We are pleased to report that we are proactively preparing to
provide angioplasty and open
heart surgery services.
To facilitate these exciting new initiatives we have
contracted with Dr. Michael Carmichael from the Ocala Heart Institute to
provide a team of Open Heart Surgeons,
Anesthesiologists and Perfusionists to assure our program will be
state-of-the-art.
Dr Carmichael has established programs in Ocala and
Leesburg and they have both been rated among the 100 best open-heart
centers in the United States. We will be sending our operating room
and intensive care nurses to Monroe Regional Medical Center in Ocala, where
Dr. Charmichael practices, for extensive training. We are currently renovating to accommodate two new cardiac
catheterization labs, which should be operational this summer. Plans
are also underway to complete renovations to expand two operating rooms for
open-heart surgery procedures.
In addition to working with Dr. Carmichael, who at
one time was accountable for the heart transplantation program at the
Shands Medical center at the University of Florida, we are drawing on the
expertise of many other physicians and key leaders at the University of
Florida through our growing affiliation.
Our affiliation with the University of Florida is
provingz beneficial to Winter Haven Hospital’s Emergency Department
team. Starting in July, Dr. Gerlach James, who leads the Winter Haven
Hospital E.D. team on a day to day basis will be working with Dr. Kelly
Gray-Eurom, who is Director of Emergency Services at Shands Jacksonville to
provide the highest standards of E.R. services.
In other news, ten excellent nursing students
recently received significant financial assistance from our Foundation to
assist them with their educational expenses. Called 'Foundation
Scholars,' the individuals attending the Registered Nursing (R.N.)
program at Polk Community College include: Serena Halfast, Michelle Murphy,
Brent Rabern, Ursula Kelso, and Krystal Wilbanks. In addition, two
individuals who are currently LPN's are taking courses to become
RN's. They are Doreen Corcoran and Kathy Williamson. Rachael
Huggins, Herminia Jaimie and Cindy Nauck, are seeking to become LPN's
and they are being trained at Travis Technical Center. For each year
of financial assistance provided, these future professionals have agreed to
work at Winter Haven Hospital for at least one year. Our sincerest
thanks go out to the numerous individuals and organizations who provided
underwriting and purchased tickets to the Foundation's Fall Gala in
November. Their financial support has made the Foundation Scholars program
possible.
