AdventHealth Archives — Page 2 of 4

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 AdventHealth Tampa football Football Season Martin Gramatica New Tampa Tampa Bay bucs

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.

“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 AdventHealth Wesley Chapel AHWC construction Erik Wangsness Wesley Chapel

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.

“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.

Advent Health Wesley Chapel AdventHealth Dr. Hodge Dr. Wadhawan Erik Wangsness Family Medicine Randy Maggard Resident Program Seth Weightman Wesley Chapel

AdventHealth Care Pavilion New Tampa Continues To Grow

As soon as you step into the AdventHealth Care Pavilion New Tampa on Bruce B. Downs Blvd., just south of Cross Creek Blvd. in front of Hunter’s Green, you are greeted at the “Welcome Center” reception area by smiling faces who help make both walk-in patients and those with appointments feel welcome. (Photos on these pages provided by AdventHealth Care Pavilion)

When the AdventHealth Care Pavilion New Tampa opened back in 2021, it was poised to serve the community as a modern, convenient way to meet the area’s primary healthcare needs.

Two years later, the Care Pavilion, located on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., just south of Cross Creek Blvd. in front of Hunter’s Green, has delivered on its promise to provide a reimagined experience to make going to the doctor easier.

“AdventHealth Care Pavilion New Tampa is committed to meeting the growing healthcare needs of the community,” says Victor Odoh, the market director for Advent Health Care Pavilion New Tampa. “With a comprehensive range of services under one roof, including primary and specialty care, pediatrics, imaging, an on-site lab and more, our purpose is to provide convenient and accessible healthcare to those we serve.”

The 50,000-sq.-ft. building is home to primary care physicians and providers, on-site labs and imaging, and an expanding list of specialties. Patients sign in one time at the concierge Welcome Center and don’t need to go anywhere else. An in-house pharmacy means patients can even leave with their prescriptions already in hand.

With its Care Pavilions, AdventHealth has reduced or eliminated altogether many of the frustrations that are typical of a visit to the doctor’s office — such as having to schedule way in advance, dealing with crowded waiting rooms with long waits to see the doctor, and having to fill out pages and pages of forms.

The New Tampa Care Pavilion is open for early morning appointments, evening hours, and even all day (8 a.m.-5 p.m.) on Saturday, for flexibility and convenience.

“(Local) families need access to high-quality medical care,” says Odoh. “Advent Health strives to make health care easier and more convenient for our patients, reducing the need for additional trips elsewhere. That is why the AdventHealth Care Pavilion New Tampa offers same-day appointment availability, weekend hours and convenient registration, along with in-house labs, imaging, and an in-house pharmacy.”

AdventHealth is adding advanced practitioners and physicians to the location, to be sure they can accommodate the number of people who visit.

In addition to its primary care services and various subspecialties, including cardiology, dermatology and pediatrics, the on-site Imaging Center offers services such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRIs), computed tomography (CT scans), dual X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA scans), X-rays, Ultrasound imaging and 3D Mammography, with a separate women’s suite to provide a private, comfortable area for women to receive breast care.

Odoh explains that the Hunter’s Green location offers a short-bore MRI unit (photo left) for enhanced patient comfort.

“Depending on the exam,” he says, “we can scan head first or feet first to allow positioning closer to the entrance of the machine. We provide headphones with music of (the patient’s) choice, positioning supports, sheets and blankets to provide a relaxing environment during the exam. The imaging technicians always aim to make patients as comfortable as possible.”

And, while the Care Pavilion is not an urgent care center, it is structured in such a way that patients can receive all of the care — and convenience — they would receive at an urgent care facility.

“We’ve added additional primary care physicians within the Care Pavilion over the last year to care for our growing community,” says Odoh. “We are also excited to share that the New Tampa Imaging Center now performs daily pediatric and adult scoliosis studies on an outpatient basis. Scoliosis studies are a series of X-rays used to (properly) identify curvatures of the spine. Appointments are not necessary, and walk-ins are welcome.”

Appointments are available for patients who prefer them, but if you don’t have an appointment, you can still walk right in and expect to be seen in a reasonable amount of time. You may not get to see your favorite doctor — whose schedule might be already filled for the day — but there will be someone available to see you in a timely manner.

Another perk of the AdventHealth Care Pavilion is that patients won’t be asked to fill out forms over and over again. Online registration and communication through a patient portal and app mean communication with the office and its services are available at your fingertips.

Entering The ‘Kids Zone’

For parents, another inconvenience of going to the doctor themselves can be having to bring their children along and keep them entertained. But, the AdventHealth Care Pavilion has a solution for that, too.

“For families with young children, the Care Pavilion has a ‘Kids Club’ — (with) complimentary care for children ages three months to 12 years — so parents can enjoy stress-free appointments,” explains Odoh.

*Parents who are being treated or seen at the Care Pavilion can have their kids watched at the facility’s on-site, secure “Kids Club.”*

The Kids Club can host up to eight children at a time, while their parents are seeing a doctor in the building.

Odoh emphasizes that the Care Pavilion does not charge any fee for the Kids Club, which follows strict safety measures, such as procedures for registering and releasing children, and doors are kept locked for security.

The Care Pavilion still has room to grow, and AdventHealth is committed to delivering convenient and accessible care to meet the community’s healthcare needs.

A recent Google review gives the facility five out of five stars.

“We have been with AdventHealth for three years, (and) at the Pavilion since it opened,” says Colleen Scherer in her review. “They are always helpful and accommodating, but today was above and beyond. We have multiple family moves coming up soon, as well as a child going off to college. With everything happening simultaneously, I had questions to clarify what was needed to complete paperwork for the college. I went in person to ask my questions and the staff jumped into action not only to answer my questions but get everything needed done TODAY, which was completely unexpected… Everyone was so kind and helpful!”

Odoh summarizes the bottom line for the facility, “We want (people) to know that AdventHealth Care Pavilion is dedicated to providing high-quality healthcare and supporting the well-being of our patients.”

The AdventHealth Care Pavilion New Tampa (8702 Hunters Lake Dr.) is open Mon.-Fri., 7 a.m.-7 p.m., and 8 a.m.-5 p.m. on Sat. For more info, call (813) 467-4700 or visit AdventHealthCarePavilion.com.

AdventHealth AdventHealth Care Pavilion New Tampa New Tampa Care Pavilion Short-Bore MRI

Tag: AdventHealth