Promise Pointe At Tampa Oaks Offers A Way To Keep Your Family Closer

Tampa Palms and New Tampa-area residents searching for a convenient assisted living and memory care option for their aging family members will soon have a new choice with the opening next month of Promise Pointe at Tampa Oaks.

The new facility is located seven minutes away from the heart of New Tampa via I-75, one mile west of Exit 266 on E. Fletcher Ave., next to the Woodspring Suites Tampa Northeast hotel and the Hong Kong Willie art gallery and red worm farm (that is not a typo).

The 108-unit Promise Pointe joins recently-opened Discovery Village at Tampa Palms, the Legacy at Highwoods Preserve and the Memory Lane Cottages in Tampa Palms as assisted living and/or memory care residences those living in New Tampa can consider to meet the changing lifestyle needs of their elderly family members.

Promise Pointe is managed by Life Care Services (LCS), the country’s third-largest manager of rental senior living and continuing care communities, serving more than 33,000 residents nationwide. LCS also manages the Beach House Assisted Living & Memory Care at Wiregrass Ranch in Wesley Chapel, which also is celebrating its Grand Opening in March.

Executive director Delane Ward, NHA (Nursing Home Administrator)

Overseeing day-to-day operations at Promise Pointe is the job of executive director Delane Ward, NHA (Nursing Home Administrator) who brings more than 25 years of elder-care experience working in assisted living facilities, nursing homes and memory care facilities. Whatever the setting, Ward abides by a simple rule of “making sure the basics are done” and says, “the safety of residents is number one,” on her list of priorities.

“I treat every resident as if they’re my own family member,” Ward says. “On my business card, I provide my personal cell phone number and if there’s an issue or concern, they can call me anytime.”

Ward says she put her B.A. in Political Science from the University of South Florida to considerable use in navigating the regulatory environment of elder care and working with the state’s Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) to open Promise Pointe, which has a March 20 Temple Terrace Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting scheduled.

The location of Promise Pointe can help keep New Tampa residents close to their family members residing there and it also provides easy access to numerous nearby medical providers, including Florida Hospital Tampa and the James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital, as well as attractions like Busch Gardens and Wesley Chapel’s nearby shopping centers and restaurants.

Onsite services and activities offer chances to work out in Promise Pointe’s fitness center, spend time on hobbies, develop artistic talents or socialize in an environment where chores like housekeeping and laundry can be taken care of and all utilities, including Wi-Fi are included in a month-to-month rental package.

According to the Promise Pointe website (PromisePointeSeniorLiving.com), assisted living involves helping residents with daily activities such as dressing, bathing, dining and managing medications without impinging upon their independence. For residents, that means living in their own private unit (or companion suite) with whatever level of help and care they may require being readily available once those needs have been assessed.

So Many Options

Assisted living residences range from 355-sq.-ft. studios for a monthly rate of $3,395 to 730-sq.-ft., two-bedroom units for $4,495. Additional personal services are available in Level of Care (LOC) packages ranging from $350 to $1,500 a month.

Promise Pointe also addresses the needs of memory care residents who have dementia-related disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, which is characterized by a general decline in mental ability and inability to retrieve information, through the use of Heartfelt Connections – A Memory Care Program®.

Heartfelt Connections derives detailed biographical information by using tools such as LifeBio’s Reminiscence Therapy, which according to its website (LifeBio.blogspot.com), “is a powerful tool which promotes engagement, ignites feelings of purpose, reduces loneliness, and increases emotional wellbeing.” Daily routines emphasize accomplishment of basic tasks and participating in activities to promote self-esteem and reduce anxiety.

Home for memory care residents is a dedicated area of the Promise Pointe facility, staffed continuously by Registered Nurses (RNs) and/or Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs). Accommodations include private 318-sq.-ft. studios for a monthly rate of $4,495 and a 442-sq.-ft. shared suite for $3,495 per month.

Memory care monthly costs include medication management and attending to personal care needs.

To keep an eye on the health of residents, Promise Pointe staffing includes the 24-hour presence of Registered Nurses and/or Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) and residents also will have access to services provided by visiting physicians.

For families more involved in the daily care of aging loved ones, Promise Pointe offers respite care at a daily rate that can give home caregivers a break while their loved ones enjoy a short stay in a safe and supportive environment.

Families also can connect with what’s going on in their loved ones’ lives through social media such as the “Promise Pointe at Tampa Oaks” Facebook page, which also provides information families may find useful in planning for the attrition of life, so their loved ones may age in place as gracefully as possible. There are links to articles about topics such as communicating effectively with someone who has dementia and performing legal document “check ups.”

Delicious Food, Too!

Enjoying food is a big part of enjoying life and an essential part of health in the elderly and Promise Pointe’s Executive Chef Jorge Perez blends taste and nutrition in a modern kitchen.

Executive Chef Jorge Perez

Chef Jorge earned his Associate of Arts (A.A.) degree in Culinary Arts from Universidad Interamericana de Puerto Rico in Ponce, and has worked in assisted living and hospital kitchens for seven years. He also has had commercial experience in opening two Tampa Bay-area Cheesecake Factory locations.

Chef Jorge says that a basic principle of cooking  — “flavor, not salt” is applied to the menu, and recipes for Promise Pointe meals use other ingredients, such as cilantro, to spice up a dish. He adds that residents will always have two choices for each meal, and that customer service is an essential ingredient to the dining experience he wants to provide.

“If today we have fried eggs and tomorrow you want boiled, I’ll make it happen,” she says. Residents have access to food throughout the day and facilities for private family events also are available.

Residing in an assisted living or memory care facility can provide a good value for the cost of living there, but paying for it requires knowledge and planning. Long-term care insurance is accepted by Promise Pointe, as are Veterans Administration benefits that can help veterans and their spouses, as well as surviving spouses, pay for assisted living services. Help in determining insurance coverage and benefit eligibility, as well as identifying financial resources to finance senior living expenses is part of discovering if Promise Pointe is a viable senior-living solution for your family.

Membership in the Founders Club awaits the first 35 families who become part of the Promise Pointe at Tampa Oaks community. Benefits offered in promotional materials include free rent for the first and 20th months of residency, guaranteed lifetime rent pricing, recognition with personalized plaques, and more.

To learn more about assisted living and memory care options, or schedule an on-site tour at Promise Pointe at Tampa Oaks (12110 Morris Bridge Rd.), see the ad on pg. 25 of this issue, call (813) 694-2153, or visit PromisePointeSeniorLiving.com.

Olympus Pools Offers A Unique, Customized Customer Experience

Involving the homeowner in the design process — and new technologies — are hallmarks of Olympus Pools and regional manager and designer Doug Griffith. (Photo by Andy Warrener)

A swimming pool can say so much about a home. Architecture and landscaping can project a homeowner’s sense of style from the street, but a unique, custom-designed pool conveys that sense of style to friends and family, people who are inside the home.

It can be difficult in scorching Florida summers to enjoy the outdoors without a pool. It’s also a huge investment, perhaps the biggest single-ticket item that goes into anyone’s home.

New Tampa residents James and Alexis Staten, owners of Olympus Pools in Tampa, share that view. They won’t put any pool in your home unless it’s of the same quality they would have in their own home.

“From the amount of steel, the thickness of the concrete and finished products like tile, pavers or travertine floors, the same products we offer our customers are the same products we use in our own homes,” Staten says.

The company is accustomed to managing a large volume of projects. There are four designers and four project managers on staff, with 150 crew members out in the field on any given day. In 2017, Olympus completed 330 pools, all completely customized; 40 to 50 ongoing projects are managed at any time.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re budgeting for a $30,000 or a $300,000 pool, Olympus uses the same top-quality products.

“We use the best filters, best pumps and best salt systems included with every pool,” Staten says. “Even the most basic design gets the most premium quality money can buy.”

It’s a sentiment not lost on Olympus Pools’ core of veteran employees.

Construction manager Brian Messler has 34 years of experience in the business, and helped start the company with the Statens in 2013. “All of my subcontractors are top notch and each specializes in one phase of the construction,” says Messler. “We’ve got tile guys, plumbers, excavators and other specialized craftsmen. A lot of our crew (members) have 30 or more years of experience, too.”

Messler says that if anything doesn’t look right when your pool is being built (or completed), it will be dealt with immediately. “If I go to a job site and I see something that would be unacceptable in my house,” he says, “we take it out and replace it.”

Customized Designs

Olympus Pools doesn’t sell “templates.” Every pool starts with a clean slate and is entirely built around the customer’s desires. James says his company’s guiding principles are incorporating the customer’s available space, taste and budget.

“The design has to fit with the customer’s environment, as well as their wants and needs,” he says. “It’s what makes this business fun to work in. We’re extremely passionate that each pool we build will be unique. I like to say we’re in the memory business.”

He adds that every week, customers send him and his staff text messages with photos of their new pools and how much they are enjoying them. If his customers are happy, James and his staff are happy.

“It’s what gets us out of bed in the morning,” he says.

Olympus Pools prides itself on bringing the customer’s vision to life. Sometimes, all they have to work with is something sketched on a piece of paper. No matter. Regional manager and designer Doug Griffith takes customers through every step of the process, letting them see and touch the colors and textures that will be used in their dream pool.

The company’s showroom near Tampa International Airport helps bring the customer’s vision into reality.

“We’re not selling a package,” Griffith says. “We spend a lot of time creating the right pool for the right person.”

Griffith, like Messler, has been with Olympus Pools since its inception and as the regional manager, he stays on top of any issues that come up with a new or existing installation.

Tracking With Tech

Olympus Pools keeps up to date with cutting-edge technology, which fits into every aspect of pool construction. The company’s 3-D imaging AutoCAD system creates a life-like image of your pool. It can be rotated 360 degrees, to show the customer what the pool would look like at dusk or at night, even view features as if floating through the pool.

“We can create an entire 3-D tour for every client” James says. “Customers can see what their pools will look like before any construction is started.”

During construction, customers can use a customized application that enables them to check the construction schedule, communicate with Olympus staff members, access any documents related to the pool’s construction and make secure payments online.

Customers also can receive photos of the project’s progress 24-7, even if they are away from home.

Olympus also utilizes an application created by pool pump manufacturer Hayward called OmniLogic that enables customers to control day-to-day and customized functions of their aquatic oases.

The technology is only three years old, and it allows a homeowner to change the pool’s temperature, check the salinity and chlorine levels, and even turn the spa on or off. For example, a client could be out to dinner and, by pressing one button on their phone, can set the temperature and lighting just right in their spa for when they get home.

“We want ownership of our pools to be as easy and carefree as possible,” James says. “The only thing I want them to worry about is what to serve at the barbeque.”

Community Connections

The Statens live in and install a lot of pools in the New Tampa/Wesley Chapel area, and are big proponents of giving back to the Tampa Bay community.

Four or five times a year, Olympus Pools sponsors a local classroom through Donors Choose.org, a public charitable organization. DonorsChoose connects contributors to classrooms that have submitted requests through the website. Olympus Pools sponsored five classrooms in 2017, which are predominantly in the low-income-area public schools in Hillsborough County.

Recent efforts saw Olympus Pools donate tablets to each student in a selected class, help in donating an entire audio-visual system to a special needs class where the teacher had students who were hard of hearing, and donating $200 from each of 22 different pools they built to Feeding Tampa Bay, a hunger-relief charity — nearly 3,100 meals were purchased with those funds.

“If you’re in business and all you do is make money, you’re not a very good business,” James says.

Over the years, Olympus had donated more than $50,000 to the aforementioned charities, as well as to Kids Place (a foster home), and in sponsorships and donations to schools in the New Tampa and Wesley Chapel area. Hand-written thank-you letters from dozens of students line the window of the main office and dry erase board in the Olympus Pools showroom.   

“We’re all about giving back to the community,” James says. “Most of our staff lives in the New Tampa/Wesley Chapel area. Our kids go to school in the area and half of our business comes out of that area.”

Olympus Pools has installed custom pools in the Live Oak, K-Bar Ranch, Estancia at Wiregrass Ranch, Union Park, Grand Hampton, Meadow Pointe and Esplanade communities, to name a few. The company’s goal is to make your dream aquatic paradise a reality.

Olympus Pools is located at 4422 N. Lauber Way in Tampa. For more information, visit OlympusPoolsFl.com, call (813) 983-7854, or see the ad on pg. 24 of this issue.

John Wood, C.P.A., Offers Trusted Tax Preparation & Accounting Services

Whether it’s tax preparation, IRS audits and other tax resolutions or small business accounting services, John S. Wood, C.P.A., P.A., in Tampa Palms, is here to help you.

Whether you’re a small or emerging business, an individual or a pass-through entity like an S-Corporation or Limited Liability Corporation (LLC), John S. Wood, C.P.A., P.A. can help you navigate the ever-changing tax codes and if necessary, negotiate with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) on your behalf.

“Tax laws change every year and the code can be complex, especially if you have multiple investments,” Wood says. “In the case of negotiating a tax debt, I can speak directly with the IRS on behalf of a client and can help get the problem resolved, so they can move on with their lives.”

He also says that the IRS can put liens on property and levy bank accounts.

“The IRS has access to every database known to man,” Wood says. “Once they start actions, they don’t go away. But, once a client comes to me, they don’t have to deal with the IRS anymore.”

Wood’s firm offers “rescue” services for taxpayers who owe back taxes. The firm offers guidance, representation and can help the client get into an installment agreement that will sometimes get the IRS to accept less than the original tax bill.

“As small business owners, we do so much by ourselves. One place we don’t want to mess around with is taxes and the IRS,” says Brandon Diehl of STRATIX Marketing. “It was beyond easy to work with John, he double checks everything and as a business owner, he’s invaluable to me. Even if you keep your own books, it’s good to have a C.P.A. you can call.”

Looking Back…& Forward, Too

Wood, whose office is located in the Palm Lake Office Building off Amberly Dr. in Tampa Palms, remembers a time when life in the area was a bit more simple. He moved to the New Tampa area in 1987 and graduated from the University of South Florida with a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Accounting in 1997.

“When I moved to the area, there was barely anything between Skipper Road and S.R. 54,” Wood says. “The area has developed a lot. There’s more diversity, which is a positive aspect, and the impact of technology on our lives has changed the way we do business.”

When Wood started in the business more than 21 years ago, he says that much of the client interaction was face-to-face. Clients would bring in the proverbial, “shoebox” of receipts and sit down across a desk from Wood. It’s not to say those types of interactions don’t exist anymore, but they are certainly much rarer today.

“It’s transitioning to a virtual practice these days,” Wood says. “Accounting trends like cloud-based software as well as new programs and applications make it so that I actually see less and less of clients. The old days when I’d get people’s bank statements in the mail are gone.”

New Tech, Old Time Service

Wood also says that new technologies are helping to streamline the process for both tax preparation and accounting services.

Quickbooks has been around since the early 2000s but can now be integrated into online platforms that a C.P.A. like Wood can share in real time with a client. Wood says he also started using an application called Hubdoc this past year. Hubdoc can automatically pull your bills and bank statements into one secure hub. Wood can then access the hub and get all pertinent financial information that he needs to provide service to a client.

“A lot of the manual processes of accounting and bookkeeping have been eliminated by this technology,” Wood says.

Hubdoc, coupled with the LogMeIn application, streamlines the process even further. LogMeIn allows C.P.A.s like Wood to remotely access his own or his client’s computer. Wood has been able to utilize the technology for the last five years.

“The screens pop up on my computer just like they were on my client’s,” Wood says. “We’ll actually take turns using the mouse; the technology is amazing.”

The remote access can save clients a significant amount of time and help them negotiate financial programs like Quickbooks or even the IRS website.

With 90 to 95 percent of Wood’s business coming in via digital or electronic submissions, it slashes preparation time and can give hands-on assistance to a client without even being in the same room.

Do You Still Need A CPA?

There are several other reasons why a client would want to use a C.P.A. and not try to file their taxes themselves. The biggest one? Money.

“I’ve had clients where I’ve amended previous tax returns for them and gotten them a bigger refund,” Wood says. “Part of bringing a new client on board is that I’ll review their previous year’s tax return.”

He also says that he often finds credits and deductions on clients’ previous tax returns that they missed when they filed themselves.

“Credits are a dollar-for-dollar reduction of what you owe, while deductions lower your taxable income,” Wood said. “The layperson is not aware of many of these.”

Did you send a child to college last year? There’s an education credit you can use. Even if you run a small business, Woods’ services could help make it run more efficiently.

“Businesses need much more than an individual,” Wood said. “You’ll need a profit/loss statement and something to keep track of it. You’ll need to put it in a format that’s properly classified to fit it on your tax return.”

Wood also provides value to your business by managing assets, measuring, processing and combining financial information. Making a profit is essential to any business. At John S. Wood C.P.A., P.A., customers get what they need to measure their financial results so that they can take appropriate action to maximize their businesses’ profits.

“John’s services have been an absolute asset to my company,” says Loren Staker of West Coast Water Tech. “He’s done wonders, he’s kept me up to date on changes in the tax law…I could go on and on. He’s a friend and business associate and I would recommend him to anyone. As long as I’m in business, he’s my accountant.”

Wood offers free consultations and brings back a bit of the interaction lost in technology.

Now is the busy time of year, he says, estimating that 65 percent of his business comes in between January and the end of April. Beyond that, his services extend year-round for individuals who have filed extensions or businesses that have quarterly payroll and sales tax reports.

Wood says he likes to rely on word-of-mouth advertising, although he admits that he has been an avid Neighborhood News reader himself since the beginning.

“Most of our new business comes from referrals,” he says.

Whether it’s tax preparation, tax resolution or small business accounting services, John S. Wood C.P.A., P.A. is here for you. His office is located at 15310 Amberly Dr, in Tampa Palms, and he can be reached at (813) 514-2920 or you can visit JWoodCPA.com .

Communication, Education Keys To Comprehensive Care at Ferrera Dental

General & cosmetic dentist Dr. Robert Ferrera of Ferrera Dental Care, located just off BBD Blvd.

If you’re coming in for an appointment at Ferrera Dental Care, located just off Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., south of E. Bearss Ave., be prepared to use your mouth — and not just to “open wide.”

General and cosmetic dentist Robert Ferrera, D.D.S., believes that effective, two-way communication is key to achieving excellent results.

“I know it sometimes drives my staff crazy because they are looking at the appointment books,” Dr. Ferrera says, “but I always like to have a conversation with my patients before we start any kind of procedure.”

Those conversations help familiarize the patient with their dentist, which helps build the kind of patient-doctor relationship that makes any local practice thrive. As a result, Dr. Ferrera has had some clients who have been with him for most of his 30-year career, like Bob Cornett.

“I have known Dr. Ferrera for many years, in fact I was his first patient,” Cornett says. “Over the years, I’ve been blessed to have been associated with him. I can’t say enough for the respect I have for Dr. Ferrera and his entire staff. I’m there every three months, and have been doing this for many years.”

The initial conversation also helps Ferrera ascertain what the patient is or is not doing that could be causing his or her problem. Oftentimes, it’s not something quite as simple as forgetting to brush your teeth. Permanent and full mouth damage can be caused by certain habits that patients develop, sometimes unbeknownst to them.

“Most people who come in needing full mouth rehabs did the damage to their teeth unintentionally,” Dr. Ferrera says.

Full mouth rehabs are a specialty at Ferrera Dental.

Teeth grinding is one of the leading causes for patients requiring full mouth rehabilitation. Dr. Ferrera says that grinding is not only something people do while sleeping, but something they also may be doing while they are wide awake.

Having a conversation with patients prior to a procedure can reveal clues about the causes of other dental/mouth issues. Whatever the solution, a friendly, familiar environment is provided where the patient can relax, even when undergoing an otherwise uncomfortable procedure. (Don’t worry, though — Dr. Ferrera’s office offers sedation dentistry for patients who want it.)

“Full mouth rehabs are not just problems with your teeth, it’s where the uppers and lowers don’t fit together properly anymore,” Ferrera says. “The work is partially cosmetic, but we give patients function they haven’t had before.”

It’s not an overnight process, Dr. Ferrera says. There’s a strategic approach that he takes in order to start moving forward in the treatment process, using implants, crowns, bridges and veneers. Sometimes, if the case warrants it, Ferrera will refer a patient to one of the orthodontic specialists or oral surgeons he has worked with before.

“I try to work with specialists who have worked with me for a long time, so we can get the result the patient wants in the long run,” Dr. Ferrera says. “Some of these specialists I refer patients to have worked with me for 15 to 20 years.”

That familiarity helps Ferrera Dental maintain a level of consistency. This is especially important when it comes to patients who require ongoing treatments.

“I happen to be one of those individuals that needed extensive dental work,” Cornett says. “Dr. Ferrera not only diagnosed my problems, but set me up with the appropriate surgeons to have the surgeries performed. After the surgeries, he took care of all the dental fixtures that were required.”

Continuing Education & New Technology

Even though Dr. Ferrera says he has been a practicing dentist for more than 30 years, he never stops learning.

While the State of Florida requires 30 hours of continuing education every two years, Ferrera says he takes 60 hours every two years. At each course or seminar, he says he looks for at least one new piece of information that he can apply to his practice.

“Technology and procedures are constantly changing and evolving,” he says.

Cerec Restoration is one of those developing technologies. Cerec is a dental restoration system that allows dentists to produce and place custom-fitted ceramic dental restorations using a variety of computer-assisted technologies.

Ferrera got involved with Cerec in 2009, during the nationwide economic downturn. Domestic laboratories were raising prices for lab work and many dentists turned to sending crowns offshore to keep costs down.  “I never wanted to send anything offshore,” Dr. Ferrera says. “I realized that I could control my costs by using the Cerec machine.”

Today, instead of multiple appointments and sometimes a weeks-long process, Dr. Ferrera can now create and place a crown in only one day.

There are two parts to the Cerec machine. The first uses two tiny cameras to map a 3-D image of the patient’s tooth or mouth.

The information is sent to a second machine that processes the information and mills a piece of porcelain right there in the office. The system can be used to produce any permanent, single-tooth ceramic restoration, including crowns, veneers, onlays and inlays.

A Hometown Guy

Ferrera has deep roots in the Tampa Bay community.

He graduated from Tampa Catholic High School and earned his Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree from the University of South Florida.

He graduated at the top of his class in 1985 from the Ohio State University College of Dentistry in Columbus, with his Doctorate of Dental Surgery (D.D.S.) degree. His first job upon returning to Tampa after college was with the late Dr. Richard Valdes, who had an office in northeast Tampa near what is now Florida Hospital Tampa on BBD.

Ferrera’s father, Robert, worked at the American Canning Company in Tampa until the plant closed down and shipped production overseas. Robert Sr. then got a job as a security officer at Avila. It was there that he met Dr. Valdes, one of the few residents the elder Ferrera felt was gracious and down-to-earth. One day, Ferrera’s father waved down Valdes and asked him to counsel his son.

“I was very fortunate (Dr. Valdes) chose me,” Ferrera says. “I see him as my mentor. If there’s anything I’m good at, it’s because of him.”

Dr. Ferrera worked in an associate position for Valdes for seven years, until his mentor passed away in 1991. By then, Ferrera was already involved in the Temple Terrace Rotary Club. He would soon team up with his friend and neighbor Bill Leonard (as well as Tom Wade) to help create the Rotary Club of New Tampa in 1995, which still meets Fridays at 7 a.m. at Tampa Palms Golf & Country Club.

Ferrera has held every chair position in the Rotary Club of New Tampa with the exception of president.

Participation in community events attracted Ferrera to other organizations, like the Krewe of the Knights of Sant’ Yago & Sant’ Yago Foundation, and the Rough Riders, which both are part of Gasparilla.

The Sant’ Yago Foundation connected Ferrera — whose grandfather was from Spain and grandmother was from Cuba — to his Latin roots. The foundation provides full-ride scholarships to 22-25 junior and senior students at USF, the University of Tampa and Hillsborough Community College who are of Hispanic origin.

Ferrera joined the Rough Riders in 2017. The Rough Riders are a 501(c)(3) non-profit group whose members dress in regalia reminiscent of U.S. President Teddy Roosevelt’s Rough Riders, who camped in Tampa on their way to Cuba during the Spanish-American War. In addition to participating in Gasparilla, they organize their own Saint Patrick’s Day in Ybor City and go on teddy bear runs, delivering plush toys to children in hospitals; they also visit veterans in VA hospitals.

Ferrera has lived in Tampa Palms with his family for the last 26 years. His wife Cheri manages the accounting department at Ferrera Dental and his daughter Morgan runs the office. Dental hygienists Diantha Higdon and Marie Crenshaw each have 20 years each of experience, as does dental assistant Lisa Snow, who works the front desk.

“I can actually say I look forward to my visits,” Cornett says. “If you’re looking for a dentist with exceptional skill and compassion, give his office a ring.”

Ferrera Dental Care will celebrate its 20th anniversary at its 15047 Bruce B. Downs Blvd. location in March. For more information, call (813) 558-6684 or visit DrFerrera.com.