News from AdventHealth — Wangsness Moves On To AHT; Quattlebaum Takes Over At AHWC; Beam Signing At New Meadow Pointe ER

(01/18/2023) ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, FL – USA – AdventHealth. AdventHealth Executive Leadership. Matt Rainey/AdventHealth

AdventHealth has certainly been busy the last couple of weeks. On Nov. 8, the new freestanding Emergency Room on S.R. 54 at Meadow Pointe Blvd. had a beam-signing event that you can read about below. Then, just last week, the nonprofit health care giant announced that Erik Wangsness, who has been the president & CEO of AdventHealth Wesley Chapel (AHWC) since Sept. 2019, will assume the same position at AdventHealth Tampa, effective December 15. Taking over from Wangsness as the president & CEO at AHWC, as of Dec. 29, will be Ryan Quattlebaum, who previously held the same titles at AdventHealth North Pinellas in Tarpon Springs.

For more details about these two latest moves, check out the full stories in the December 10 edition of New Tampa Neighborhood News and the December 24 edition of Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News.

AdventHealth Meadow Pointe ER Beam Signed! 
Pasco County Comm. Seth Weightman (3rd from left) & the executive team for the new AdventHealth ER in Meadow Pointe sign the beam. (Photos by Charmaine George) 

George Butler, the construction superintendent for Robins & Morton, the firm building the freestanding AdventHealth emergency room (ER) in Meadow Pointe (AHMP), told the crowd of nearly 100 people in attendance on Nov. 8 that, “Today is a major milestone for this project. The next major milestone will be the Grand Opening.”

The milestone in question that day was the signing and raising of a beam that will be above the sliding door main entrance to the ER located at the corner of S.R. 54 and Meadow Pointe Blvd.

“Every time you go through that sliding door, you will all think of this beam that you signed,” Butler said. 

AdventHealth Zephyrhills president & CEO Mike Murrill thanked all of the people & companies that made the project happen. (Photos by Charmaine George) 

Butler was introduced by William Villegas, the chief operating officer of AdventHealth Zephyrhills (AHZ), who then said that, “You’re here with us today because you were part of the process of getting this building off the ground…and by signing this beam, you are acknowledging all of the hard work of the crew that is sitting here. And, each and every one of you has played a role in it, whether as a support member, an executive or an engineer with Robins Morton.” 

Villegas added that, “So far, this building has endured two storms, and it’s still standing. On April 29, 2025, when we open this building, we will be providing 32,000 square feet of capacity with 12 beds, two triage rooms and advanced lab and imaging services that will provide freestanding emergency room services to the Pasco community. As we expand our reach, build facilities, touch more lives and care for more patients in Pasco County, we fulfill our mission of extending the healing ministry of Christ. And, that’s what we’re here for, to serve our communities and provide the highest quality of care for our patients. None of this would be possible without everyone here today..”

Villegas, the executive sponsor for the AHMP ER, then introduced Mike Murrill, the president and CEO of AHZ.

“I want to thank William Villegas for guiding this team the last several months,” Murrill said. “He just joined our team six months ago and hit the ground running by connecting our community partners and the construction team and it’s exciting to get to this point in the journey.”

Murrill added, “I would just like to take this moment to thank several of our partners who are here this morning — our Pasco County Commissioner Seth Weightman, Arash Kamangar of Hunton Brady Architects, George (Butler) and our Robins & Morton construction team, all of the subcontractors who have contributed to this project, ans well as our Division Team. We thank you all for your collaborative spirit, your work with each other and what it means to have something new in this community.” 

Villegas then said a short prayer to thank God and to pray that “the patients who end up at this new ER find healing.”

For more information about the new AHMP ER, visit AdventHealth.com. — GN 

AdventHealth Radiologist Discusses The Importance Of Mammograms 

Dr. Rachel Burke demonstrates how the AdventHealth Care Pavilion mammography machine works. (Photos by Charmaine George)

As most people know, October is “National Breast Cancer Awareness Month” across the U.S. and here in Tampa, the AdventHealth Care Pavilion at 8702 Hunter’s Lake Dr., in front of the Hunter’s Green community on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., hosted a breast cancer awareness event on Oct. 3 to encourage women to get their mammograms. 

“One in eight women will be touched by breast cancer in their lifetimes,” said Dr. Rachel Burke, the medical director and head breast radiologist at the Kay Meyer Breast Care Center at AdventHealth Tampa. “The median age is around 62 and the highest risk is for those over age 70, but we diagnose it in all ages. Pretty much everyone knows someone who has been affected by it. I always tell people that the biggest risk factors for developing breast cancer are being born female and getting older — and if you’re alive, you’re getting older, so nobody is immune to it.” 

In fact, she said, “This year alone, more than 300,000 women will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer, the kind that can possibly spread, and another 56,000 with the non-invasive or ‘Stage 0’ breast cancer, and that’s just here in the U.S.” 

Dr. Burke says that not only is a mammogram the only diagnostic test approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA), it also is the “gold standard” for detecting breast cancer. 

“And honestly, it’s so easy,” Dr. Burke said. “It only takes a few minutes, isn’t painful and it can definitely save your life. I don’t know why some women have built it up in their heads that it’s this scary thing. It’s really just a couple of seconds of pressure on each side.” 

She added that she started as a diagnostic radiologist specializing in breast radiology, “before I turned 40, so I hadn’t actually had a mammogram myself yet. But, I had heard many scary things about mammograms from patients. And, when I finally had mine, I said, ‘OK, that wasn’t so bad.’ I didn’t know what the whole fuss was about. It was over and done with so fast and wasn’t terrible at all.” 

Dr. Burke also said that since the 1990s, with widespread screening becoming the norm, “Mortality from breast cancer has been reduced by 40% and up to 50% in some studies. Yes, it works. I don’t know why anyone wouldn’t want to have a test that took five minutes of their time that could save their life.” 

Cost Isn’t An Issue 

And, she noted that considering that an annual mammogram is a covered test for women over age 40 on virtually all health insurance plans, “Cost isn’t an issue, either. Even if you don’t have insurance, there are programs — like through our AdventHealth Foundation — that offer free or low-cost mammograms to women, regardless of their insurance status, if they can’t afford to get one. We will find a way to help you” 

In addition, Dr. Burke said, “Most mammography facilities offer special programs and lower fees during October. I know we have a special for a $99 mammogram this month.” 

The Care Pavilion staff “celebrates” Breast Cancer Awareness Month. 

Dr. Burke also noted that although African American women have a lower incidence of breast cancer when compared with Caucasians and other races, “They have a higher mortality rate from it. We don’t know exactly why — but Black women have a higher incidence of dense breast tissue and there are some other factors, including socioeconomic, but it absolutely is something to be aware of. We don’t want any women to die from breast cancer, but we also don’t want this type of disparity either.” 

Speaking of breast density, however, Dr. Burke said that it is harder to read the mammograms of women who have more dense, glandular tissue than fatty tissue, which puts any woman with dense breasts at higher risk for breast cancer. 

“Mammograms are still our best diagnostic tool,” she said, “but the test isn’t perfect. Just as it’s harder to see when you’re driving in dense fog, it’s harder to read the mammograms through dense breast tissue. Some women will need a supplemental test — like an MRI or ultrasound — if they have dense breasts and there’s a concern.” 

Dr. Burke also talked about BRCA1 and BRCA2 genetic mutations, which significantly increase a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer. Statistics show that 55%-65% of women found with a BRCA1 mutation and 45% of women with a BRCA2 mutation will develop breast cancer by age 70. 

“More and more celebrities are coming out and discussing that they have gotten prophylactic bilateral mastectomies and reconstruction after being found with either mutation,” she said. “You know, the Angelina Jolie effect. So now, there are a lot of women with these mutations who aren’t celebrities who were inspired by that and also are having mastectomies to prevent breast cancer and that’s great. A surgery without cancer is easier to recover from than a surgery with cancer.” 

And now, she added, “We have found a lot of different genes that are proving to be risk factors not just for breast but for a lot of different cancers.” 

Dr. Burke also said that although there are some risk factors that women can’t change, like aging and genetics, “The risk factors we can change are alcohol consumption, diet and exercise and smoking. I never tell women they have to give up alcohol altogether,” she said. “I still like to have a glass of wine, too, and I have friends who are oncologists who still have a drink here and there. All we say is to limit your alcohol consumption because it definitely is related to breast cancer.” 

She also noted that it’s important to tell women who are diagnosed that, “It’s not your fault. I tell them, ‘You did not cause this. This is one rogue cell that decided to proliferate. There wasn’t one particular thing you did to cause it.’” 

The stage of the cancer itself also is important. “The chance for long-term survival goes down with each stage,” Dr. Burke said. “However, even though we can’t ‘cure’ Stage 4, we do have many patients who live for a number of years with Stage 4 disease.” 

Dr. Burke then demonstrated how a mammogram works in the Care Pavilion’s Mammography Suite. And, after the interview,Charmaine and I enjoyed pink cupcakes, donuts and lemonade with the Care Pavilion staff, who also painted provided stones pink with the name of someone they lost to the disease for the Care Pavilion’s garden. They also took home pink light bulbs. 

For more info about AHCP, call (813) 548-8550, visit AHCarePavilionNewTampa.com. 

Martin Gramática ‘Kicks Off’ Tampa Bay Bucs Season At AdventHealth Tampa!

Former Tampa Bay Bucs kicker Martin Gramática posed for lots of pictures when he was met by a happy crowd of doctors, nurses and staffers at AdventHealth Tampa on Bruce B. Downs Blvd on Sep. 6 to help kick off the Bucs 2024 season two days later. (Photos by Charmaine George)

AdventHealth Tampa (3100 E. Fletcher Ave. at Bruce B. Downs Blvd.) got a special visit Friday from a former Tampa Bay Buccaneers star two days before the team kicked off the 2024 NFL season.

Super Bowl winner Martin Gramática stopped by to greet hundreds of doctors, nurses, and clinicians. The former Bucs kicker took time to sign autographs, take photos and show his appreciation for the hard work front-line health care workers do every day. 

AdventHealth is the exclusive hospital of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Gramática said he was happy — and honored — to represent the Bucs while greeting the AdventHealth Tampa team.

“I’m just here representing the Bucs to say ‘Thank you’ to all of the men and women who sacrifice so much to take care of us when we’re not doing well.”

Gramática, who also is the VP of Business Development for Life Guard Imaging, said that it was just a “happy coincidence” that he made his appearance at the hospital’s Pepin Heart Institute. “Life Guard is just an imaging center,” he said. “This is where you go to be taken care of when we find something wrong with you that needs to be addressed. People look up to football players, but these people are the real heroes.”

As for what he thinks about the Bucs — who open the season at this afternoon at 4:25 p.m. against the Washington Commanders at Raymond James Stadium — this year, when many so-called experts believe the team isn’t playoff caliber, Gramática said, “I don’t know about that. I’m really excited about our chances. We had a really good year last year and when you bring guys like (quarterback) Baker (Mayfield) and (wide receiver) MIke (Evans) back, and add some young talent, you never know what can happen. Everyone starts the year 0-0 and every team is one injury away from not being good, so we just have to stay healthy and I think we’re gonna be good.”

Bucs cheerleaders Dante Hale (far left) and Ella Whitby (far right) were also happy to pose for pictures with the AdventHealth team.

AdventHealth Wesley Chapel Breaks Ground On Expansion Of Main Hospital 

AdventHealth Wesley Chapel president Erik Wangsness at the groundbreaking ceremony for the hospital’s expansion. (Photos by Charmaine George)

When AdventHealth Wesley Chapel (AHWC) opened as the first hospital located in Wesley Chapel almost a dozen years ago (when it was called Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel) with just 83 total beds, the community was told that the plan was to eventually expand the number of beds to 300. 

Since then, AHWC has done a lot more than just go through a name change to AHWC in 2019. First of all, two medical office buildings have opened (the AHWC Wellness Plaza in 2013 and the Outpatient Cancer & Research Center, in partnership with the Moffitt Cancer Center, in 2021). 

In addition, the hospital more than doubled its original 83 beds to 169 in 2016, which also included increasing from four operating rooms to 12 and from 20 emergency room (ER) beds to 35. 

But, along with the recent establishment of the new family care residency program and the freestanding emergency room in Meadow Pointe (as we reported last issue), AHWC held a groundbreaking ceremony for the hospital’s upward expansion on Aug. 15. Although Jannah and I were not personally able to attend that event, photographer Charmaine George did attend and made sure she recorded all of the proceedings for me, so I could write this story. 

On hand for the event were District 54 State Rep. Randy Maggard, Pasco Commissioners Jack Mariano (Dist. 5), Seth Weightman (Dist. 2) and Board Chair Ron Oakley (Dist. 1), and Pasco Fire Chief Tony Perez, as well as members of both the hospital’s Governing Board and its Foundation’s Board and the AdventHealth Division office. AHWC president Erik Wangsness also introduced Bill Porter of the Porter Family Trust and Scott Sheridan of Locust Branch, LLC, the developer of Wiregrass Ranch, “since we are located on the Porter family’s land,” Wangsness said. 

Wangsness also thanked those involved in the design and construction of the hospital expansion, including the AdventHealth Office of Design & Construction, architects HuntonBrady, design engineers Smith Seckman Reed, Atwell civil engineers and general contractor Batson Cook. 

“This hospital is not yet 12 years old,” Wangsness said. “It opened in 2012 with 83 beds but was designed to grow with the community. We’re at 169 now but this expansion will allow us to add 72 inpatient beds, which is important for us — even though there are other facilities opening around us — since this community continues to grow in a meaningful way.” 

Several different groups took part in the groundbreaking. This photo includes State Rep. Randy Maggard (far right) and three Pasco County commissioners, as well as the hospital’s management team. 

“Case in point,” he added, “We have around 20 patients waiting at our Emergency Department this morning for admission. We need the [additional] capacity to continue to serve this growing community. And, the development isn’t going to stop, so it’s time for us to continue to grow.” 

In addition to the inpatient beds, Wangsness said the expansion will add a couple of additional operating rooms, endoscopy suites, pre- and post-op beds, additional imaging, a PET-CT (positron emission tomography-computed tomography) suite and a hybrid lab (a traditional lab that also can double as a surgical operating room), “that will help us grow in the severity of the patients we can serve. I want to thank all of you for joining us on this warm, muggy morning.” Wangsness also said the expansion should be completed by the end of 2025. 

Also on hand were Bill Porter (left) of the Porter family & Scott Sheridan of the Wiregrass Ranch development team. 

Wangsness then introduced Rep. Maggard, who said, “We all know how important it is for Advent to be doing this for our community. I can truly say that when I go to Tallahassee, people know [there is] no district like we have, District 54, with the community partners we have here. It is special and I feel very honored to be able to help in any way I can to help this area grow.” 

Rep. Maggard also mentioned Pasco Hernando State College and its nearby Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, which recently expanded its nursing program (as we reported last issue). “We can see a future that’s bright for our area.” 

He also mentioned that the need for health care facilities will continue to grow. “We expect a 20% population growth for Pasco County by 2045,” he said. “If you think the traffic’s bad now, just wait.” 

Comm. Oakley also said he was honored to be on the Foundation Board for AdventHealth, and to be on-hand for yet another major event for the hospital, “which is such a great community partner.” He also said that AHWC’s competition, with one additional hospital built and 1-2 others being built, means all of the hospitals “will be competing to be number 1. The benefactors of that competition are the people of Pasco County.” 

Wangsness said that because Comm. Oakley mentioned AHWC’s competition, “I just want to say that we’ve been recognized by Newsweek magazine three years in a row as one of the ‘World’s Best Hospitals.’” 

Comm. Weightman, whose Dist. 2 includes the hospital, then also thanked the Porter family for its vision for Wiregrass Ranch. 

Norm Stein

“It wasn’t long ago that this was all wide open… with cows roaming around…and Bruce B. Downs was a road to nowhere. But, we’ve grown in incredible leaps and bounds over the past decade. The vision of Wiregrass Ranch and AdventHealth…it’s just such a fantastic place to be for our community. The investment that Advent continues to make…and the jobs… it’s just phenomenal.” 

Speaking of vision, the final speaker before the groundbreaking was former University Community Hospital president and long-time AHWC Board member Norm Stein, whom Wangsness credited with having the vision for the need to build a hospital in Wesley Chapel. 

“It was Dec. 14, 2010, when we had another groundbreaking,” Stein said. “The late Don Porter had walked into my hospital and told me of his idea to build a hospital in this part of Pasco and to have a college that could provide nursing students for that hospital. And, he wanted to see both of those institutions come together on his property. And you know what? It wasn’t easy, but it happened.”

AdventHealth Expanding With Resident Program, ER & Additional Floors 

When AdventHealth cut the ribbon at the new 13,000-sq.-ft. Medical Group office in the AdventHealth Wesley Chapel Wellness Plaza on July 16, the event was much more than just a ribbon cutting, as the hospital announced that the eight Family Medicine residents who cut the ribbon would be the first to participate in the hospital’s new Family Practice residency program that will train eight new residents a year for three years at the new Medical Group location. 
Check out all of the news about AdventHealth on pages 4-5! (Photos by Charmaine George) 

 If anyone thought that Advent Health Wesley Chapel (AHWC), the first hospital to open in our area more than 12 years ago, was going to sit back and rest on its laurels and let newcomers BayCare Wesley Chapel and Orlando Health Hospital at Wiregrass take the lead in local health care, they were sadly mistaken. 

Not only did AdventHealth cut the ribbon on a new 13,000-sq.-ft. space for its AdventHealth Medical Group in the hospital’s adjacent Wellness Plaza on July 16, AHWC president Erik Wangsness also announced the start of a new Family Medicine residency program in the new space. 

As if that impressive new office, with its eight new Family Medicine residents and state-of-the-art technology wasn’t enough, the hospital also broke ground on July 9 on a new freestanding emergency room in Meadow Pointe and also is getting ready to break ground on the expansion of the hospital itself. 

In other words, when it comes to AdventHealth in Wesley Chapel, to quote Bachman-Turner Overdrive, “You ain’t seen nothin’ yet!” 

More than 100 people attended the ribbon cutting for the new AdventHealth Medical Group office on July 16, including District 54 State Representative Randy Maggard and Pasco County Commissioners Seth Weightman, Jack Mariano and Lisa Yeager. 

(l.-r) County Commissioner Lisa Yeager, State Rep. Randy Maggard, AHWC president Erik Wangsness & County Commissioners Jack Mariano and Seth Weightman. 

“I understand we have a County Commission quorum here,” Wangsness quipped. “We genuinely appreciate the support.” 

Also on hand were several of Wangsness’ colleagues, including several of the hospital’s Board members, AHWC Foundation Board members, President & CEO of Administration David Ottati, chief clinical officer Dr. Rajan Wadhawan, Family Medicine founding program director Dr. Omari Hodge, Dr. Robert Rosequist, and AHWC CFO Jonathan Fisher, as well as the eight new residents themselves. 

The new facility includes an in-house laboratory, procedure room, classrooms and eleven exam rooms, 4D ultrasound, preventive care, minor procedures and chronic disease management, as well as the residents and their supervising physicians. 


Dr. Rajan Wadhawan 

Dr. Omari Hodge 

“Each year, we will bring in eight new residents into the program, so in three years, we will have 24 new doctors who will be serving the community in the clinic and in the hospital in outpatient settings and it’s going to be a powerful way to serve the needs of not only this growing community but throughout Florida.” 

He added, “Across Florida, there’s a dearth of physicians. This new residency program is a way that we can bless this community through health care. And, we hope and believe that many of them will choose to stay here when they complete their three-year residencies and continue to serve this growing community.” 

Dr. Wadhawan mentioned that the new family medicine program, “is one of three GME (graduate medical education) programs we launched this year in our West Florida division. On July 1, 2024, we had 40 new doctors join these programs as trainees.” 

Dr. Hodge, who will be in charge of the resident program, said he was hired by AHWC two years ago. “I took a drive out to one of the beautiful Pinellas beaches and told my wife, ‘I think I can do this.’” He also said he was excited to be starting this program with an outstanding crop of young residents.