned her Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) degree from the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta. Her dermatology residency was through the University of South Florida (USF)’s College of Medicine in Tampa and she is Board-certified in dermatology.
According to Dr. Rinker, treating skin diseases, particularly cancers, is the primary focus of PHDermatology.
“Skin cancer is the biggest thing we do here,” says Dr. Rinker. “Being in Florida it is extremely prevalent, especially in our elderly population.”
She adds that there are many other conditions that warrant dermatological attention, such as acne, rashes, eczema and psoriasis.
When it comes to treating skin cancer, PHDermatology offers screenings, biopsies and treatments. The medical professionals at all four offices use Mohs Micrographic surgery to treat patients with both basal and squamous cell cancers, the most common forms of skin cancer. Dr. Rinker says it is the most thorough and convenient way available to treat skin cancer patients. “It’s all done in the office, under local anesthesia.”
In Mohs surgery, the tumor is removed, frozen, sliced and systematically examined under a microscope, while the patient is waiting to see if all of the cancer has been removed.
If cancer cells exist too close to the margins of the excised material, more skin is removed from the patient to be sure all cancer is removed.
Dr. Rinker says the procedure is rarely useful for melanoma cancer, as it does not work effectively with those kinds of tumors, and melanoma has a greater tendency to metastasize, or spread quickly.
Mohs surgery differs from usual skin cancer surgery in that a doctor can determine if all the cancer has been removed while a patient is still in the office. The alternative is to send the removed specimen out to a lab for analysis and, if it is determined that not all of the cancer was removed, another surgical procedure would need to be scheduled and performed. “This allows you to wait until you know it is clear before you close it up,” Dr. Rinker says. “It also offers a cosmetically better outcome and a smaller scar.”
All four of PHDermatology’s offices are set up to perform Mohs surgery. The determination of whether or not to use Mohs surgery is decided on an individual basis, depending upon the size and location of the cancer.
Patients with melanomas can be treated in the office, if it is caught early enough. If not, patients are referred to the Moffitt Cancer Center, which is located on the USF Tampa campus.
Precancerous lesions, such as actinic keratoses, can be treated with photodynamic therapy (PDT). A photo-sensitizing solution is applied to the affected area, which is then exposed to light. Patients need to completely avoid the sun for two days after treatment. PDT also is used to treat acne and sun damage.
Other Available Treatments
In addition to treating skin diseases and disorders, PHDermatology offers a variety of treatments, services and products that can enhance an individual’s appearance. Dr. Rinker says there is nothing superficial about the benefits these options offer.
“Skin conditions, because they’re visible to everyone else, can cause a lot of stress, anxiety and even social isolation,” she says.
M22 IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) Rejuvenation is used to treat blemishes like freckles, uneven pigmentation, birthmarks, age and sun spots, as well as rosacea. The pulsing light penetrates the skin tissue of the targeted area, creating heat. The body’s healing process removes the treated skin while collagen and elastic fiber are produced. Sessions typically last less than one hour and depending upon the need, the treatment may be administered from one to six times over a period of a few weeks. Patients can resume their normal activities immediately after the treatment in most cases, although it is recommended to stay out of the sun for a few days and apply sunscreen as well.
Dr. Rinker also notes that loose skin, such as around the waist, under the chin and on the arms, is often the result of fatty deposits. CoolSculpting is a method that eliminates that fat by freezing it with a device that applies targeted cooling. The fat is then reabsorbed and eliminated by the body.
Also available at PHDermatology is the Silhouette InstaLift, which is an alternative to traditional face lifts, whereby sutures are inserted into the cheek area to reposition and elevate facial skin, contour the face and give a more youthful appearance. As the body absorbs the sutures, collagen is produced as part of the healing process. Most activities can be resumed following the treatment, with benefits generally lasting about 18 months.
Skin Care From A Familiar Face
People interested in a personalized skincare program using selected products from manufacturers such as SkinCeuticals, ClearChoice, Obagi and Avene, among others, can get guidance from onsite, licensed aestheticians. One of them is Leanne Carter, who joined PHDermatology’s South Tampa office six months ago, after working in New Tampa for 20 years, first at the old Bostonian Hair Salon in Tampa Palms and then at her own business, Facial Accents by Leanne. Carter says being part of the PHDermatology team gives her the opportunity to better serve people’s needs.
“The level of skin care I can offer clients is highly elevated working in a dermatology practice,” she says.
Carter also provides permanent eyebrow and eyeliner cosmetic solutions, as well as postsurgical skin care, chemical peels and dermaplaning treatments. She is also trained in reconstructive techniques, such as areola restoration following a mastectomy.
Some of the other aesthetic services available at PHDermatology include Botox and filler injections, a variety of facials and hair removal.
Dr. Rinker notes that providing aesthetic care, as well as medical treatments, enables PHDermatology to accommodate a greater range of needs. “My number one priority is medical care,” she says. “We are the experts in skin care, so we want to make it (aesthetic care) available for people who want it.”
PHDermatology patient Ethel Murphy says that Dr. Rinker has been her skin care specialist for the last 15 years. “Anything from Botox to laser skin treatments, skin cancer treatments, PDTs and photodynamic therapies/blue light treatments,” Ethel says. “I have also had two types of skin cancers, basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas. Her treatment is customized, specialized, and very individual to each patient. Dr. Rinker knows my skin sensitivities.My outdoor lifestyle needs (which include playing tennis and boating regularly) have to be met in conjunction with my skin cancer.”
She adds, “My treatments go beyond what happens at her office. She will send me the latest research about the treatments from medical journals that she subscribes to.I do not have to do the research on my own and I always trust her medical judgment.The treatment and care I received at the office is wonderful.It’s all about preventive measures in the fight against skin cancer.”
Another PHDermatology physician who might be familiar to Neighborhood News readers is Isabel Valencia, M.D., who worked at Tampa Palms Dermatology from 2008 until 2013. She treats patients at the Westchase PHDermatology office on Sheldon Rd., one mile north of Linebaugh Ave.
Dr. Valencia also is Board-certified in dermatology, earning her Medical Degree from the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Bogota, Colombia. She completed her dermatology residency at the Miller School of Medicine at the University of Miami, FL.
PHDermatology was founded in 2008 by Dr. Amy Ross, who earned her M.D. degree at Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia, PA, where she also completed her dermatology residency, followed by a dermatologic surgery fellowship at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, TN. She, too, is Board-certified in dermatology. Dr. Ross opened her practice in 2008 as Palm Harbor Dermatology, reflecting the office’s Pinellas County location. As the practice grew to four offices, it was renamed PHDermatology.
To learn more about PHDermatology, visit PHDermatology.com or call toll-free, (855) 743-4968. PHDermatology’s offices are located at: 310 S. MacDill Ave., Tampa; 4197 Woodlands Pkwy., Palm Harbor; 11601 Sheldon Rd., Westchase; and 621 Medical Care Dr., Brandon.
When you bring your car to the dealership or an independent auto service center for service, from an oil change to a new transmission, have you ever worried about putting your costly key “fob” in the service center’s after-hours “dropbox?”
I sure have. When one of my electronic keys broke a few years back, leaving me with only one, I remember bringing my car for service at my dealership shortly after it had closed and was left wondering, “What happens if they somehow lose my one remaining key? And, how much will it cost me to replace it?”
Well, thanks to the brother of a friend of mine, worrying about leaving today’s expensive, computerized car keys will soon be a thing of the past, because of a new smartphone app and key drop terminal called “Keys with Eeeze.”
That’s the good news. The even better news is that Keys with Eeeze will one day do more for auto service centers and even rental car companies than just make it more convenient to leave your keys. With everyone in our technologically-driven world begging for speed and convenience, Keys with Eeeze will allow you to step up to a machine that looks very similar to a bank ATM, and with a few touch-screen commands, secure your valuable keys, order whatever services you need, and every time your key or your car moves — from the parking area outside the service center to onto the lift to completion, etc. — you’ll receive a Facebook Instant Message (IM).
In other words, even if it’s not after hours, Keys with Eeeze will allow you to check your car in, order the services you need and pick up your car without ever having to talk to a service writer. How’s that for convenience?
The Wesley Chapel Connection
Keys with Eeeze was invented by a Dillsburg, PA, software developer named Tony Santo. If that name sounds a little familiar to you, you may know Tony’s brother Ken — the former owner of Skinny’s Sports Bar and Santo’s Pizza & Pasta on S.R, 54.
But, Ken is more than just Tony’s brother. Ken and his friend (and former owner of the Silver Ring Café, which also was located in the same Pinebrook at The Grove plaza as Santo’s and Skinny’s) Tim Booth are Tony’s point men to roll out Keys with Eeeze here in Florida. The invention is so new that Ken, Tim and Tony are revamping their existing marketing materials for Keys with Eeeze in order to better capture the attention and imagination of Wesley Chapel’s growing list of auto dealerships, chain and local independent service centers and those rental car companies.
And, Keys with Eeeze is already operational and exceeding expectations back in Dillsburg, where HC Automotive became the first auto repair shop in the world to employ Santo’s incredible, new technology.
Santo says the idea for his invention came to him as he was dropping off his car for service and looking down at the paper envelope he had to fill out by hand, drop his key into and deposit in the box at the dealership’s door. He wondered why anyone, in today’s technologically advanced age, would still be using a system that hasn’t changed much since the 1950s?
According to hard numbers given to Santo by HC Automotive owner Jon Gustafson, who only rolled out the new system at the end of April, the software is more than paying for itself. In fact, although Santo originally estimated that it could take up to a year for a service center to generate enough additional income using Keys with Eeeze to pay for the cost of the software and kiosk, Gustafson’s two-lift service shop generated enough income to justify the expense in less than 120 days!
“We knew we had something special when Tony first told me about Keys with Eeeze,” says his proud brother. “We just didn’t know it would make such a difference so quickly.”
Tony adds, “(Gustafson) says it has revolutionized his business. He tells me that when he first rolled out the kiosk and software at HC Auto, only 10 or 15 percent of the service center’s customers were using it. Just a few months later, 49 percent of his customers are using it and he’s seen a 30-percent increase in revenue, all of which, he says, is directly attributable to Keys with Eeeze.”
Santo’s invention combines an automated software system you can download to your smartphone that will allow you manage your service appointment — from dropping off the key into the kiosk to picking it up after hours. The new technology also allows your key to be coded to your phone and be delivered back to you at the kiosk any time of the day or night.
“Our Keys with Eeeze system puts you in the driver’s seat by giving you the ability to do business on your own time constraints, not the service shop’s,” Santo says. The software alone gives you carte blanche to pick a service date, order various items from a menu, communicate the issues you may be having with your vehicle electronically — concise, legible and in print — and receive instant feedback, updates and digital reports about your vehicle’s condition, all in Facebook Instant Messages to your phone.”
He adds that if necessary, customers also can receive uploaded photos and recall notices about their vehicles, receive an electronic message when their vehicle is ready for pickup and even access easy payment options, “so you can literally bypass the service desk most of the time and only talk to a service rep if there is a problem with your car that needs to be addressed.”
HC Auto has the prototype kiosk for Santo’s system, which only allowed 12 keys to be stored in the kiosk at once, but the newer model shown on the previous page allows up to 30 cars at once to be entered into the system.
“That will be perfect for these dealerships here in Wesley Chapel, some of which have ten or more lifts,” says Ken. “I can’t imagine that a more efficient system than this one for keeping track of all those keys and service orders is going to be invented anytime soon.”
Tony has a patent pending on his invention and is in the process of rolling it out to dealerships and service centers nationwide. Ken and Tim only recently began handling all of Florida for him and say that even though they are still working on the re-tooled Keys with Eeeze website and marketing materials, they’ve already had some great interest.
“Keys with Eeeze is perfect for anyone with a busy lifestyle and millennials are eating it up,” Tony says. “I’m confident that I’ve hit on the right idea at the right time. And, why are there three “eeeze” in Keys With Eeeze? Eeeze of checking in, Eeeze of doing business, Eeeze of checking out!”
For details, pricing and leasing information, please contact Ken Santo at (813) 727-5794 or visit KeysWithEeeze.com
Pharmacy assistant Danielle Malone (left) and Doctor of Pharmacy Ngozi Benyard invite you to discover the third dimension in health care at 3D Wellness Pharmacy on S.R. 54.
On a recent Thursday afternoon, Ngozi Benyard, PharmD (Doctor of Pharmacy), was working behind the counter at 3D Wellness Pharmacy, when she looked up and saw a car pulling into the parking lot outside.
“I think Mr. Santacruz is here,” she called to her assistant, Danielle Malone. “Can you please bring me his medications?”
Sure enough, a few moments later, José Santacruz walked into the pharmacy, and Ngozi had his medications waiting for him.
“She takes an interest in me,” José says of his pharmacist. “They’re so friendly, and the service is more personalized than at other pharmacies.”
That’s what Ngozi says is the “third dimension in care” referred to in the name of the pharmacy she opened in the Freedom Plaza on S.R. 54 (next to Bosco’s Italian-To-Go), about a mile east of Saddlebrook, in November of last year. Ngozi says that third dimension is two-fold. First, it’s the above-and-beyond level of service you can expect if you get your medications there. (It’s pretty much guaranteed that the pharmacist at the local big box retailer isn’t looking out the window, awaiting your arrival.) And, she adds, it’s the role that the pharmacist plays in your health care.
“There’s you, your doctor, and the pharmacist,” Ngozi says. “The pharmacist is an integral part of that triad. You might see several doctors, and the pharmacist sees all of the medications that all of your doctors prescribe.”
Ngozi earned her PharmD degree from Florida A&M University in Tallahassee in 2004. She worked at Tampa General Hospital, and then was the lead pharmacist specializing in infectious diseases — for the entire Central Florida region — for a major retail chain. She and her husband, Jamel, who is a U.S. Navy veteran, are the owners of 3D Wellness Pharmacy.
“Moving up the corporate ladder takes you away from what you learned in school,” says Ngozi. “With my patients now, I know all about them. I know when they go to the hospital and I know what pains them.”
Ngozi can compound your medications at 3D Wellness Pharmacy.
She explains that some pharmacies – especially big chains — often don’t have time to counsel and truly care for their patients. If their queue gets too long, they will hear from their district manager that they’re not fast enough. Ngozi says all that matters at the chain stores is the bottom line.
“Here, we treat you like a patient, not a number,” she says. “We’re your local neighborhood pharmacy, where you can get all of your medications, including compounded medications, and that extra dimension of care.”
She says that also includes holistic care, such as vitamins and supplements for overall wellness. “Certain medications deplete nutrients,” she says, “so I’ll suggest a vitamin. For arthritis, I’ll recommend cherry juice or capsules. For high blood pressure, apple cider vinegar.”
Rxight Genetic Testing
Beyond what you would typically expect from a pharmacy, Ngozi offers additional services to help her patients and give them options they might not have even known were available to them.
She says she is the only pharmacist in Wesley Chapel and surrounding areas that is certified and trained to offer the Rxight (pronounced “Right”) pharmacogenetic test.
“The Rxight test is precision medical test,” explains Ngozi. “It tests more than 200 medications and tells us if your body metabolizes them too fast, which means you’re not getting the efficacy of your medications, or if it’s not metabolizing properly, which is when the medicine accumulates and you get side effects.”
She says that adverse reactions to medicine is the fourth leading cause of death in the U.S., so getting the proper medications and doses is extremely important, and can sometimes even be lifesaving.
So that we could see exactly how it works, Ngozi offered the Rxight test to Rita McLaughlin, my mother-in-law, who is a great candidate for it because she regularly takes several medications.
Rita stopped in for a quick cheek swab, and the swabs were sent to a lab. About two weeks later, Ngozi received a report and went over the results with Rita.
“It was amazing,” Rita said. “It was a lot more information than I thought it would be. It assured me that the medications I’m taking now are the right ones, and in the right dosages.”
Rita says she found the results to be trustworthy, because they lined up with the experiences she has had with her medications.
“For example, with my cholesterol medication, I had quite a time getting the right one,” she says. “One gave me side effects, another worked, but then my doctor changed the dose and it worked better.”
The medicine she finally ended up with is what the test revealed she should take. That confirmation, along with other information she felt correlated to her experiences, made Rita believe the Rxight test was worthwhile.
“For the future, if I ever need a blood thinner, the results say there are two medications I shouldn’t take,” Rita says. “I would absolutely abide by that.”
As a final step in the process, Rita will be given a wallet-sized card that outlines exactly what she should and should not take, and which doses, to be able to present to a hospital or doctor in time of need. In addition, she has the option to share the report with all of her doctors.
The test is somewhat expensive, at $399, but because it is based on genetics, it is a one-time test that gives results for the rest of your life. It can allow someone to skip over the back-and-forth of trying different medications and different doses to go straight to what medication will be mostly likely to work for them.
“This test is especially great for kids with ADHD,” says Ngozi. “Instead of trying one med that makes them sleepy, and then another where they don’t sleep at all, and then another to wait and see what happens, you can just do this test. Then, your kid isn’t used like a guinea pig to try a whole bunch of different medications.”
She says parents will know definitively what medications will work best for their child with no side effects.
Another great example, she says, is for people who get a blood clot and are put on a blood thinner. Will it work? “You could get another clot in the time it takes to figure out if you’re on the right dose of the right medicine,” Ngozi says. “With this test, you don’t have to guess.”
Ngozi personally goes over the results with each patient, so all of your questions are answered, and she’s able to help you manage your medications with the information from the test.
Women’s Health
“We have a focus on women,” says Ngozi, “and we’re especially passionate about new moms.”
Both Ngozi and Danielle are moms to two boys, and both are advocates of breastfeeding.
“Times have changed for breastfeeding moms,” Ngozi says. “Pumps are now covered by insurance, and they are so much more comfortable than they used to be.”
Renting a pump from 3D Wellness Pharmacy includes shipping or delivery and, perhaps the most important thing a new mom needs, encouragement from both Ngozi and Danielle.
The pharmacy also offers a libido enhancement for women that Ngozi calls “scream cream.”
“We hear all about enhancements for men, but why should we be left out?” Ngozi asks. “We often provide (scream cream) for women with fertility issues. You have to have a prescription from your doctor, but you can ask us about it and we can give you the information to discuss with your doctor.”
While it’s not proprietary, Ngozi says that she won’t publicly reveal exactly what’s in the “scream cream.”
“I’m known for compounding it and I’m good at it,” she says with a smile. “We want to be a place where women can come in, see familiar faces, and feel comfortable asking questions.”
While Danielle is new to the pharmacy, she earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology in 2003, where she was a pre-med major, from Xavier University of Louisiana in New Orleans, and is excited to be helping Ngozi — and the patients — at 3D Wellness Pharmacy.
“Wellness is very intentionally a part of our name and our logo,” explains Danielle. “We want to help you get well and stay well.”
3D Wellness Pharmacy is open Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., and will ship or deliver medications. For more information, visit 3DWellnessPharmacy.com, or call (813) 428-6000.
By now, there’s probably not much I can tell you about self-serve frozen yogurt places. They pretty much all have similar flavors, similar toppings and similar brightly-colored décor.
And, a truly delicious frozen dessert it is, with a dozen constantly-changing flavors that include everything from the most popular toasty marshmallow to no-sugar-added peanut butter and from name-brand favorites like chocolate caramel biscuit, made with real Twix bars, and Dole pineapple sorbet, to New York cheesecake and “Jumpin’ Java Latté.”
