People have been driving past the barricades on Wiregrass Ranch Blvd. just behind the Walmart on S.R. 54, for months, but the word is that the roadway should officially open to traffic within the next couple of weeks.
Considering how long people have been driving through the barricades “blocking” the nearly two-mile-long stretch of Wiregrass Ranch Blvd. from north of Chancey Rd. to just south of the Walmart fronting S.R. 54, it would be nice if the road finally could be declared “officially” open.
Well, a source close to the project who asked not to be identified has told the Neighborhood News that although no exact date can yet be revealed, Wiregrass Ranch Blvd. should be officially open to traffic within the next couple of weeks, with conveyance to Pasco County expected to follow shortly thereafter.” Our source has confirmed that the landscaping along Wiregrass Ranch Blvd. is what has been holding up the opening.
I personally saw people moving the barricades both near Walmart and north of Chancey as long as three months ago, so being able to legally drive the important connector roadway will certainly be welcome by those who live in the Wiregrass Ranch community.
The same source also provided a number of other updates, including:
• The Wiregrass Ranch developers hope to start construction on the 4th (the eastern) leg of the roadway extending from the new (northern) Eagleston Blvd. signal (opposite the new Jacobs Mitsubishi of Wesley Chapel dealership) within about a year from now. Our source says that the construction of this portion of Eagleston is being held up by the drainage permit.
• The developers also have begun work on the east-west extension of Chancey Rd., which should be done by the end of this year.
The construction of the Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurant has gone vertical.
• Now that the construction of the Cooper’s Hawk Winery and Restaurant has gone vertical (photo above), the hope is that the long-awaited restaurant and wine tasting bar should be open by sometime this fall.
The clearing of the ground for the Orlando Health Wesley Chapel hospital has begun.
• For those who haven’t been able to figure out yet exactly where Wesley Chapel’s third major hospital will be located, you now can’t miss the red silt fence (photo right) just east of Wiregrass Ranch Blvd. on S.R. 56 or the sign denoting that Orlando Health Wesley Chapel is currently under construction.
Although the 300- bed hospital has not yet gone vertical, the ground has begun being cleared and we have been told that Wesley Chapel’s largest hospital (with more beds than AdventHealth Wesley Chapel and BayCare Wesley Chapel combined) should be completed by late 2024.
Attorney & Wesley Chapel resident Cela Webster’s Chapel Legal in Tampa Palms can help with all of your estate planning & family law needs. (Photo by Charmaine George).
When Cela Webster opened Chapel Legal just eight months ago, it was both a homecoming and the culmination of a career that has prepared her to help clients in the areas of family law and estate planning.
Chapel Legal is located in the Tampa Palms Professional Center off of Commerce Palms Blvd., near the Bruce B. Downs exit of I-75. While Cela is available for in-person consultations at her office location, she says many clients prefer to talk on the phone or meet virtually via a videoconferencing app.
Most often, she helps families who need custody arrangements for children, or need to modify arrangements that have already been made. She can help with divorce, adoption, and other family matters, as well.
Chapel Legal also helps people create a will, designate a healthcare surrogate, set up power of attorney or guardianship, and other important areas of estate planning.
And, Cela also has developed a specialty in church law, where she helps churches with all types of legal questions — from employee matters to Covid compliance. “A couple of them (churches) have me on speed dial,” she says. “I just never know what they’re going to ask.”
But, Cela says, she’s always prepared no matter what they ask her, thanks to a long and varied career that has exposed her to many courtrooms and legal opinions in both Florida and New York.
Cela left her hometown of Temple Terrace after graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of South Florida. She says the plan was to go to New York for law school and then return home to practice.
She started off on that path, earning her Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from the Syracuse University College of Law in Syracuse, NY, in 2000.
She then took an extended stay of almost two decades before she came back.
“I tell people I was there ‘on accident’ for 19 years,” she laughs.
During those years, Cela started off in family law, worked for legal aid and served as an attorney in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York. She also served as Chief of Staff for a judge within that district, learning the ins and outs behind the scenes and writing legal opinions.
When it was finally time to come back to Florida in 2015, she and her husband, J. Matt Webster, Ph.D., moved their family — including three children — to Wesley Chapel. As we reported last issue, their son Jack recently graduated from Wiregrass Ranch High and will attend the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, NY, this fall. Their daughter Eliana is now 16 and their son Nathan is 12.
Upon her return to the Tampa Bay area, Cela went to work for Bay Area Legal Services. Looking for a change of pace, she then served as general counsel for Hernando County for three years.
With her wide variety of experience, she says, “I’ve worked on every kind of case on the planet.”
That’s when she decided to take the leap into her own private practice. Cela says this gives her the opportunity to serve clients exactly the way she wants to, which starts with being a good listener and explaining to her clients that — although they may not get everything they want — they will be heard, have good representation, and an attorney who truly cares about them.
“Family law isn’t like the ads you see on TV where lawyers promise to win your case for you,” she says. “It’s got its own rules and standards. Everyone compromises a little bit so that the settlement is fair. It’s not black and white like prosecution and defense.”
In addition to family law, Cela is an expert in estate planning who can help make sure you have the necessary documents in place to protect your loved ones.
A Very Personal Example…
She shares her own personal story so that people understand how important estate planning can be. Even as an attorney who specializes in this area, she unexpectedly found herself in a situation where her mom became temporarily incapacitated, but Cela couldn’t make decisions on her behalf in the hospital because she didn’t have all of the required paperwork beforehand to do so.
Thankfully, her mom recovered quickly and they immediately signed the necessary paperwork so that would never happen again. While Cela certainly didn’t expect to find herself in that situation, she uses her story to help people understand that the time to execute documents such as a Power of Attorney and Healthcare Surrogate is long before you think they will be needed.
Cela is licensed to practice in both New York and Florida, but she is fully focused on serving families in the New Tampa and Wesley Chapel areas.
A local business owner named Ann recently hired Chapel Law to help with an amendment to her will.
“Cela was wonderful to work with,” Ann says. “She’s professional, supportive and clearly knows her stuff.”
Ann says the process was educational for her and her husband, as Cela coached them through nuances and loopholes. “Cela helped us through some tough decisions and was a very good coach,” Ann says. “She is an excellent attorney all around.”
Cela says she considers it a privilege to serve her neighbors and work as a small operation, answering her own phone calls and making it a priority to be available to her clients, including quickly and personally answering all of their emails.
“I’m just a regular person who loves what I do,” she says.
While many attorneys don’t offer a free consultation, Cela says it’s important to her that people have an opportunity to ask questions before they determine whether or not to hire her.
“In fact, if people have a question about whether or not their issue is even an issue, I’m happy to discuss it. Will a judge consider making the change you’re asking? Let’s talk about it,” she says.
And, she’s happy to talk about it in Spanish or English.
As someone who is Cuban and Salvadorian — and a native Spanish speaker — Cela has no problem working with those who only speak Spanish or who prefer to communicate about the sometimes complicated issues of family law in their native language.
Chapel Legal is located at 17425 Bridge Hill Ct., Suite 202. If you need help with a family law or estate planning matter, Chapel Legal attorney Cela Webster offers a free phone consultation. For more information, visit ChapelLegal.com, call (813) 524-6393.
(Clockwise from top left photo) Genesis Bermudez, co-owners Olimar Cedeno & Luis Ledezma and manager Dannelys Zavala invite you to try the new Paleta Mia at the KRATEs.
Although co-owners Luis Ledezma and his wife Olimar Cedeno are from Venezuela, they say they were inspired by a trip to Guadalajara, Mexico, to open the first-ever Paleta Mia shop in Wesley Chapel in the KRATE Container Park at The Grove.
Luis and Olimar already owned the successful Mojo Grill Latin Fusion restaurant at the KRATEs, but when they saw another KRATE directly across from Mojo Grill go out of business, they decided to expand what they already were doing in their Paleta Mia food truck into its own former shipping container.
“We have been bringing the Paleta Mia truck to schools, local sporting events and even the monthly Market Elaine events at The grove for a while,” Luis said.
“And everyone who’s tried them have told us how much they enjoy them,” added Olimar. “So, we figured, why not?”
Luis and Olimar agreed that they loved the freshness of the Mexican paletas, but she has added gluten-free and vegan options to a huge variety of not only fruit flavors (like mango, kiwi and pineapple), but also paletas made with Oreo cookies, Nutella, bubble gum flavor and more.
You can add tasty toppings to your favorite paletas, which come in a rotating variety of flavors.
Paleta Mia also offers a variety of delicious toppings, from marshmallows to sprinkles, fresh milk and white chocolate, M&Ms and more. The toppings also can be added to Paleta Mia’s amazing waffle sticks, which Luis said they first tried during a trip to London, although these light and delicious sticks originated in India.
“But we added the toppings to make them more mouth-watering, too,” he says.
“Our whole goal is to offer healthier options using tropical flavors,” Olimar adds.
To become a master paletera herself, Olimar took classes at both the Pregel Institute in Miami and from Fany Gerson, aka “The Newyorkina,” a famous master paletera.
Paleta Mia, which Luis and Olimar hope to expand into a franchise business in the future, also offers delicious hand-made shakes and organic aguas frescas using many of the tropical flavors. The shakes even include a whole paleta!
“Paleta Mia is dedicated to our 14-year-old daughter Mia, to teach her the importance of hard work,” Luis says.
Paleta Mia (5854 Goldview Pkwy) is open Mon.-Thur., 3 p.m.-9 p.m., 11 a.m.-10 p.m. on Fri. & Sat. & noon-7 p.m. on Sun. For more info, see the ad on pg. 37, call (813) 451-6142 or visit MyPaletaMia.com.
Our editor’s favorites are the freshly made shakes & waffle sticks. Photo provided by Luis Ledezma.
Dr. Hasan Suleiman of Your DPC in the Pebble Creek Professional Park wants to help you save money while still receiving quality primary care medical services. (Photo by Charmaine George)
Seeing a primary care medical provider is very important – but it isn’t cheap — especially (usually) for those without health insurance. However, Dr. Hasan Suleiman, the physician and founder behind Your DPC, a newly opened doctor’s office in the Pebble Creek Professional Park that offers a more personalized approach to primary care without breaking the bank, is trying to change that.
DPC stands for “Direct Primary Care,” a healthcare model that allows physicians to offer primary care services without traditional insurance billing. Instead of paying copays or deductibles, Your DPC charges a fixed monthly “membership” rate for primary care appointments — just $59/month for children from birth to 17 years old and $99/month for adults ages 18 and older.
Members have access to unlimited visits with Dr. Suleiman with no copays or hidden fees. Appointments can be same day or next day and are never rushed, to allow for comprehensive exams and thorough doctor-patient discussions. If you are unable to see the doctor in person, you also can reach him by phone, text, e-mail or virtually.
After appointments, if members need to get lab tests or imaging performed outside of the office, or medications from the pharmacy, Dr. Suleiman negotiates directly with clinical labs, radiology offices and pharmacies to offer discounted rates to Your DPC’s patients.
Dr. Suleiman is experienced in treating high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, anxiety, depression, weight management and urgent care needs. “Primary care — annual physicals, check-ups, follow-ups, urgent care, preventative care, and thorough patient education — is my bread and butter,” he says.
Dr. Suleiman is a Board-certified family medicine doctor with more than 10 years of experience. He received his Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Biology from the University of Illinois Chicago and his Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) degree from Ross University School of Medicine in Barbados. After graduation, he completed three years of family medicine residency training with Wayne State University School of Medicine at Ascension Providence Rochester Hospital (formerly Crittenton Hospital) in Rochester, MI.
He has been married for seven years to his wife Lisa and together, they have four children — two daughters and two sons. Moving from Chicago to Wesley Chapel in 2021, the Suleiman family enjoys outdoors time of all kinds, from the beach to amusement parks to walking on nature trails.
“We’re very happy to have moved here — with no regrets,” says Dr. Suleiman. “This is a family-friendly area with lots of parks and things to do.”
Can you picture that traditional family doctor dashing over with his briefcase to make house calls? Dr. Suleiman has that vision for himself and his patients, too.
“I was deliberate in picking my home and office locations,” shares Dr. Suleiman. “I wanted to work close to home and live close to my patients so that I can see them during odd hours and respond to urgent calls. I am always available in times of need for my patients.”
Will I Still Need Insurance?
As with the 1,600+ other DPC offices across the country, Your DPC does not accept insurance — intentionally — in order to bypass the complicated paperwork, higher charges, and time spent back and forth when billing insurance companies for routine healthcare services.
Dr. Suleiman explains this powerfully with a common example.
“Take a patient who tears the rotator cuff in his shoulder,” says Dr. Suleiman. “Normally, if he goes through his insurance, he would get a physical exam first, then an x-ray. An exam and x-ray might not be enough to show internal injuries, but usually insurance companies do not allow you to order an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) right away. The patient may need to take medication and receive physical therapy for 3-6 months first before his insurance will cover an MRI. But, this recommended order of events may delay surgery and worsen the injury.”
He adds, however, “If I can see the patient without insurance, I could order an MRI if warranted right away for typically 80-90% less than with insurance,” Dr. Suleiman says. “An MRI with insurance may cost $2,000-$6,000, but I can charge $200- $300. This can confirm whether surgery is needed quickly, without delay.
But, the doctor stresses that — yes — you still should carry insurance with Your DPC because specialty medical services and hospital care do not fall under Your DPC’s primary care services.
“Your DPC increases accessibility, convenience and affordability for primary care,” Dr. Suleiman explains. “Our goal is to optimize your health and minimize specialist visits and hospitalizations, but you should still not pay out of pocket for emergency room visits, specialist appointments, and hospitalizations, if they are needed.”
Your DPC has a referral system in place to coordinate care with specialists and hospital physicians. “I have met with many specialists and hospital staff in the area to build relationships for situations that require referral or hospital admission,” says Dr. Suleiman. “For example, I have talked with the AdventHealth hospitals and we have an agreement that if any of my patients receive hospital care with them, I would be able to access my patients’ electronic medical records. This helps me stay informed of any treatment or medication changes, so I can continue them after discharge and monitor my patients’ progress.”
Truly, the sweet spot for someone with employer-based insurance to combine their insurance with the DPC model is to obtain a high deductible health plan (HDHP). This type of insurance has lower monthly payroll deductions but higher deductibles than the preferred provider organization (PPO) health plans. This means less money from your salary goes towards your healthcare, but if you do need outpatient healthcare services, you will have to pay a much higher deductible first, before your insurance kicks in, and your copays will be higher too. Thankfully, Your DPC bypasses insurance, so HDHP patients won’t have to pay that deductible, just the monthly membership rate.
This may all sound complicated and perhaps too good to be true, but the best way to understand how it works is to meet with the doctor to see if Your DPC can work for you. That’s exactly what David Schoonover of New Tampa says about his experience with Your DPC.
David has had HDHP insurance through his job for years. He learned about DPC through a friend and after doing his own research, and decided to get a Your DPC membership about three months ago, as it is one of the only DPC offices in the area.
Since then, he has already seen Dr. Suleiman four times. “The first appointment was an introductory visit, but I went back because I needed to change medications,” says David. “After that, Dr. Suleiman scheduled a follow-up appointment to check on my progress and I’ve continued to see him as needed since.”
He adds, “It is really nice to be able to see the same doctor each time and appointments are not stacked right on top of each other, so he has always enough time for me. Previously, I got my primary care at a clinic and I could never get same-day or even next-day appointments. Also, I usually did not see the same doctor each time. It is really nice to build a relationship with just one doctor.”
Dr. Suleiman says that for the average patient, navigating getting the right amount of insurance to supplement a Your DPC membership can be tricky. But thankfully, Your DPC partners with insurance specialists who can build custom insurance plans to avoid redundancies between insurance coverage and Your DPC membership services.
In fact, one specialty of Your DPC is to help self-employed people and small business owners create self-funded insurance plans through Your DPC to provide health insurance to themselves and their employees.
“We’ve been able to save families nearly $1,000 a month and many businesses up to 50% while providing a higher level of care,” says Dr. Suleiman proudly.
Can Medicare patients join Your DPC? The answer is not now, but soon.
“At this time, Medicare recipients are able to join our waiting list,” says Dr. Suleiman. “Our office has to opt out of Medicare and that process takes some time. Medicare does not cover DPC so Medicare patients will need to sign a one-time waiver to declare that Medicare should not be billed for our primary care services. But, Medicare will still cover any laboratory testing, imaging, medications or hospitalizations prescribed by our office.”
He adds that, similar to people with HDHP insurance, people with Medicare, “can save money by switching to Plan A and Plan D coverage only and put the money saved by not paying for Part B towards a Your DPC membership.”
Call or e-mail Your DPC to schedule a free initial visit or get more information about tailored insurance plans. Right now, Dr. Suleiman is waiving the $100 enrollment fee during the grand opening of his new office, which ends July 1st. But, if you mention the Neighborhood News at your first appointment, Dr. Suleiman will extend that offer to you until August 1.
Your DPC is located at 8907 Regents Park Dr., Suite 370. The office is open Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., and 9 a.m.-1 p.m. on Fridays. For more information, call (813) 563-9542, visit YourDPC.net, e-mail info@yourdpc.net
The new postal contractors say no exact date has yet been set for the CPU to open in Freedom Plaza on S.R. 54.
STORY UPDATE! Unfortunately, we had to go to press with the July 11 Wesley Chapel issue two hours before we got additional info for our cover story. Please read that revised story here. We apologize in advance for any inconvenience this snafu may cause.
So, I recently found out — after telling you last issue that the Zephyrhills Post Office folks said they didn’t know when, where or even if the Wesley Chapel Contract Postal Unit (CPU) was going to re-open — that there is, indeed, a new location for the CPU that is currently under construction and is expected to open by the end of July or the first week in August.
The CPU — which is still not a “full” post office but which is able to match U.S. Postal Service prices for stamps, Express and Priority Mail and is able to offer Certified and Registered Mail options — will likely be completed by new contractors Jevon and Cindy Williams by the end of this month, but once the construction has been completed, about a week of training is still required before the CPU can officially reopen. “Although we already have shadowed people at the Zephyrhills Post Office to see how it all works,” Jevon says.
The biggest concern about the location in Freedom Plaza (above and below) for when the new Wesley Chapel Contract Postal Unit opens by the end of this month or early August is a lack of parking, although new contractors Jevon and Cindy Williams say the new CPU will have more visibility from S.R. 54 than the former location on Boyette Rd.
Although no one at the Zephyrhills Post Office spoke with me “on the record,” my friends at Bosco’s Italian-to-Go at the eastern end of what is known as the Freedom Plaza on S.R. 54 (about 1/4-mile east of where the CPU on Boyette Rd. that closed at the end of January was located) told me they had met Jevon and Cindy, who told me how excited they are to serve the Wesley Chapel community.
This husband-and-wife team of Realtors based in Wesley Chapel, with EXP Realty, say they also will sell a variety of items (which haven’t been decided on just yet) and provide free coffee to their customers.
“Plus,” says Jevon, “this location will have a lot more visibility from S.R. 54 than the previous location on Boyette Rd.”
Parking Concerns
There’s no doubt that the biggest challenge whenever Wesley Chapel’s long-awaited CPU opens in its new location will be parking.
Freedom Plaza is already pretty busy, as the main portion of the plaza facing S.R 54 includes popular restaurants like Bagelicious & More and Taco Son, plus a nail salon, a barber shop, a martial arts studio, the Grey Wolf Armory and Your CBD Store of Wesley Chapel.
The post office will be located in the separate building which actually sits parallel to 54 and already includes the Great Hope Preschool, a Smoke Shop, the new Bath to the Bone dog grooming studio, as well as Bosco’s. The lot already gets pretty crowded and doesn’t really have room for expanded parking.
There also is a drainage ditch located between Taco Son and the post office and the property behind the CPU’s building is owned by a different property owner.
How much more that parking will be strained remains to be seen, but if you ever tried getting anywhere near the old CPU the last two or three weeks before Christmas, you know that parking at the new location during the holidays will definitely be a major issue.
Jevon and Cindy agree with Bosco’s owners Nancy and Charles Frankulin, who said they are “excited to have the (CPU) next door, but, we are a little bit concerned about how the parking is going to work.”
However, Jevon adds, “All I can say is that we are going to make it work.”
