December Grand Rounds on Tampa Bay Medical News

December Grand Rounds

Tampa General Hospital Foundation will present the 18th Annual "Night at the Circus"

What: 18th Annual "Night at the Circus"
When: Thursday, January 8, 2009
Time: 5:30 p.m. Patrons' Party; 7:30 p.m. Circus Performance
Where: St. Pete Times Forum
Why: Benefiting Tampa General Hospital's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
Contact: Lynn Fluharty, 813-844-7273

On Thursday, January 8, 2009, the Tampa General Hospital Foundation will present the 18th Annual "Night at the Circus" at the St. Pete Times Forum. Through the mystery of magic and the mastery of skill, audiences will be spellbound as Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey presents ZING ZANG ZOOM, a thrill-filled, mind-blowing circus spectacular where family fun is no illusion. This event is a great opportunity for families to spend priceless time together and experience the thrills of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus –The Greatest Show on Earth, produced by Feld Entertainment.
Last year, the Foundation was able to raise over $190,000 for the building of a new and expanded Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. The proceeds from this year's performance will once again go towards this project. Andrea Gramling is this year's Chairperson.
The Don & Erika Wallace Family Foundation has agreed to serve as the "Big Top" sponsor again and SunTrust has returned as the Three Ring Sponsor. There are a number of other sponsorship opportunities available.
Sponsorships begin at $500 and those at the $2,500 level and above include invitations to the exclusive patrons' party preceding the circus performance. This party is geared for families and includes great food and drinks, a visit by the Ringmaster and circus clowns, entertainment, activities such as face painting, a commemorative photograph and goodie bags for the children.
Most sponsorships include a mixture of VIP and general admission tickets, the number of each depending on the level of sponsorships. Each year, many of the sponsors donate their general admission tickets to local children's charities. The Tampa General Foundation coordinates the donation and delivery of the tickets.
Depending on sponsorship level, additional benefits such as corporate recognition in the circus arena, a commemorative gift and the opportunity for children to participate in circus activities are available.

Moffitt Cancer Center Launches Shop for CancerCures.org to Fund Cancer Research

TAMPA — Moffitt Cancer Center, one of 12 world-class cancer centers in the Cancer Research Alliance (CRA), and Mall Networks, the leading provider of merchant-funded loyalty shopping solutions, today announced the launch of a new online shopping mall to raise money for cancer research. Just in time for the holiday season, consumers can visit www.ShopForCancerCures.org and make purchases from more than 600 leading online merchants. A portion of each purchase will benefit cancer research at Moffitt.
Starting today, consumers can visit www.ShopForCancerCures.org for their holiday shopping needs and help fight cancer without having to fight a crowd. Highlights of the online shopping mall include:
Hundreds of discounts and coupons from more than 600 merchants

Free shipping offers
Special, limited-time offers
Comparison shopping across 20 million products

"This is a win-win situation – consumers can shop for holiday gifts while, at the same time, help raise money to fund innovative cancer research," said William S. Dalton, Ph.D., M.D., chief executive officer and center director of Moffitt. "We turned to Mall Networks for this exciting project because we're confident that its innovative and robust online loyalty shopping solution will make it simple, convenient and enjoyable for people to make a difference in the fight against cancer."

Regional Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine Receives Accreditation

Hudson, FL. Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point's Regional Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine Center has achieved reaccreditation as an Accredited Clinical Hyperbaric Medicine Facility from the Undersea & Hyperbaric Medical Society. Achieving this significant milestone is indicative of Regional Wound Care & Hyperbaric Medicine Center's dedication to excellence.
In order to obtain voluntary reaccreditation, an application must be completed and the Center must go through a survey similar to a Joint Commission review. Some of the areas surveyed include: credentialing of all medical staff, teaching, safety, patient rights, patient assessment, patient care, environment of care, patient education, quality improvement, professional improvement, leadership, human resources, information management and infection control. Reaccreditation also establishes nationally recognized Standards of Practice for clinical hyperbaric medicine and improves the quality of patient care.
Regional Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine is an outpatient service treating patients with chronic, non-healing wounds. Since opening in November 1994, more than 3,422 patients have been treated at the clinic with a very high success rate. Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBO) was introduced in January of 1998, continuing the quest to bring the most advanced, state of the art treatments to the community.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is a treatment in which the patient breathes 100% oxygen inside a pressurized chamber for short periods of time. The therapy quickly delivers high concentrations of oxygen to the bloodstream, accelerating the healing rate of wounds and is effective in fighting certain types of infections. It also stimulates the growth of new blood vessels, improving circulation, and helping to prevent future problems.

Pepin Heart Innovative Procedure

Pepin Heart at UCH has led the Tampa Bay region over the years with mitral valve repair, a procedure that corrects blood flow from a leaky valve. Studies show repairing the valve instead of replacing it leads to much better long-term success for patients.
Now, cardiothoracic surgeons at Pepin Heart have taken mitral valve repair to a higher level, with a minimally-invasive procedure that avoids open-heart surgery for patients. Thousands of men and women in the state suffer from mitral valve disease and may greatly benefit with this breakthrough that uses a tiny incision near a patient's ribs, allowing the surgeon to repair the leaky heart valve with a robotic device.
Advantages of Mitral Valve Repair instead of Replacement:

Better early and late survival

Improved lifestyle
Better preservation of heart function
Lower risk of stroke and infection
No need for blood thinners

Special thanks to Dr. Ernesto Jimenez, UCH cardiothoracic surgeon, Dr. Marc
Bloom, UCH chief of cardiothoracic surgery, Jan Bradley, CVOR team leader, and the CVOR Team for helping to educate about this amazing procedure found only at Pepin Heart at UCH.

Northside Hospital Receives Organ Donation Medal of Honor

St. Petersburg — Northside Hospital & Tampa Bay Heart Institute is proud to announce its receipt of the Organ Donation Medal of Honor, issued by the Secretary of the United States Department of Health and Human Services. The medal was presented October 24, 2008 at the fourth annual National Learning Congress and Medal of Honor Ceremony in Nashville, Tennessee.
For meeting or exceeding the donation rate of 75 percent (eligible deaths converted to organ donations), Northside Hospital received this recognition among only 402 other hospitals nationwide. This is the first year that Northside Hospital has been recognized by HHS for their organ donation efforts.
"We are very honored to have been recognized by HHS for this award," said Ward Boston, CEO of Northside Hospital & Tampa Bay Heart Institute. "As we continue to provide outstanding medical services to our community, it is also important to give back to those in need by providing organ and tissue for life-saving operations."
Over 100,000 candidates in America are currently on a waitlist for organ transplants. The average donor can offer six organs, and various types of blood, bone and tissue material.

Moffitt Cancer Center Medical Director Joins Medical Advisory Board of H.O.W.

PALM BEACH — With finding a cure to ovarian cancer as a mutual goal, Hearing the Ovarian Cancer Whisper (H.O.W.) is proud to welcome Johnathan M. Lancaster, MD, PhD to their Medical Advisory Board.
Dr. Lancaster currently serves as Moffitt's Chief, Gynecologic Surgical Oncology, and Medical Director of the Lifetime Cancer Screening & Prevention Center in Tampa, Florida. He also directs a translational research program in ovarian cancer. His current research focuses on the application of genomic technologies to develop personalized therapeutic strategies for patients with ovarian cancer. As a leading ovarian cancer researcher, he serves on the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) ovarian committee, the Society of Gynecologic Oncologists hereditary cancer educational resource panel, and is a member of the DoD Ovarian Cancer Research program study section.
Dr. Lancaster attended the University of Wales in the U.K. for his undergraduate and medical school training. Prior to moving to the United States, Dr. Lancaster began OBGYN Residency training at Cambridge University in England. Once in the U.S. he pursued his first research doctorate in the molecular genetics of ovarian cancer as a National Institutes of Health (NIH) Fogarty Fellow. Dr. Lancaster then went on to complete an OBGYN Residency and Fellowship in Gynecologic Oncology at Duke University, where he was appointed medical director of the Duke Cervix Clinic. He recently completed his second doctorate in ovarian cancer research.
"It is a great honor to join the H.O.W. Medical Advisory Board," said Dr. Lancaster. "As the first recipient of the Jacquie Liggett Fellowship, I know that the financial support they offer to researchers working in the field of ovarian cancer is absolutely vital to future progress."

Cardiologist Named Physician of the Year at SMHCS

Local cardiologist Ricardo Yaryura, MD, F.A.C.C., was named "2008 Physician of the Year" by Sarasota Memorial Health Care System's (SMHCS) medical staff at their recent annual medical staff meeting Oct. 28.
Noted for his contributions to the hospital and community, Dr. Yaryura was nominated by his peers – 750 physicians who practice at the hospital – and selected by a committee of physician leaders. Criteria for the selection was based upon service to patients, service to SMHCS, service to fellow staff members, excellence in leadership and excellence in citizenship.
Dr. Yaryura has been on the hospital staff since 1999. He has served as the Medical Director of the Catheterization Lab for the last two years and was Chairman of the Cardiology Section 2002-2004. Dr. Yaryura has been a principal investigator in cardiac clinical studies as well as chairing several cardiology task forces for the SMHCS Clinical Research Center.
The cardiologist received his undergraduate and medical school degrees from the University of Saskatchewan, Canada. He served his residency at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Long Island Jewish Medical Center, New Hyde Park, NY and completed fellowship training at the Texas Heart Institute, Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX. He is board certified in cardiovascular diseases, interventional cardiology and internal medicine.
Dr. Yaryura is a member of Intercoastal Medical Group, a professional association of more than 60 physicians in 18 specialties serving Sarasota and Manatee counties.
Dr. Yaryura was born in Rochester, NY. At age 6, he moved to Buenos Aires, Argentina and then to Regina, Saskatchewan, in Canada. He is married to his childhood sweetheart, Deborah, and they have three children.

Nationally Renowned Morton Plant Mease Surgeon Honored By Commission on Cancer

CLEARWATER — For his exceptional leadership and dedication to cancer care, Peter W. Blumencranz, M.D., surgical oncologist and medical director of the Morton Plant Mease Comprehensive Breast Program has been awarded the 2008 Cancer Liaison Physician Outstanding Performance Award from the Commission on Cancer (CoC) of the American College of Surgeons.
In addition to receiving the Cancer Liaison Physician Outstanding Performance Award, Dr. Blumencranz has been honored by the Association of PeriOperative Registered Nurses of the Gulf Coast of Florida (AORN). In 2005 he received the Distinguished Innovative Surgeons Award for his research in breast cancer and advancements in lymphatic mapping and sentinel lymph node biopsy. Lymphatic mapping and sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy are techniques used in the surgical treatment of patients with melanoma (skin cancer) and breast cancer. A patient's lymph nodes are mapped and then tissue samples taken from the lymph nodes to determine if cancer has spread to that area of the body and what course of treatment may be needed.

SMH Introduces New Specialist, Advanced Stroke Care

Neuro-interventional Radiologist Nasser Razack, MD, recently joined the medical staff of Sarasota Memorial Health Care System. There are only about 300 neuro-interventional radiologists in the nation. Razack and others trained in this new and growing field of medicine use specialized tools and minimally invasive techniques to extract dangerous blood clots in the brain, clear its delicate blood vessels of blockages and repair other cerebrovascular abnormalities. The advanced treatments, available in this region only at Sarasota Memorial, provide new, potentially life-saving options for stroke victims who may not be helped by standard clot-busting drugs available in most hospital ERs. Razack joins a team of neurologists, neurological and vascular surgeons, emergency physicians and rehabilitation specialists at Sarasota Memorial nationally recognized for its advanced stroke protocols and collaboration to provide the best treatment options for patients whose lives are threatened by stroke.