Nibbles and Bytes

FHWC Opens Wound Care Center
Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel (FHWC), which will be changing its name to AdventHealth Wesley Chapel in January 2019 (see Business Notes on page 13), continues to be at the forefront of health care in our area. The hospital recently opened its Wound Care Center inside the FHWC Wellness Plaza, the building due north of the hospital itself.

FHWC CEO Denyse Bales-Chubb and dozens of Adventist Health dignitaries, local elected

officials/political candidates and North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce members were on hand for the ribbon-cutting ceremony on Aug. 27, and everyone in attendance (including yours truly) came away truly impressed with this latest addition to FHWC’s plethora of medical services for the community.

Although the Wound Care Center has plenty of state-of-the-art technology for caring for all kinds of wounds, lesions and lacerations, the coolest things we saw as we toured the facility were two hyperbaric chambers (photo far right), which traditionally have been used for people with the “bends” from scuba diving, but which (we were told) also can help with healing for those who have chronic sores and wounds that don’t heal, from diabetes or after radiation therapy for cancer.

Congrats also go out to the local catering company called C‱B‱K Catering & Events, which served amazing edible cones filled with a zesty chicken salad, plus delicious cheese tortellinis and perfect bruschetta at the event.

For more info about FHWC and the new Wound Care Center, visit FloridaHospital.com. For more info about C‱B‱K Catering, visit CBKTampa.com or call (813) 699-3060 and please tell Chase Mayer the New Tampa Neighborhood News sent you!

VIPs Check Out The Hyatt Place
In our last issue, I mentioned that the new Hyatt Place Hotel & Sierra Conference Center were getting ready to open, which actually happened on July 30.

On Aug. 9, representatives of the new hotel hosted a VIP event we attended, where members of the North Tampa Bay Chamber (NTBC) of Commerce Board of Directors and other local VIPs took tours of the 132-room hotel and got to sample some of the tasty food that will be served in the Hyatt Place’s Gallery restaurant.

The Hyatt Place Hotel is located at 26000 Sierra Center Blvd. For more info, stop in or call (813) 803-5600 or visit Hyatt.com, and please tell the hotel’s staff that you read about them (again) in the New Tampa Neighborhood News!

Umu To Replace OTB Café

Although OTB (Only The Best) Delights Café closed its original location at 2653 Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. in Wesley Chapel several weeks ago, have no fear.

Not only is OTB set to reopen sometime in September in its new location a couple of miles further north at the new Nye Commons (4873 BBD), but there already is a new restaurant getting ready to open in its old location.

The Thai owners of Umu Japanese & Thai have been transforming the old OTB space into an elegant-looking future home of great sushi, Bento boxes and other Japanese and Thai favorites and hope to be open sometime in September.

 

Qvita Offers Both Medical & Cosmetic Services In One Location!

Helping maintain optimal health on the inside and providing services to help you look better on the outside are the ways that Peggy Demetriou, ARNP, FNP-BC, takes care of her patients at Qvita Health & Wellness, located across Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. from Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel (FHWC), in the Windfair Professional Center.

Peggy Demetriou, ARNP, FNP-BC (far right), leads the staff (Katherine Sneesby, Ashley Rae Negron, Doris Chavez) at QVita Health & Wellness off Bruce B. Downs Blvd. in Wesley Chapel, where primary care medicine and specialized skin care services are offered in one convenient location.

As a Board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) and Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner (ARNP), Demetriou offers primary care medical services for patients ages five-years and older, including diagnosis and treatment of acute illnesses like the flu and injuries, as well as referrals to specialists and follow-up management of chronic conditions such as diabetes. According to Demetriou, if one of her patients is ailing, she and her team (photo) are committed to seeing them as soon as

possible to ensure a speedy recovery.

“We’ll see our current patients the same day if they’re sick,” says Demetriou, who earned her Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Nursing (BSN) degree in 1998, from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. “If they’re sick today, they’re going to be seen today.”

Avoiding illness in the first place is ideal, and Qvita offers preventive care through wellness checkups (including school and Department of Transportation physicals) and health counseling focused on the individual needs of patients, such as enlightening a teenager about the nutritional benefits of a balanced diet or assisting adults with managing their use of prescription drugs. Demetriou says having a candid conversation

is a key element of the relationship she has with her patients.

“We’re going over the lifestyle of that patient,” she says, adding that medical services like genetic testing are available to facilitate diagnoses and determine treatment options for every patient.

Maintaining a body weight that’s appropriate and comfortable for an active lifestyle can be an elusive goal, but managing weight loss through non-surgical medical weight loss treatment options is one way that Qvita helps patients get more out of their lives. Demetriou says that these options range from prescription medications and/or herbal supplements to procedures like lipotropic (fat burning) injections of nutrients such as choline, that release a body’s stored fat by stimulating the metabolic processing of it.

Cosmetic Services Too!
Qvita Health & Wellness extends its services beyond supporting daily health needs by providing non-surgical cosmetic options, including wrinkle-reducing injectables such as Botox and Xeomin, as well as a complete line of Juvederm filler products.

Demetriou says that tne advantage of receiving cosmetic treatments and services at a nurse practitioner-owned clinic is the access to medical grade products such as Latisse, an FDA-approved prescription treatment that grows eyelashes for patients who are unhappy with the length or volume of their lashes. Skin-care products from companies such as Obagi Medical, SkinMedica and NeoCutis also are available. Patients looking for a non-surgical “face lift” can consider the Ultherapy approach, which is an FDA-approved method of lifting skin on areas such as the neck and chin using non-invasive ultrasound technology.

According to Demetriou, providing quality medical and cosmetic services is about providing a complete spectrum of options for people who are interested in feeling and looking their best.

“They complement each other,” she says. “As patients’ health and conditions improve on the inside, they want to look good on the outside, too.” Demetriou adds that cosmetic clients often bring to light their medical concerns while visiting Qvita, as well.

Demetriou also says that some of the treatments and services available at Qvita have both medical and cosmetic benefits. Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) therapy involves separating platelets and plasma from a patient’s blood sample to create a solution that can be used to help heal joint and ligament problems, as well as rejuvenate skin.

Also available are aesthetic services, such as dermaplaning, where a surgical blade is very gently scraped across the skin’s surface to remove debris such as dead cells, leaving a refreshed look.

At Qvita, this work is handled by Ashley Negron, who has a clinical skincare diploma from the American Institute of Beauty and is licensed by the State of Florida Board of Cosmetology as a registered facial specialist. Negron says Qvita’s cosmetic services use products not widely available at places like chain beauty supply stores.

“All of the products we use are medical grade,” says Negron.

A Holistic Approach
Committed to promoting good health and fitness from a holistic perspective, Demetriou also teams up with her physician husband Nektarios Demetriou, D.O. (Doctor of Osteopathy), to offer patients their own line of physician-formulated nutritional supplements, such as Qvita Premium Activated B-Complex, Premier Multi-Vitamin and Ultimate Joint Support. According to the Qvita website, the once-a-day supplements “are designed to be natural, convenient to use, and are completely free from artificial fillers, flavors, or colors.”

Peggy also spreads the word about good health to the general public through her guest appearances on Tampa Bay-area radio and television programs. Viewers of the WFTS-TV program, “Tampa Bay’s Morning Blend” (10 a.m. weekdays), often see her hosting topical health segments. Demetriou says her next segment will air sometime in September and will be announced on Qvita’s social media platforms for people who want to watch or record it.

Social media also is where you can keep up with specials on cosmetic services and big events, like the practice’s two-year anniversary in December. Office manager Katherine Sneesby, who helped open Qvita Health & Wellness, says the practice’s growth stems from a commitment to both medical and cosmetic clients.

“We’ve watched it (Qvita) grow because we’re trying to make sure everybody gets the best treatment possible,” Sneesby says.

That approach to delivering treatments and services has led to a 5-Star Google rating (as of our deadline) from 18 reviews. Among the reviewers is Samantha Kanyer, who writes of her experience with Qvita:
“Unbelievably clean, best customer service I’ve ever had and Peggy could not be more amazing!! Would recommend for anyone!!”

According to Demetriou, what patients and clients experience when they visit Qvita Health & Wellness begins from within — the people who work there.

“I think there’s a passion driving us to do what we’re doing,” she says, proudly.

Qvita Health & Wellness is located at 2734 Windguard Cir., Suite 101, in Wesley Chapel. You can learn more, such as insurance acceptance (including Medicare) by visiting online at QvitaHealthandWellness.com or by calling (813) 501-4130. Or, see the ad on page 10 of this issue.

Business News: New Name For Florida Hospital, New Developments

A potential new development, to be anchored by a pharmacy, could be headed for the corner of S.R. 54 and Curley Rd.

While development proceeds in the busy S.R. 56 corridor, from Culver’s going up east of Bruce B. Downs Blvd. to Blaze Pizza and others breaking ground to the west in the hectic Cypress Creek Town Center area, representatives from Stella Management Group met with Pasco County planning officials about a new proposed retail center on the northeast corner of Curley Rd. and S.R. 54 (see photo).

According to paperwork field with the county prior to a pre-application meeting on Aug. 6, the project is named Pasco C-Center, with approximately 32,500 square feet of leasable commercial/retail space.

The Pasco C-Center, according to a conceptual plan, will have a fast food restaurant with a drive-thru, a 14,698-sq.-ft. pharmacy with 49 parking spaces, a 4,000-sq.-ft. retail building divided for three businesses, and a 5,500-sq.-ft. retail building divided for four occupants, none of which had been announced at our press time.

Another 4,000-sq.-ft. building is labeled for retail/restaurant.

The conceptual plan also proposes two entrances/exits into the Pasco C-Center, one off S.R. 54 and the other off Curley Rd.

Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel (FHWC), we hardly knew ye.

Adventist Health Systems, the faith-based health care system that is the parent company of all of the Florida Hospitals, has announced that it is changing its corporate name to AdventHealth.

As a result, all of the Florida Hospitals, including FHWC, will get the name change, too, as well as a new logo (above).

On Jan. 2, 2019, Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel will become AdventHealth Wesley Chapel.

“We are transforming to be a more consumer-focused health care system to better meet the needs of those we care for and the communities we serve,” says Terry Shaw, president/CEO for Adventist Health System. “Becoming AdventHealth allows us to be a fully integrated and distinguishable health system across all aspects of the care continuum, while also speaking to our Christian healing ministry, message of wholeness and our rich Seventh-Day Adventist roots.”

The Altamonte Springs-based Adventist Health Systems, which has nearly 50 campuses across the state — including seven in the Tampa Bay area — will kick off a transition campaign in September featuring TV and print ads in various markets across the country.

Changes to signage and visual elements at hospitals and other facilities are expected to take place in January, when the AdventHealth name is fully adopted.

NAILING IT: In the new Pleasant Plaza on the south side of S.R. 54, east of BBD, Starbucks and Pizza Hut are up and running, and according to Pasco County permitting records, a Sweet Nail Spa will be next.

And, right across the street on the north side of S.R. 54, Heartland Dental is nearing completion.

 

Chick-Fil-A, Wawa, Aldi Update

There is no shortage of anticipation of what is coming next to Wesley Chapel, but rarely is there the level of consternation that there has been for previously reported projects involving Chick-Fil-A, Wawa and Aldi.

We’ve got one word for you: relax.

All three are still coming.

For those of you beginning to lose faith in the long-awaited Chick-Fil-A on S.R. 54, just east of Bruce B. Downs Blvd., the never-open-on-Sunday-but-always-delicious chain received its final approval for its second Wesley Chapel restaurant on July 27. While ground has been broken for a while, the constant sight of a dirt lot the past many months has been making a lot of people nervous, according to Facebook.

In between the Walgreens and Chick-Fil-A, Wawa should soon be going vertical as well. The popular gas and convenience store filed permit requests for store signs last week. With a Dunkin Donuts planned a few hundred feet to the east, and a Starbucks right across the street, we might soon be dubbing that stretch Coffee Corner.

And all you Aldi fans can let out a sigh of relief. After moving planned locations twice, the discount supermarket chain has settled on the southeast corner of S.R. 56 and Wesley Chapel Blvd., and the project is currently under review.

 

Tampa Bay Jaw & Facial Surgery Offers Specialized Care In Wesley Chapel

At Tampa Bay Jaw & Facial Surgery, Brian Hamilton, D.D.S., sees patients who need specialized care in the area of oral (mouth) and maxillofacial (face and jaws) dentistry.

Dr. Hamilton describes oral and maxillofacial dentistry as a specialty that combines dentistry and medicine, explaining that this includes dentistry for complex cases and those who have health issues, along with wisdom teeth extractions, dental implants, and many other procedures.

The Wesley Chapel office of Tampa Bay Jaw & Facial Surgery is located just off S.R. 54 in the Brookside Professional Park, just east of Saddlebrook resort.

Dr. Hamilton, who is originally from Jamaica, earned his Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Biology from Binghamton University in Binghamton, NY, in 1999. He earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery (D.D.S.) degree from the Howard University College of Dentistry in Washington, DC, in May 2003. After a general practice residency at the Miami Veteran’s Hospital in Miami, FL, he went on to complete his residency in Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery from Columbia University at Harlem Hospital Center in New York, NY, in 2010.

He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons and a Fellow of the American Association of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons.

The Wesley Chapel office of Tampa Bay Jaw & Facial Surgery is one of five locations, including Carrollwood, Dunedin, Bradenton, Sun City, plus another location is getting set to open in South Tampa soon. The practice is owned by Michael Barbick, D.M.D. (Doctor of Dental Medicine), M.D., who works primarily at the Carrollwood office.

The Wesley Chapel office of Tampa Bay Jaw & Facial Surgery has been open for about three years, originally opening on June 1, 2015. Dr. Hamilton has been with the practice for about a year. Prior to his current position, Dr. Hamilton was with a group in Daytona Beach.

Excellent Patient Care

“Patients are our number one priority,” explains Amanda Fraley, the practice’s office manager. “We are very appreciative of them choosing to come to us, and we want them to know how much we appreciate them.”

Dr. Hamilton says Amanda and the staff are one reason a patient should choose his practice. “The staff here is quite wonderful,” he says. “They are friendly and warm, and you are always greeted by a smiling face at the front desk.”

Although many patients are referred to Tampa Bay Jaw & Facial Surgery by other dentists, patients also can contact the office directly.
One reason you might want to see Dr. Hamilton is if you suspect a tooth needs to be removed. He will complete an evaluation and recommend a treatment plan. If it turns out a patient needs a general dentist instead, like if a tooth needs a root canal, Dr. Hamilton and his staff can help that patient find a dentist.

Many patients also come to Tampa Bay Jaw & Facial Surgery because they are missing teeth and have heard about dental implants, maybe through ads such as the one on page 37 of this issue, which offers a free consultation for patients considering dental implants to replace missing and broken teeth. The free consultation includes panoramic X-rays.

Dr. Hamilton also does oral pathology — removing cancerous and benign lesions — and treatment for disorders of the temporomandibular joint, which is the joint connecting the jaw to the skull, commonly known as TMJ.

Dr. Hamilton performs surgical corrections to the TMJ, but he says that surgery is always the last resort.

“The first option is always to treat conservatively,” he explains, with options such as an occlusal splint (or mouth guard), anti-inflammatory medication or muscle relaxers. “Then, we advance the treatment, if (it is still) needed.”

Amanda says the office is “completely electronic with state-of-the-art equipment. We only use digital X-rays and have a cone beam CT scanner.”

She says that the three-dimensional images from the CT scan give more detail than X-rays. “It is beneficial in more complex surgical cases or to rule out unnecessary surgical interventions,” she explains. “It also can aid as a surgical guide for dental implant cases, to ensure that the implants are properly angled.”

Amanda and the staff work with your Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) dental insurance to help you understand your coverage and what your treatment will cost.

“We always schedule a consultation and go over everything to make sure all your questions are answered,” she says, “and everything is clear.”

Always Available When You Need Them

Amanda and Dr. Hamilton agree that another advantage of coming to Tampa Bay Jaw & Facial Surgery for your wisdom teeth extractions and other needs is because of the office’s availability. They often schedule patients for next-day appointments.

“And, if there’s a patient in pain,” Dr. Hamilton says, “we’ll do what we can to see them the same day.”

Garland Davis recommends Tampa Bay Jaw & Facial Surgery for procedures like the one wisdom tooth he had extracted.

“It was a good experience,” he says. “I called them and they got me in the very next day. They handled everything for my insurance and I was in and out in probably an hour and a half, tops. The whole staff was really great.”

Dr. Hamilton says a high priority for him is ensuring that every patient is comfortable, so intravenous (IV) sedation is offered.
Alternatively, for those who don’t want complete sedation, other options are available, including nitrous oxide, also known as laughing gas, for his patients.

“So, whether they’re asleep or awake, they end up having a comfortable experience,” he explains.

“Some people have a fear of their dental experience, but IV sedation is a big part of what we do,” says Dr. Hamilton, who adds that he is ACLS (Advanced Cardiac Life Support)-certified to be able to offer the IV sedation.

While most procedures are done in the office if the patient is healthy, for more complex procedures or for patients who are in some way medically compromised, procedures also can be performed in a surgery center or hospital. Dr. Hamilton has admitting privileges at both Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel and St. Joseph’s Hospital in Tampa, where he also is an on-call surgeon for cases of facial trauma.

The Wesley Chapel office of Tampa Bay Jaw & Facial Surgery is located at 29164 Chapel Park Dr. It is open Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. For more information about the practice, call (813) 991-6886, or visit TBJAFS.com.