Category: Business

New Tampa Engineer Putting The Freeze On Florida’s Heat With Polar Pods!

Tampa Palms resident John Fisher brings his 50º Polar Pods trailers to outdoor events to help bring anyone’s core body temperature down fast.

Tampa Palms resident John Fisher wasn’t working on anything in particular when a good friend from St. Augustine called him for help.

Steve Parry, a lifeguard, had developed a concept borne from personal experience, after spending a night partying and then figuring out the next day at work that he had overdone it.

He started suffering from heat exhaustion, and as the day dragged on, he felt worse and worse. So, he wandered into a nearby restaurant, asked to sit in the cooler, and after a few minutes of being camped out on a pickle bucket, started to feel better.

“My head came out of my hands, and I was like ‘My God, what just happened, man?,’’’ Parry told Fisher.

What had happened was that Parry’s body core temperature had been rapidly brought down, and the life had returned to his body.

“I’d pay money for this,’’ Parry thought to himself.

That sparked an idea to create essentially a mobile cooler to help people suffering from heat exhaustion.

polarpod6 But, Parry couldn’t do it alone. Enter Fisher, who earned his Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Central Florida in Orlando in 1982, and Master of Science in Electrical Engineering (MSEE) degree from the University of South Florida in 1987, and had a little free time on his hands.

“I thought it sounded like a great idea, and I liked the challenge of it,’’ said Fisher.

Fisher has now helped create three Polar Pod mobile cooling/heat illness-prevention stations, with more on the horizon.

“It was a lot of trial and error,’’ says Fisher. “The technical part of building this is not easy. It’s a tricky little recipe.”

The Polar Pod is a 20-foot-long by 8-foot-wide ice cube on wheels. Patrons enter through thermally insulated and tempered glass doors, with seating on padded benches for up to 18. The inside temperature is 50 degrees, and for those cooling down, there is a 5-gallon water jug and a 46-inch HDTV to watch.

Each Polar Pod runs on a 208VAC/10kW generator, and costs about $20 worth of diesel fuel per day to keep the temperature optimal.

“This whole thing is engineered to do one thing – bring the body’s core temperature down as quickly as possible,’’ Fisher says.

Heat exhaustion occurs after you have been exposed to high temperatures, often enhanced by dehydration. It can lead to dizziness, headaches, vomiting and fainting.

The best treatment is drinking fluids and cooling down, and it only takes a few minutes in the Polar Pod to get your body temperature back into a safe range.

Of the three Polar Pods already built, one already has been sold to a fire department. Fisher can’t say which one, except that it’s in a major city, because the fire department hasn’t officially rolled it out yet. The fire department will use the Polar Pod as a fire rehabilitation vehicle.

Perfect For Outdoor Events

Fisher also extolls the Polar Pod’s effectiveness at festivals and concerts. While showing off the pod at its storage unit on Nebraska Ave., he stops and runs to his pick-up truck to grab a copy of a newspaper.

Polarpod2 In it, he has circled an article about two deaths and almost 60 hospitalizations at the recent Sunset Music Festival held at Raymond James Stadium, where roughly 30,000 music fans were crammed together on a scalding hot May day.

While Fisher — who has tried to get his Polar Pods into the event for two years — notes that while the deaths could be the result of drug use, he says festivals where large crowds gather in Florida’s stifling climate often lead to heat exhaustion and tents and misting fans alone lose their effectiveness.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if that was part of the reason,’’ he says.

Some promoters have rented the Polar Pod for their events, paying $650-$750 for a full day. Fisher said he has set up Polar Pods at events like the Big Guava Music Festival at the Florida State Fairgrounds last year, as well as at the 97X (WSUN-FM) Backyard BBQ at Vinoy Park last month.

Fisher says the Polar Pod can also can be a lot of fun. He encourages revelers, most of whom are just trying to catch a little cold air, to keep the party going once they enter. “We’ll even put some Jimmy Buffet on the TV,’’ Fisher chuckles.

Most recently, the Polar Pods were used at the Country 500 Music Fest in Daytona Beach, where promoters charged $10 for a wristband for unlimited use of the Polar Pod. Fisher says the lines stayed long all day.

“That was a huuuuge event,’’ Fisher said. “We had both of the Polar Pods there and the lines were nonstop.”

Fisher, who has taught electrical engineering classes at USF, says he has met with the USF College of Public Health and the USF College of Medicine for advice on how to effectively treat heat exhaustion through quickly lowering the core body temperature. He also set up a pod at USF football practices last spring, squeezing the team’s entire offensive line inside to test its effectiveness.

“Generally, on really hot days, people are grateful that we are there,’’ Fisher says.

Fisher, who also earned a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from USF in 2000, adds that he and Parry are still developing a business plan for their Polar Pods. They would like to see more fire departments get interested, and they continue to see a market for events like marathons, triathlons, festivals and concerts.

“We see people dragging when they walk inside, and just come alive in the Polar Pod,’’ Fisher says. “You just don’t get it until you step inside. And, when people do, they’ll tell us, ‘Oh my God, you guys are geniuses.’”

For more information about Polar Pods, visit ThePolarPod.com, or call 995-1350 or (904) 962-1793. Or, email info@thepolarpod.com.

Your First Neighborhood News Show: WCNT-tv, Episode 1

Thursday night at the offices of the Neighborhood News, the first episode of WCNT-tv was shown to a select crowd of more than 100 at the launch party. Now it’s your turn.

The new YouTube-based video news show is a partnership between Full Throttle Intermedia and the New Tampa & Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News, and also is the exclusive webcast partner of the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce. The program will come to you from the Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel Studio, and will be released bi-monthly, featuring local news, businesses and restaurants.

Enjoy!

Video Premiere of WCNT-tv: Episode 1

Thursday night at the offices of the Neighborhood News, the first episode of WCNT-tv was shown to a select crowd of more than 100 at the launch party. Now it’s your turn.

Enjoy!

New Tampa Foot & Ankle — The Specialist For Your Feet!

Dr_Levin — Dr. Stephen Levin, D.P.M., can help alleviate many common foot problems at New Tampa Foot & Ankle, located off S.R. 56 in Wesley Chapel.

Often overlooked, usually mistreated and rarely pampered, your feet are the unsung workhorses of your body.

But, undetected problems with your feet can often lead to larger problems that can affect your back, your gait, your lifestyle, and your general health. In the Wesley Chapel offices of New Tampa Foot & Ankle, longtime New Tampa resident Stephen Levin, D.P.M., helps anyone from age 0 to 100 fix those issues before they get out of control. And, with the latest in laser technology and a new shock wave therapy (see below), he is able to treat some of the most common and painful conditions with noninvasive, highly effective in-office methods.

A native of Baltimore, MD, Dr. Levin got his Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in Urban Studies from the University of Maryland in College Park in 1992. He then obtained his Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (D.P.M.) degree from the Temple University School of Medicine in Philadelphia in 1996. He completed a two-year medical and surgical residency at Montgomery Hospital Medical Center in Norristown, PA, in 1998, and then moved to Tampa, working in private practice until he opened New Tampa Foot & Ankle in 2002.

Dr. Levin moved his New Tampa location to its current location off of S.R. 56 in Wesley Chapel in 2007, then opened a South Tampa location in 2012.

Dr. Levin is Board-certified in foot surgery by the American Board of Podiatric Surgery and also is on staff at both Florida Hospital Tampa and Wesley Chapel, St. Joseph’s Hospital and St. Joseph’s North, Tampa General Hospital, the New Tampa Surgery Center and the Ambulatory Surgery Center on E. Fletcher Ave. He has operating room privileges at Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel, St. Joseph’s North and the New Tampa Surgery Center.

Until recently, Dr. Levin was the president of the Hillsborough County Podiatric Medical Association for 10 years, and in 2005, was selected as the Young Practitioner of the Year by the Florida Podiatric Medical Association.

At his Wesley Chapel office, Dr. Levin uses state-of-the-art technology to fix some of the most common foot problems, including heel pain and fungal infections.

A Wide Variety Of Services

Among the many services offered at New Tampa Foot & Ankle is Extracorporeal Pulse Activation Technology (EPAT), the method by which Dr. Levin treats heel pain. Developed in Europe and FDA-approved in the U.S., the technology consists of a console and a wand-like attachment that emits shockwaves on the area of pain.

Heel pain (such as plantar fasciitis) can be caused when certain ligaments are irritated, causing thickening, swelling and subsequently, pain. Traditional treatments have called for anti-inflammatory injections or home therapy, such as physical therapy, ice and wearing orthotic inserts. EPAT uses acoustic shock waves to stimulate or signal the body to increase circulation, says Dr. Levin, allowing the area to heal itself more quickly and effectively. While he says some patients feel sensitivity after their initial treatments, they usually acclimate to the feeling (which he describes as a rapid pulsing) as the treatments continue, generally weekly for three to five months.

“The technology has been around for one or two decades, but it has become more amenable to an office setting,” says Dr. Levin. “There’s no downtime, no medications and no infections.”

In addition to heel pain, toenail fungus is a major concern of Dr. Levin’s patients. “It’s unsightly; it’s embarrassing,” he says, adding that the fungus can be caused by trauma and even by pedicures in unsanitary conditions.

To treat toenail fungus without oral medications or topical creams, Dr. Levin uses a treatment called NovoNail, a laser that works painlessly by running over the infected nail. This creates enough heat to kill the fungus that causes the infection. Dr. Levin says three or four 20-minute treatments over the course of a year is enough to cure most cases.

In severe cases, Dr. Levin can use the laser to remove the toenail, make a tiny incision for the laser to clean and resurface the nail bed and file down any underlying bone spur, and then stitch up the incision. Within a year, he says the new toenail has usually grown in over a clean nailbed.

Heel pain and fungal infections affect a large number of patients. However, Dr. Levin handles many other issues affecting your feet and ankles, such as Achilles tendon problems, ankle instability, flat feet, arthritic foot and ankle care, bunions and corns, geriatric foot care, and warts. He also treats feet when crushed by injury and the feet of diabetics, who have poor circulation and nerve damage so they cannot feel blisters or sores and need special shoes with more room and protection. He also treats children for problems such as Severs Disease, a growth pain-related irritation of the heel, as well as ingrown toenails, warts and flat feet.

Some problems can be solved by wearing the right kind of shoes and to this end, Dr. Levin carries a plethora of foot-related products for patients to buy at reasonable prices. You can be sure they work well, because Dr. Levin says that either he, a staff member or a member of their families have tested or tried them out, such as Vionic flip-flops (Dr. Levin says those flat flip-flops Floridians tend to wear everywhere don’t do our feet any favors) and custom and semi-custom orthotic shoe inserts. Also available is a line of hypoallergenic creams and lotions, as well as tools such as pumice stones, plus compression hose and shoes for diabetic patients.

The office accepts many forms of insurance and also offers in-house financing options.

Clearly, Dr. Levin’s services are in high demand. Since he started his own practice, it has grown to include a staff of seven, and he says he will add a new doctor at the end of this summer. He also says he currently sees an average of 150-200 patients a week in his Wesley Chapel office, while his colleague, Dr. Martin Port, sees patients in the South Tampa location at 3704 Euclid Ave.

Dr. Levin knew that Wesley Chapel would be the ideal place for his practice, as he had been keeping an eye on the projected growth of this area since moving to Florida 18 years ago. He met his wife, Diane Pellegrino Levin, when he was at the (then) University Community Hospital (now Florida Hospital Tampa) and she was an Emergency Room nurse there. The couple and their three children, David, 18; Sam, 11; and Sarah, 9, are active in the community, gymnastics and soccer.

New Tampa Foot & Ankle is open Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., and is located at 26827 Foggy Creek Rd., Suite 104, off S.R. 56. For more information, call 973-3535 or visit NewTampaFootandAnkle.com.

GreatFlorida Insurance Agents Help You Protect Your Home, Car & Business

(L.-r.) Julie and Bill Sullivan, Julie Morgan and Nicole Weaver of GreatFlorida Insurance on Cross Creek Blvd. provide outstanding insurance service for your home, auto, business & more.

Bill Sullivan, the owner of GreatFlorida insurance in the Cory Lake Professional Center on Cross Creek Blvd. in New Tampa, says the local area – especially nearby Wesley Chapel – is experiencing growth, with lots of new businesses and new families moving into the area.

He wants to help these people be sure that they’re properly covered and paying the best rates possible when it comes to their insurance needs.

So, on May 25, GreatFlorida Insurance hosted a Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce (WCCC) ribbon-cutting event, “to let people know we’re here,” explains Bill.

“We offer traditional home, auto, boat and motorcycle policies, along with renter’s policies, general liability and umbrella coverage,” Bill says. “We also offer a wide variety of insurance products for business owners, such as commercial property insurance.”

GreatFlorida Insurance is a network of independent, franchised insurance agents that has been in business since 1991, with more than 100 offices located throughout Florida. Bill owns the New Tampa location, which originally opened in 2005 with a previous owner. That owner sold the business to Bill in 2013. Bill says he made the purchase because the previous owner — who was retiring— had a very well-run, diligent and ethical business, a business that he has been able to build on and grow over the last three years.

Bill earned a B.S. degree in Business Administration from George Washington University in Washington, DC, and then worked in investment banking for 25 years in New England. Looking to make a change, he and his wife Julie moved down to Florida in August of 2012. Bill got his “2-20” insurance license so he could sell all lines of Property & Casualty Insurance. Julie also works in the office as the office manager and customer service agent. She is a Licensed “4-40” Sales and Service Representative. The Sullivans also work with two agents – who also hold “2-20” licenses – Nicole Weaver and Julie Morgan.

GreatFlorida sells policies from many different auto insurance companies, including Travelers, Safeco, Mercury, Progressive, and Hartford, and homeowners insurance companies that include Prepared, Heritage, Safe Harbor, and Peninsula.

Looking Out For You

Bill says statistics show that 85 percent of people are inadequately insured – either they have too much or too little.

For example, Bill says he often sees empty-nesters who had high limits when their teenage children were driving and two parents were commuting to work, but now that it’s just the two of them – and maybe they’ve even retired and aren’t commuting anymore themselves – so, do they really need all that coverage? The agents at GreatFlorida Insurance want to help clients be sure they’re neither over-insured nor under-insured.

GreatFla2 Not only do people’s life circumstances change, but the way insurance carriers price policies change, too.

Bill says insurance carriers are “fickle” and the things that change in a year can have a big impact on the price of an insurance policy. “One year, insurance carriers like a certain area, and the next they don’t. Rates change and go up, so we think we should review your policies at least every 12-18 months.”

That’s why the agents at GreatFlorida Insurance automatically and proactively watch to see if rates increase whenever your policies come up for renewal.

“Most people buy a policy and then don’t look at it again for four or five years,” he explains. “People view it as time consuming. So, we do that ‘dirty work’ for you to take that away.”

That’s exactly why Wesley Chapel resident Kathleen Zagaros says she switched her home and auto insurance policies to GreatFlorida. She was frustrated that her former agency didn’t seem concerned that her policy renewal prices were going up and didn’t offer her any alternatives, prompting her to wonder, “If you have to start doing your own research to find a better policy, why have an insurance agent?”

When Kathleen reached out to GreatFlorida, however, she says she found something very different. “Bill and Julie provide excellent and personalized service,” she says. “They want to find the best policies for their customers. Instead of you having to call them, they already know and have other options to present to you. I was able to change my homeowners insurance as well as our car insurance for less money and better coverages!”

Kathleen says she also likes that she can do business with the Sullivans over the phone and via email. “It’s so easy and not stressful at all!,” she says, adding that she likes that she has an advocate if she’s in an accident. “If you are involved in an accident, they are right there to help you through the claims process.”

Kathleen says Bill and Julie and their employees understand what good customer service is all about and go out of their way to provide it. She says they all have great senses of humor and that talking with them is like talking to a good friend or a close neighbor.

“Julie’s title is ‘Director of Customer Happiness & Office Operations,’” Kathleen says. “I think that says it all!” Because she is such a happy customer, Kathleen says she highly recommends GreatFlorida Insurance all the time. And, Bill says she’s not alone in her endorsement.

“A good majority of our business comes through referrals,” says Bill, “I take that as a compliment.”

Flood Insurance

One tip Bill is always sharing with clients: Homeowner’s insurance doesn’t cover damage from a flood.

“A lot of people are dismissive about flood insurance because they’ve never experienced a flood and think it won’t apply to them,” says Bill. “But, for as little as $299 annually, you can have peace of mind should something happen.”

“I personally went through it up north,” Bill says. “I never would have thought I needed flood insurance because I was far inland. But then, it rained for 14 days straight and we had water damage, and I paid for all the damages out of pocket. It was a costly lesson.”

He stresses that, especially in Florida, water damage leads to other issues, too. “With our heat and humidity, we need to be concerned about mold,” says Bill. “Mold is toxic and airborne, and the cost of having a home repaired and remediated is expensive.” He says this can be a huge problem for snowbirds who may leave their home for a few months at a time. “If there’s any water damage while they’re gone, it doesn’t take long for mold to take hold and grow substantially. “

Bill says if a Realtor refers someone to GreatFlorida for a homeowner’s insurance quote, he and his staff always provide a flood quote, too. “The lender doesn’t require it, and the client doesn’t have to take it, but we still highly recommend it.”

“All of Florida is a flood zone,” says Bill, “to what severity depends on where a home is located.”

To find out how GreatFlorida Insurance can help you, call 994-1143 or visit GreatFLTampa.com. GreatFlorida Insurance is located at 10353 Cross Creek Blvd., Suite C.