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(16 February 2004) Funcoast Soccer Classic Presented by Florida Health Care Plans on March 5

DAYTONA BEACH - Florida Health Care Plans is hosting the 2nd Annual Funcoast Soccer Classic on Friday, March 5 at the New Smyrna Beach Sports Complex, 1800 Turnbull Bay Road, New Smyrna Beach.

This soccer double-header is designed so college scouts can view Volusia and Flagler counties' top senior high school players. The girls game begins at 4 p.m. and the boys game begins on an adjacent field at 4:30 p.m.

Now in its sixth year, Florida Health Care Plans' Funcoast Classics showcase the best high school senior athletes in Volusia and Flagler counties with events in volleyball, football, soccer and basketball.

Like all Funcoast Classic events, admission is free andto the public. Florida Health Care Plans will recognize a student athlete from each of the East and West teams at the conclusion of each game. Over 100 college coaches have been invited to attend this event.

The East teams will consist of players from Atlantic, Calvary Christian, Flagler Palm Coast, Mainland, Seabreeze, Spruce Creek high schools and Warner Christian Academy. The West teams will consist of players from DeLand, Deltona, Father Lopez, New Smyrna Beach, Pine Ridge and Taylor high schools.

The coaches for the girls game are Jim Lundy, Spruce Creek for the East and James Harden, Deltona for the West. The coaches for the boys game are Juan Arrieta, Spruce Creek and Jon Miller, Atlantic for the East and Casey Korkus, Pine Ridge and Chris Dowdell, Deltona coaching the West.

Remaining Funcoast Classics for the 2003-2004 school year include:
· Funcoast Basketball Classic (Girls) - Friday, March 19 at Atlantic High School, 5:30 p.m.
· Funcoast Basketball Classic (Boys) - Friday, March 19 at Atlantic High School, 7:15 p.m.

The Inaugural Funcoast Football Classic took place in December 1998. Based on how well the event was received by the schools, students and scouts, Florida Health Care Plans added additional events with the Funcoast Volleyball Classic in November 1999, the Funcoast Basketball Classic for boys and girls in March 2000, and the Funcoast Soccer Classic for boys and girls in March 2003.

Last year, Florida Health Care Plans presented the Five Star Conference, Father Lopez and Warner Christian a total of $4,000. Over the past five years, Florida Health Care Plans has donated just over $17,600 through the Funcoast Classic events.
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Contact: John Riordan, Halifax-Fish Community Health
Phone: 386-322-4764
E-mail: john.riordan

(16 February 2004) Sweetheart Luncheon Honored Volunteer Spirit of BFMC Auxiliary

NEW SMYRNA BEACH - Bert Fish Medical Center honored the generosity of its volunteers Friday, Feb. 13 in a Valentines Day tradition called the "Sweetheart Luncheon.''

The annual event in the Family Life Center of First Baptist Church drew about 250 members of the BFMC Auxiliary, whose volunteers donate thousands of hours of time to work in hospital departments and have raised more than $3 million for hospital projects since the organization began 50 years ago. Each Auxilian attending was given a corsage donated by BFMC's Medical Staff, as well as a heart-shaped box of chocolates and other gifts.

"Throughout the year you give us your time and talent willingly,'' BFMC Administrator Kathy Leonard told the Auxilians, most of whom were clad in Valentines Day colors of red and pink. Without the Auxiliary's valuable service, she said "it would be impossible'' for the hospital to offer the same quality of care to patients. "So, today we honor you and say thank you 100 percent.''

Bob Weiss, a member of the Southeast Volusia Hospital District Board also praised Auxiliary members for the important role they play in making Bert Fish Medical Center a great hospital.

"It's been about a year since I became a member of the hospital Board,'' he said, "and one thing that is so apparent when you enter the grounds of Bert Fish is the work you do. You cannot go inside Bert Fish Medical Center without seeing the love you all have for everyone who has a medical need…On behalf of the board, we're proud to be on the team with you.''

Dr. Harold Fenster, Chief of the Medical Staff, noted Bert Fish Medical Center's doctors are just as appreciative of the Auxiliary.
"Your role, as far as I and the Medical Staff are concerned, is an extremely important part of what we do here in Southeast Volusia,'' he said.

BFMC Auxiliary President Faye Caddell recognized the group's officers, members who are '25-year to life members'' and the Auxiliary's chairmen and team leaders for their service. She also announced the start of two new Auxiliary programs - the Teenage Volunteer program and "Cozy Cart'' program. For the latter, volunteers will visit hospital inpatients and bring them hot tea and a warm, lavender-scented towel in the evenings.
Friday's luncheon was catered by the First Baptist Church. Marc Monteson, a local entertainer and music event promoter, entertained the crowd with a medley of Frank Sinatra tunes.
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Media Contact: Cathy Vaughn, 386-424-6428
Bert Fish Medical Center
Public Relations
cathy.vaughn

(9 February 2004) New Treatment Easy To Swallow

DAYTONA BEACH - Every day, about 15 million people in the United States have trouble doing something most of us do routinely up to 2,000 times per day. They have trouble swallowing.

People who suffer from dysphagia (dis-FEY-sha) have lost the ability to swallow normally and often experience pain while swallowing, causing a drastic reduction in the quality of their lifestyles. One in 17 people will develop some form of dysphagia in their lifetime, and nearly 60,000 people a year die from complications associated with swallowing disorders. Dysphagia is often a secondary complication from many conditions including stroke, traumatic brain injury, cerebral palsy, mouth or throat cancer, Parkinson's disease, Lour Gehrig's disease (amyotrophic lateral scleosis, or ALS), and other degenerative and muscular conditions.

Halifax Medical Center (HMC) is one of the first in the area to offer VitalStim Therapy, a new treatment for patients with dysphagia. VitalStim Therapy not only can benefit a patient's quality of life, it can reduce the cost of medical care and supplies compared to traditional dysphagia treatments such as a feeding tube.

The therapy is prescribed by a physician and administered by a speech-language pathologist who has received training and is certified to administer the therapy. Halifax Rehabilitation Center Speech Pathologists Kimberly Eyrich and Ellen Collins, who are certified in VitalStim Therapy, began working with patients in November.

Using controlled neuromuscular electrical stimulation, or e-stim, this non-invasive, painless therapy re-educates the muscles of the throat used in swallowing. The VitalStim therapy device, which resembles a mobile phone, sends a mild electrical current through wires that end in electrodes taped onto the skin of the neck over the swallowing muscles.

Patients receive daily one-hour sessions and can expect to see improvements, depending on their diagnosis and progress, in six to 20 sessions. The process begins with a physician's referral and a modified barium swallow study to evaluate a patient's swallowing disorder. This test enables physicians and therapists to see what actually happens to liquids and food as they are swallowed.

About The Halifax Rehabilitation Center:
The Halifax Rehabilitation Center, located at 201 N. Clyde Morris Blvd., on Halifax Medical Center's main campus in Daytona Beach, offers speech, occupational and physical therapy (including aquatic therapy) to help patients improve mobility and function, enhance self-care skills, relieve pain, and improve speech skills and cognitive function. For information call 386-254-4001. For more information about Halifax Medical Center visit www.halifax.org.

About VitalStim:
The Chattanooga Group, which manufactures the VitalStim unit and electrodes, is a supplier of rehabilitation equipment. It is a division of Encore Medical Corporation. For information contact the Chattanooga Group at 800-592-7329 or visit www.vitalstimtherapy.com.
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Contact: Kate Holcomb, 386-254-4224
Halifax-Fish Community Health
Public Relations
kate.holcomb

(6 February 2004) SAFE KIDS Volusia/Flagler Holding Child Booster Seat Checkup Event Feb. 10

DAYTONA BEACH - In recognition of Child Passenger Safety Week, SAFE KIDS Volusia/Flagler is one of hundreds of SAFE KIDS coalitions that will host child safety seat checkup events, reaching an estimated 10,000 children across the country. As part of the National SAFE KIDS Campaign's child passenger safety program, SAFE KIDS BUCKLE UP®, technicians will check child safety seats free of charge for age- and size-appropriateness, proper installation and use, recall or visible damage.

A booster seat checkup will be held on Tuesday, February 10 from 3 to 6 p.m. at The United Way of Volusia/Flagler, 3747 W. International Speedway Blvd., Daytona Beach.

A workshop on the use of booster seats will be held from 3 to 4 p.m. and booster seats will be checked from 4 to 6 p.m. Reservations for the workshop are required, call Healthy Communities at 386-323-0000.

In a report released yesterday in observance of Child Passenger Safety Week (Feb. 8-14), the National SAFE KIDS Campaign announced Florida is among the half of the states in the country whose child occupant protection law leaves many children unprotected while riding in motor vehicles. In the report Closing the Gaps Across the Map: A Progress Report on SAFE KIDS' Efforts to Improve Child Occupant Protection Laws, the National SAFE KIDS Campaign reviews improvements in laws since 2001 and summarizes gaps that have yet to be bridged.

In its 2001 report A National Rating of Child Occupant Protection Laws, SAFE KIDS stringently measured child occupant protection laws in all 50 states and the District of Columbia against a model law that requires correct restraint of all children, in all seating positions, in the care of all drivers.

"We know improvements to our Florida child occupant protection law need to be made in order to protect older children," said Deborah Schlageter of SAFE KIDS Volusia/Flagler. "While Florida was the only state to receive a B grade in the report, there is still work to do to have a stronger law that parents and caregivers can look to for guidance in the safest way to restrain children in motor vehicles."

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of unintentional injury-related death among children ages 14 and under. Nearly 1,600 children ages 14 and under die in motor vehicle crashes each year and close to 228,000 children are injured.

For more information on SAFE KIDS BUCKLE UP®, or to find a child safety seat checkup near you, call the toll-free hotline at (800) 441-1888 or visit www.safekids.org.

The entire SAFE KIDS report, Closing the Gaps Across the Map: A Progress Report on SAFE KIDS' Effort to Improve Child Occupant Protection Laws, along with booster seat crash test footage, can also be accessed at www.safekids.org.

SAFE KIDS Volusia/Flagler is part of the National SAFE KIDS Campaign, the first and only national nonprofit organization dedicated solely to the prevention of unintentional childhood injury - the number one killer of children ages 14 and under. Three hundred state and local SAFE KIDS coalitions in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, comprise the Campaign. www.safekids.org.

SAFE KIDS BUCKLE UPÒ is a national program developed by the National SAFE KIDS Campaign and sponsored by the General Motors Corporation to educate parents and caregivers about the importance of properly restraining children on every ride.
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Contact: Kate Holcomb, 386-254-4224
Halifax-Fish Community Health
Public Relations
kate.holcomb

(6 February 2004) Hospice of Volusia/Flagler Hosts 2nd Annual Golf Festival - Johnson & Johnson is Presenting Sponsor

PORT ORANGE - Hospice of Volusia/Flagler will host its 2nd Annual Hospice Golf Festival on Friday, April 16 at Sugar Mill Country Club, 100 Clubhouse Circle, New Smyrna Beach. The golf festival includes an 18-hole golf tournament and awards luncheon. The tournament will be a scramble format with a shotgun start at 8:30 a.m.

Registration for the event is $90 per person. Spots are limited. To register to play in the tournament, call John Riordan at 386-322-4764. Corporate sponsorships are still available and start at $100. For information on corporate sponsorships call Rick Snodgrass at 386-322-4701, ext. 6296.

Johnson & Johnson will be the presenting sponsor of this year's event. Bright House Networks and the Pennysaver will co-sponsor the Awards Luncheon following the 18-hole golf tournament. The Tyrrell Foundation will again be a corporate sponsor of the Hospice Golf Festival.

Proceeds from this year's event will, again, be used to benefit the Hospice Trauma and Loss program, which provides counseling and support services to individuals and families who have suffered loss due to homicide, suicide or accidental death. Last year, the Inaugural Hospice of Volusia/Flagler Golf Festival at Sugar Mill Country Club raised over $30,000.

Thanks to the generosity of national and local organizations, prizes include: an Anheuser-Busch golf bag, restaurant certificates, golf passes, dinnerware, golf clubs, gift certificates, autographed memorabilia and much more.

Ed Cooper, Hospice volunteer and Sugar Mill Country Club member, said "The first year event was so successful due to the outstanding turnout from both our generous sponsors and enthusiastic golfers. A great message of community support was shown for Hospice of Volusia/Flagler and their Trauma and Loss Program."

About Hospice of Volusia/Flagler
Hospice of Volusia/Flagler, a nonprofit health care organization, has been providing compassionate care to terminally ill patients and their families for 25 years. The mission of Hospice of Volusia/Flagler is to provide extraordinary and dignified comfort and compassion to every person facing the end of life. Hospice of Volusia/Flagler is a proud partner of Halifax-Fish Community Health. More information is available at www.hovf.org.

About Johnson & Johnson
Johnson & Johnson is the world's most comprehensive and broadly based manufacturer of health care products, and provider of related services for consumers, pharmaceutical and medical devices and diagnostics markets. Johnson & Johnson has more than 200 operating companies in 54 countries around the world employing 110,600 employees and selling products in more than 175 countries. The fundamental objective of Johnson & Johnson is to provide scientifically sound, high quality products and services to help heal, cure disease and improve the quality of life.
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Contact: Kate Holcomb, 386-254-4224
Halifax-Fish Community Health
Public Relations
kate.holcomb

(5 February 2004) ImageChecker Equipment Enhances Accuracy of Mammography at BFMC

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Bert Fish Medical Center recently added the computerized capabilities of the R2 Technology, Inc., ImageChecker® System to enhance the accuracy of its mammography service, which performed more than 6,200 mammograms during the last fiscal year.

"It's like having an assistant reader,'' said Dr. Tania Marchand, Chief of Radiology at BFMC. "It can't do the job by itself, but it's a tool to assist with the radiologist's judgment. For example, it can't tell why the tissue is more dense than normal breast tissue, just that it is.''

The ImageChecker® System developed by R2 Technology in California is the first Food and Drug Administration-approved Computer Aided Detection (CAD) System for use with screening, diagnostic and digital mammography. At Bert Fish, the ImageChecker is used exclusively for screening mammograms, aiding radiologists by identifying areas on the films that contain features associated with cancer and highlighting the potential for a second mammography review.

The ImageChecker analyzes mammograms using a mathematical formula to detect and mark areas with suspicious features suggestive of micro-calcifications or soft tissue masses. The CAD information is transferred to a display unit for radiologists and the digitized image is evaluated by software that highlights "regions of interest" with specific indicators. Clusters of bright spots on mammogram that are indicative of micro-calcifications are marked with a triangle. Dense regions of tissue and dense regions with radiating lines (suggestive of masses or distortions of the breast's architecture) are marked with an asterisk.

The device's touch-screen technology allows a radiologist to zoom in and magnify the area in question. The R-2 checker also outlines the suspicious area of the image and relays its size to the physician. All together, the technology minimizes the possibility of false, negative readings.

"I think the R-2 checker will enhance the diagnostic accuracy of the radiologists.'' added Dr. Avrohm Faber, medical director of the Women's Breast Health Program at Bert Fish Medical Center. "It's like having a second radiologist read the films and call attention to things that require further investigation.''
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Media Contact: Cathy Vaughn, 386-424-6428
Bert Fish Medical Center
Public Relations
cathy.vaughn

(4 February 2004) HC-America Acquires Halifax Home Health Business

CONTACTS:
Halifax-Fish Community Health: John E. Evans, 386-254-4228
Health Care America: James J. Murphy, 386-304-5688

DAYTONA BEACH - Health Care America, Corp., known as HC-America, will acquire the home health care unit of Halifax Medical Center (HMC) for $2.25 million under an agreement approved February 3 by the Board of Commissioners of Halifax Hospital Medical Center District. The action by the HMC Board was taken as part of the monthly meeting of Halifax-Fish Community Health (HFCH), the operational affiliation of the Halifax and Southeast Volusia Districts. Under the affiliation each District retains control and acts independently relative to its assets.

HC-America is a fast growing home health care provider headquartered in South Daytona and headed by James J. Murphy, CEO. Murphy, who has been a successful entrepreneur in several areas, acquired Superior Home Health Care in 1999, renamed it Health Care America and has been increasing its market share in Flagler and Volusia counties since. Murphy said the acquisition fits neatly into the growth plans of his organization. “The people of Halifax Home Health have earned a reputation as providers of quality home care, recognized by the physician community and other providers. Welcoming them into the HC-America family and doing so while establishing an ongoing working relationship with Halifax Medical Center adds significantly to our ability to meet home care needs in the Volusia/Flagler area,” Murphy said.

The Agreement approved by the Board provides all personnel of the Halifax unit will be offered comparable positions under the new ownership. “With changing reimbursement patterns from governmental entities and through managed care organizations, hospital ownership of home health services has neither the flexibility nor the potential profitability found in organizations like HC-America that specialize in and are building growing networks of home health services,” said Harry Reese, Jr., chief financial officer of Halifax-Fish Community Health. “As Halifax Medical Center enters into the planning and funding processes for the creation of a new hospital services campus, both the cash from this sale and the ability to better focus on our core services will be beneficial.” Reese noted that, after assisting with a transitional period, Anthony Trovato, who has been executive director of Halifax Home Health, will assume new duties within the HFCH organization.
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HealthGrades Contact: Sarah Loughran, HealthGrades
303-716-6502
Hospital Contact: Kate Holcomb, Director of Public Relations
386-254-4224

(29 January 2004) Halifax Medical Center Earns HealthGrades’ 2004 Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical Excellence
-- Ranks Among the Top 3.4 Percent of Acute-Care Hospitals in the Country --

Lakewood, Colo. (January 29, 2004) – HealthGrades, the healthcare quality company, announced today that Halifax Medical Center in Daytona Beach has received the Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical Excellence for the second year in a row. This distinction places Halifax Medical Center among the top 3.4 percent of all acute-care hospitals in the country in terms of overall clinical excellence across a broad array of services.

HealthGrades analyzes the quality of care at more than 4,700 hospitals across the country each year and publishes ratings based on the performance of that hospital. Hospitals are awarded a five star (best), three star (average), or one star (poor) rating. Each year, HealthGrades offers the Distinguished Hospital recognition to an elite group of hospitals that achieve notably high levels of performance across service lines that include cardiac, stroke, orthopedic, pulmonary/respiratory, vascular and gastrointestinal procedures.

HealthGrades’ 2004 Distinguished Hospital Award and annual Hospital Quality in America study are based on data collected from 2000 through 2002 by the federal government’s Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). “The analysis of actual complication and mortality rates produces a report-card rating of care quality for each individual facility,” said HealthGrades’ Senior Vice President Sarah Loughran. “By comparing the outcomes of patients against what is expected based on the severity of their condition and other factors, we can provide an accurate apples-to-apples comparison of hospitals.”

“We feel very honored to receive this distinction from HealthGrades,” said Hospital Administrator Dan Lang. “We are very conscious of the fact that it is the combination of the outstanding physicians who practice here and the truly caring Team that puts the patient first that makes it possible for a highly regarded, independent source to determine that Halifax Medical Center’s overall clinical quality is at an exceptional level compared to hospitals nationwide. This is a tremendous accomplishment for our people, our hospital and our community.”

Details regarding HealthGrades methodology is available at www.healthgrades.com.

About HealthGrades
HealthGrades is a healthcare-quality ratings, information and advisory services company whose clients include healthcare providers, employers, health plans, insurance companies and consumers. With its proprietary, objective provider ratings and expert advisory services, HealthGrades is creating the standard for healthcare quality. HealthGrades provides its clients with targeted solutions that enable them to measure, assess, enhance and market healthcare quality. HealthGrades can be accessed through the Internet at www.healthgrades.com.

About Halifax Medical Center
Halifax Medical Center (HMC) is a 764-bed, full service tertiary care hospital serving the Daytona Beach area known as Florida’s Funcoast. Founded in 1928, it offers the region’s most modern Heart Center, the only Trauma Center, and one of Florida’s busiest emergency departments including a Pediatric Emergency Center. Other centers of excellence include The Betty Jane France Pediatrics Center, named for the ‘First Lady of NASCAR’ and featuring, in addition to pediatric and neonatal intensive care units the uniquely themed ‘Speediatrics’ area where family support is often bolstered by visits from world-famous race-car drivers. The Medical Center is host institution for the Herbert D. Kerman Regional Oncology Centers and the area’s only Comprehensive Stroke Center. It is a teaching hospital with a noted family practice residency program and radiography program. HMC is part of Halifax·Fish Community Health, a comprehensive healthcare system serving area communities.
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(26 January 2004) Volunteers Needed to Work with Suicide Survivors in New Prevention Effort - Training course starts February 24

DAYTONA BEACH - Compassionate volunteers willing to make a difference by working with survivors of suicide are needed for a new prevention effort.

Starting February 24, a free, 28-hour, training course will be held on Tuesdays, from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. at the Lawrence E. Whelan BeginAgain Children's Grief Center, 1124 Beville Road, Suite C, Daytona Beach.

Upon successful completion of the course and a background check, selected volunteers will be available to visit survivors of suicide in Volusia and Flagler counties to provide them with much needed support and resources.

For information on the volunteer training course or to register, call Karen Grant, 386-258-5100.

This training is sponsored by the Suicide Prevention Coalition, comprised of local social service agencies which are combining efforts to lower the suicide rate in Volusia and Flagler counties. For information about the Suicide Prevention Coalition, contact Gail Gregory at the Mental Health Association, 386-252-5785.
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Contact: Kate Holcomb, 386-254-4224
Halifax-Fish Community Health
Public Relations
kate.holcomb

(23 January 2004) Spirit of Volunteerism is Alive at Bert Fish Medical Center

NEW SMYRNA BEACH - Bert Fish Medical Center Auxiliary members honored their own Jan. 13 with service awards and pins recognizing the thousands of donated man-hours Auxiliary volunteers contribute to help the hospital each year. The ceremony was conducted at First Presbyterian Church.

BFMC Administrator Kathy Leonard offered a special thank you to the Auxiliary for doing a great job in 2003 and told the group their adopted project, the ongoing Emergency Department renovation and expansion, is expected to be complete by the end of February.

Building on that theme, Auxiliary President Faye Caddell presented Kathy Leonard with a check for $6,500 reflecting the proceeds from the group's Lights of Love holiday fund-raiser, which was dedicated toward the purchase of Emergency Room equipment.

Mrs. Leonard presented more than 100 service pins to Auxiliary members for their volunteer spirit, from those who worked 100 hours to longtime Auxilian Thelma Meeker who has worked a total of 44,000 hours since she joined the group. Special awards were given to a number of Auxiliary members for their outstanding commitment during 2003. Honorees included:
· Esther Nivison, an Auxiliary member since 1994, who worked 936 hours in the Pharmacy Department and the Oncology Center.
· Carlton Peters, a member of the Auxiliary since 2001, who worked 1,864 hours in the Emergency Department, at the Outpatient Desk and in Patient Support Services. In December alone, Carlton worked 27 days.
· Tony Asencio, also known as "The Prince," joined the Auxiliary in 2003 and worked 1,002 hours last year in the Emergency Department, at the Outpatient Desk and Tower Lobby Reception Desk.

Faye Caddell gave a special award to an emotional Dorothy Bracy, who has worked as the cook in the Coffee Shop run by the Auxiliary for the past 15 years.

"I was so surprised; I had no idea,'' Bracy said, as she accepted the award recognizing her tenure and the fact that she is well-liked and appreciated by customers, staff and Auxilians.

Caddell noted regular customers who call in to order the "usual" at the Coffee Shop have it ready to go by the time they arrive, and Dorothy serves every meal with care and a bright smile.
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Media Contact: Cathy Vaughn, 386-424-6428
Bert Fish Medical Center
Public Relations
cathy.vaughn

(23 January 2004) Hedy Schleifer Featured Speaker at Feb. 26 Pastoral Care Institute Conference in Daytona Beach

DAYTONA BEACH - The 28th Annual Halifax Pastoral Care Institute Conference will be held February 26 at Indigo Lakes Golf Club, 312 Indigo Drive, Daytona Beach.

The program, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., features speaker Hedy Schleifer, MA, LMHC, an internationally known expert in the art of relationships and conflict dissolution.

Nurses, clinical social workers, marriage and family therapists, mental health counselors (6.0 CEUS are available for these health care professionals), physicians, clergy and the general public are welcome to attend.

Participants will learn how to live morey and creatively, reclaim energy and power, reduce isolation and burnout and how to rethink and reframe personal perspectives.

The registration fee is $75 and includes lunch. Call Chaplain James E. Smith, (386) 254-4138, for more information or to register. Information is also at www.halifax.org in the Events Calendar.
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Contact: Kate Holcomb, 386-254-4224
Halifax-Fish Community Health
Public Relations
kate.holcomb

(23 January 2004) Walk Your Way To Good Health - Halifax Medical Center and Volusia Mall 2004 Mall Walking Program

DAYTONA BEACH - The Health Fitness Center at Halifax Medical Center, the Happy Wanderers walking club, and Volusia Mall are teaming up to provide a free, fun and educational walking program to encourage people to walk on a daily basis. This is the third mall walking season offered by these partners.

Participants can walk while enjoying a safe and temperature controlled environment inside Volusia Mall, 1700 W. International Speedway Blvd, Monday through Saturday, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

The 2004 program runs through November. All participants receive walking logs to keep track of their completed mileage and a master log is kept at Volusia Mall. Top walkers are awarded prizes and all walkers who complete 25 miles receive a tee shirt.

Registration information is available at the Volusia Mall Information Desk during regular mall operating hours, or by attending one of the monthly meetings, the next being February 5, at 8:30 a.m. in the Food Court area of Volusia Mall.

Halifax Health and Wellness Manager Gary Meredith encourages people to get active. “The benefits of physical activity are well documented and studies show you need to be consistently involved in an exercise program to maintain overall health and well being,” said Meredith. “A moderate exercise regime can improve cardiorespiratory function, reduce risk for coronary artery disease, decrease mortality and morbidity, reduce stress and improve your overall feelings of well being. The Mall Walking Program is designed to provide people with the necessary resources to start their personal journey to better health,” he said.

2004 Mall Walking Season Schedule (All meetings begin at 8:30 a.m. and meet in the Food Court area at Volusia Mall): February 5, March 4, April 1, May 6, June 3, July 1, August 5, September 2, October 7, and November 4. Information is available from customer service representatives at the information desk at the Volusia Mall, or call 386-253-6783.
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Contact: Kate Holcomb, 386-254-4224
Halifax-Fish Community Health
Public Relations
kate.holcomb

DAYTONA BEACH - Heart to Heart is a free, educational support group offered by the Halifax Heart Center for cardiac patients and their family members.

Meetings are held every other month, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., on the third Wednesday, at Halifax Medical Center's Regional Oncology Center (ROC) First Floor Conference Room, 303 N. Clyde Morris Blvd., Daytona Beach. Dates and topics:

March 17 – “Practice What You Preach” - Do doctors follow their own advice, or is it all talk? Find out at this informative and lively session.

May 19 – “Women and Heart Disease” - This killer is not gender specific. Find out important facts and learn what you can do to protect the women you love.

July 21 – “Feelings Do Count/Positive Affirmations” - Depression is common after heart surgery and related procedures. Find out why your feelings are important and how positive thinking can improve your health.

September 15 – “The Beat Goes On” - Everything you wanted to know about pacemakers and other internal cardiac assist devices.

November 17 – “You Are What You Eat” – Just in time for the holidays, this class will offer samples of low fat foods and allow participants to taste-test low fat recipes. Bring a favorite heart-healthy recipe to share with the group.

For more information, call Cardiac Education at the Halifax Heart Center, 386-254-4215.
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Contact: Kate Holcomb, 386-254-4224
Halifax-Fish Community Health
Public Relations
kate.holcomb

(21 January 2004) "Winging It'' Raises $10,000 for Hospice Care Center at Bert Fish Medical Center

EDGEWATER - Hundreds of Southeast Volusians attended the "Winging It'' benefit co-sponsored Jan. 18 by the Rotary Clubs of New Smyrna Beach and Edgewater and the Bert Fish Medical Center Foundation, raising about $10,000 for the construction of a Hospice Care Unit on the hospital campus.

The fund-raiser at Massey Ranch Airpark in a hangar owned by hosts Harold and Mona Brewer drew more than 400 patrons who enjoyed live music, "wings and things'' catered by the BFMC Food and Nutrition Services and aircraft displays.

"Thanks to the generosity of our hosts, Harold and Mona Brewer, and the commitment of event Chairs Cheryl Faber and Sandy Huggard, the Foundation's first effort at 'Winging It' was a huge success with over 400 people in attendance,'' said Teri Ford Cobean, Foundation President. "The event raised $10,000 to benefit the Hospice Unit at Bert Fish Medical Center. The unit will enable the delivery of end-of-life care and compassionate medical service close to home for residents of Southeast Volusia. We are extremely grateful to the Rotary Clubs of New Smyrna and Edgewater for their partnership and support of Winging It. Rotary has made a $50,000 commitment toward the funding of the BFMC Hospice Unit."

"I was very pleased with the event,'' added Cheryl Faber. "I loved our partnership with the Rotary Clubs and thought we had great community involvement, from the volunteers to the door prizes that were given away, to the people who attended. I felt it was successful not only as a fund-raiser for Bert Fish Medical Center and Hospice but also as a 'friend-raiser' for Bert Fish and for our Foundation.''

Plans call for the Hospice unit to be developed on the 3rd Floor of Bert Fish Medical Center as a joint venture between the hospital and Hospice of Volusia/Flagler. The Foundation and Rotary Clubs have set a goal to raise about $50,000 to create four Hospice care rooms, a family area, kitchenette and conference space for physicians to meet with family members and Hospice patients.

The fund-raiser featured a variety of aircraft on display and a video presentation and appearance by New Smyrna Beach resident Clint McHenry, an internationally recognized pilot, aerobatics expert and three-time United States Aerobatic Champion.
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Media Contact: Cathy Vaughn, 386-424-6428
Bert Fish Medical Center
Public Relations
cathy.vaughn

(7 January 2004) "Winging It'' Fund-Raiser to Benefit Hospice Center at Bert Fish Medical Center

NEW SMYRNA BEACH - Friends, food and fun are in store for patrons of a Sunday, Jan. 18, flight-themed event to raise money for a Hospice of Volusia/Flagler care unit at Bert Fish Medical Center.
The fund-raiser is sponsored by Bert Fish Medical Center Foundation and the Rotary Clubs of Edgewater and New Smyrna Beach. It will be 1-5 p.m. at 341 Skyway Drive, Building 2, Hangar H in Massey Ranch Airpark, off Park Avenue in Edgewater. Hosts are Harold and Mona Brewer.

The Hospice unit will be developed on the hospital's 3rd Floor as a joint venture between Bert Fish and Hospice of Volusia/Flagler. The Foundation and Rotary Clubs have set a goal to raise about $50,000 to create four Hospice care rooms, a family area, kitchenette and conference space for physicians to meet with family members and Hospice patients.

"It will be a fun day for people of all ages and the proceeds will benefit a very important need in our community,'' said Foundation President Teri Cobean. "The Hospice unit at BFMC will enable patients and families to receive care closer to home. We are grateful to the Rotary Clubs for their support of this project and we certainly appreciate the generous hospitality of Harold and Mona Brewer and Massey Ranch Airpark.''

Tickets for 'Winging It'' are $25. They may be obtained from the BFMC Foundation by calling 424-5015; and from Rotary Club contacts Ed Aldridge, 386-689-0383; or Ron Blackwood, 386-427-7094. Prizes will be given away every half hour, and will include two, one-week stays at the Sea Palace Resort in St. Martin, and one weekend at Fantasy World in Orlando. Winners must be present to receive their prizes, which don't include travel costs.

Live entertainment will spice up a "Wings and Things'' buffet catered by BFMC Food and Nutrition Services and beverages will include beer and wine. A variety of aircraft will be on display outside the hangar.

As a special highlight, the fund-raiser will feature a video presentation and appearance by New Smyrna Beach resident Clint McHenry, an internationally recognized pilot, aerobatics expert and three-time United States Aerobatic Champion.

McHenry flew for over 49 years, including 36 years as a pilot for Eastern Airlines. Logging more than 34,000 hours of flight time, he has won more than 40 aerobatic championships and amassed a list of distinctive honors, including:
* Flying as a member of eight U.S. Aerobatic Teams and winning gold, silver, and bronze medals in World Aerobatic Championship Competition.
* Being a three-time winner of the International Aerobatic Club National Championship.
* He was the first person to win in all four competition categories - Sportsman, Intermediate, Advanced and Unlimited.
* Serving as a former United States Delegate to C.I.V.A., the aerobatic division of the Federation of Aeronautique Internationale in Paris.
* Serving as former president of the United States Aerobatic Foundation and former member of the Board of Directors of both the U.S. Aerobatic Foundation and the International Aerobatic Club.
* He was the first winner of all nine aerobatic achievement awards, and recipient of numerous special awards:

McHenry performed his world-class, fast-moving aerobatic routines in a Russian-built, 360-horsepower Sukhoi SU-26M aircraft. This aerobatics plane can cruise at 155 knots and reach a maximum speed of 195 knots as sea level, as well as post a "never-to-exceed'' speed of 243 knots. Its maximum rate of climb is 3,542 feet per minute.

For more information about "Winging It,'' please call the Bert Fish Medical Center Foundation at 424-5015.
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Media Contact: Cathy Vaughn, 386-424-6428
Bert Fish Medical Center
Public Relations
cathy.vaughn

(21 December 2003) Bert Fish Medical Center Reaches 100 Transplant Milestone

NEW SMYRNA BEACH - Carolyn Senior was at a Christmas party at Sunny Sands Nudist Resort in Pierson when she got the call from Bert Fish Medical Center's Kidney Transplant Program, saying the kidney she'd been waiting for was on the way.

"It was wild,'' she recalled. "I was sitting at the table with some friends and we hear this beeping. Somebody said, 'It's Carolyn's purse!' It was pandemonium; people were screaming and clapping.'' In fact, Senior said the friends who knew she was on the waiting list for a kidney at Bert Fish Medical Center had taken bets on when she'd get one.

On Dec. 14, she became Bert Fish's 99th kidney transplant recipient since the programd in July 1999. The program's 100th and 101st kidney transplants followed in quick succession the same day.

Debbi Phillips of Palm Coast was No. 100. After suffering kidney failure in March 2002, she was on the BFMC waiting list for a kidney just 45 days before receiving her donated organ. "It's an honor, I guess,'' Phillips said. "I got the call at home and I called everyone I knew to tell them. We got here at 6 a.m. the next morning. We would have come even if they said, 'Come right now!' ''

Dr. Frank Toub, a general and vascular surgeon on BFMC's medical staff, was part of the team that established the Kidney Transplant Program at Bert Fish Medical Center in July 1999. Toub had trained with Dr. Michael Morris, a general, vascular and transplant surgeon whom he recruited toa practice in New Smyrna Beach. After Dr. Morris relocated here, the two realized BFMC had the expertise and resources to support a kidney transplant program here.

"We also felt, instead of all the large transplant programs where people can just get lost, we had a real homey, personal feeling here that people appreciate,'' Dr. Toub said.

At first, he and Dr. Morris performed transplants together; then Dr. Morris became the primary transplant surgeon. Eventually, Dr. Morris left Bert Fish for another transplant program in South Dakota and Dr. Toub performed kidney transplants until Dr. Bobby Nibhanupudy arrived in early 2002 to become the program's primary transplant surgeon and its co-director. Dr. Sajid Latif, transplant nephrologist, is the program's other co-director.

Dr. Nibhanupudy said 10 to 15 percent of the program's patients are from out of state, many of whom come down for the winter and have relatives in the area. Bert Fish also is able to offer people who want to donate one of their kidneys to a relative or loved one the benefit of an advanced laparoscopic surgical technique that dramatically cuts down on the incision size and recovery time for kidney donation. The technique called Hand Assisted Laparoscopic Nephrectomy, (removal of a kidney), is performed by Dr. Toub; he said the Bert Fish Medical Center Kidney Transplant Program is the only one in Central Florida to offer that option.

BFMC's program boasts a 95 percent success rate for one year, meaning 95 percent of its transplant recipients' kidneys are functioning well after the first year. The average percentage for transplant centers nationwide is 91 percent after one year, according to the Bert Fish transplant program's staff.

Each transplant center is in a region such as Central Florida that maintains its own list of patients awaiting organ transplants, Dr. Nibhanupudy said. That region's list is part of a national database kept by the United Network of Organ Sharing.

"When you have a donor, the organ procurement organization checks to see if there is a perfect match anywhere in the country, and if there is the kidney goes there,'' he said. "Our organ procurement organization, TransLife, is one of the most efficient in the country.'' If a recipient who is a perfect match for the organ can't be found, the kidney is offered to recipients on the waiting list within the region the organ was procured.
The wait for a kidney is different for each region, Dr. Nibhanupudy added. In the Northeast, the average wait is about seven years. In Central Florida, it's about one and one-half years.

Derrick Grady of Ocala waited only five weeks on the BFMC transplant list before he became the program's 101st kidney transplant recipient.
"I'm going to tell everyone about this place,'' Grady said afterward. "I can get around and go places now. Before, when I got out of a dialysis treatment, I had to go straight home. I feel better. Dialysis keeps you tired.''

"The reason I do this is, these are some of the most satisfied and happy people you'll see,'' said Dr. Nibhanupudy. "No matter how long their transplanted organ lasts, they're thankful for those years of normalcy that we all take for granted. When a new kidney starts working, it's literally an overnight improvement.''

Senior couldn't agree more. She waited three months and 10 days on the BFMC list for her new kidney and had been on dialysis for a long time. That time consuming, draining procedure to maintain her life also limited when and where she and her husband could travel, Senior said, so much so that they had to sell their RV.

"Since the operation, it's like a burden has lifted,'' she said, smiling. "My attitude is better. I feel a whole lot better. It's a transformation.
"I'll be 60 next month and I wanted it before I was 60. Everybody tells me I look great,'' Senior remarked. "This hospital has a terrific record.''

"We can never forget how the organs are typically made available, but tragedy befalls people no matter what you do,'' Dr. Nibhanupudy noted, "and with organ procurement and transplantation, we basically just try to salvage something good out of it.''
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Media Contact: Cathy Vaughn, 386-424-6428
Bert Fish Medical Center
Public Relations
cathy.vaughn

(11 December 2003) Bert Fish Medical Center Introduces Parish Nurse Ministry to Southeast Volusia Churches

NEW SMYRNA BEACH – Bert Fish Medical Center is working with the congregations of Southeast Volusia churches to develop a “Parish Nurse Ministry’’ in each, addressing the needs of elderly or infirm members within those faith groups.

“The mission of Parish Nursing is to integrate the practice of faith with the practice of nursing,’’ said Bonnie Bullock, R.N., Bert Fish Medical Center’s parish nurse and community outreach liaison. “The house of worship has always been a sign of hope and healing and a growing number of churches are purposely becoming centers to which people can turn for health care with a spiritual dimension. I am excited to be introducing the concept of parish nursing to the churches in the New Smyrna Beach area and pleased with the welcoming response I have received from each faith community I have visited. BFMC recognizes the need for whole-person approach to care--mind, body and spirit. You cannot separate the physical and spiritual aspect of care.

“My responsibilities are to assist and support each church in developing its parish nurse program,’’ she added. “Each church looks within its congregation for a licensed registered nurse to attend an approved training course through the International Parish Nurse Resource Center. In addition to that person, who becomes the church’s parish nurse, the ministry is comprised of other members of the congregation who include active and retired nurses working as a team to meet the different care needs of the congregation.’’

The parish nurse utilizes his or her knowledge and skills to develop the health ministry within that congregation, in part by helping parishioners navigate the maze of health care services and housing options. The nurse acts as an advisor; he or she does not practice traditional nursing functions such as drawing blood, providing medical treatments or administering flu shots and medications.

Parish nursing is a disease-preventive program based on the care of the whole person. It encompasses four major functions. These include the parish nurse’s role as a: health educator; health counselor; developer of support groups and trainer of volunteers; and integrator of faith and health

Parish nursing reaches across the age span of a congregation, Bullock added, explaining that a faith group with a high percentage of elderly members afflicted by chronic illnesses can be the driving force for a church to establish a parish nurse ministry.

She pointed out the fastest growing segment of the older population is age 85 and older, and many of those individuals are frail and suffer from multiple chronic conditions. The parish nurse ministry can provide a variety of support services such as information and referrals, transportation to doctor’s offices and grocery stores, meal preparation, or just a friendly visit. People with access to a parish nurse also have a confidential and reliable source of medical expertise, Bullock said.

“Knowledge empowers people to be able to make good health-related decisions,’’ she noted. The parish nurse may help churches set up health and lifestyle related benefits such as blood pressure screenings, counseling regarding diet or smoking and other health-risk behaviors.

For more information about BFMC’s Parish Nurse Ministry Program, contact Bullock in the hospital’s Education Department, 386-424-5175.
# # #
Media Contact: Cathy Vaughn, 386-424-6428
Bert Fish Medical Center
Public Relations
cathy.vaughn

(10 December 2003) "Lights of Love'' Illuminate Night Sky at BFMC''

NEW SMYRNA BEACH - Tiny dancers and young vocalists brought seasonal spirit to the Bert Fish Medical Center Auxiliary's 14th annual Lights of Love celebration Thursday, December 4.

The Auxiliary fund-raiser has collected about $5,000 so far, which will go toward the purchase of medical equipment in BFMC's Emergency Department.

This year's event featured performances by the Manatee Chorus from Indian River Elementary School, as well as the Dance Factory Performers and musical selections by Nancy Alexander and Charlotte Flores.
Each $10 donation to the Auxiliary purchases a symbolic "light'' in the tree of lights shining above the hospital's four-story section. The donations honor the memory of loved ones who have died, or commemorate others who are important to our lives. The Auxiliary will accept Lights of Love contributions until the holiday season ends December 31.

"The spirit of Christmas is in giving, and I want to say thanks to the Auxiliary, which seems to have the Christmas spirit 365 days a year,'' said Arlen Stauffer, M.D., chief of the BFMC Medical Staff. "We could take a lesson from them.''

For 2003, the illuminated tree atop BFMC is more than 50 feet tall with more than 2,000 lights, BFMC Administrator Kathy Leonard told the crowd, as she thanked Auxiliary members for their service during the past year.

Fred Cooper, chairman of the Southeast Volusia Hospital District Board, also praised the group for working "large numbers of hours to help patients and staff members. We really can't say thanks enough and we appreciate them. Their service to the hospital is very, very important.''

Edgewater Vice Mayor Judy Lichter and Oak Hill Vice Mayor Frank Piatchek recognized the volunteer organization for its dedication to the medical center, too. Some people serve their communities through government, and some people serve through the schools, Lichter said, pointing out the BFMC Auxiliary provides a valuable service by sponsoring the Lights of Love celebration each year. "The Lights of Love are very important because they reflect the lights within our hearts and minds of the memories of our loved ones who have passed on,'' she said.

The Auxiliary is accepting Lights of Love contributions through Dec. 31. Checks may be made payable to the Bert Fish Medical Center Auxiliary and mailed to BFMC Auxiliary, 401 Palmetto St., New Smyrna Beach, FL, 32168.
# # #
Media Contact: Cathy Vaughn, 386-424-6428
Bert Fish Medical Center
Public Relations
cathy.vaughn

(8 December 2003) Funcoast Football Classic December 18 Presented by Florida Health Care Plans

DAYTONA BEACH -- The Sixth Annual Funcoast Football Classic presented by Florida Health Care Plans will be played on Thursday, December 18 at Municipal Stadium in Daytona Beach.

Kick-off is 7 p.m. Admission and parking are free with the donation of a non-perishable food item at the gate.

The game will showcase the best high school senior football players in Volusia and Flagler counties. At the conclusion of the game, the Offensive and Defensive MVP for the East and West teams will be recognized, along with academic scholar athletes.

The East team, coached by Jared Zito of Spruce Creek High School,will include players from Atlantic, Flagler Palm Coast, Mainland, Seabreeze, Spruce Creek high schools, and Warner Christian Academy. The West team, coached by Marc Lippens of Deltona High School, includes DeLand, Deltona, Father Lopez, New Smyrna Beach, Pine Ridge and Taylor high schools. Each team will carry approximately fifty players on the roster. Over 150 college coaches were invited to scout the players. The East team leads the West team four to one in the series.

Remaining events in the 2003-2004 Funcoast Classic series presented by Florida Health Care Plans include:

· Funcoast Soccer Classic (Girls) - Friday, March 5, 2004 - Site/Time TBD
· Funcoast Soccer Classic (Boys) - Friday, March 5, 2004 - Site/Time TBD
· Funcoast Basketball Classic (Girls) - Friday, March 19, 2004 at Atlantic HS, 6 p.m.
· Funcoast Basketball Classic (Boys) - Friday, March 19, 2004 at Atlantic HS, 7:30 p.m.

Last year, Florida Health Care Plans presented the Five Star Conference, Father Lopez High School and Warner Christian Academy a total of $4,000. Over the past five years, Florida Health Care Plans has donated just over $17,600 through the Funcoast Classic events.
# # #
Contact: Kate Holcomb, 386-254-4224
Halifax-Fish Community Health
Public Relations
kate.holcomb

(21 November 2003) 4^th Annual 99.9 FROGGY FM “We Care Teddy Bear” Drive

DAYTONA BEACH – Children who are patients in Speediatrics, part of the Betty Jane Pediatric Center, and other children’s services at Halifax Medical Center will have a brighter holidays this year thanks to the 99.9 FROGGY FM’“We Care Teddy Bear” drive.

Now in its fourth year, 99.9 FROGGY FM’s “We Care Teddy Bear” drive collects brand new teddy bears for children who are ill or injured during the holidays.

Through December 3, donations of brand new teddy bears are being dropped off at Cingular Wireless location throughout Volusia and Flagler counties. The drive culminates on Wednesday, December 4, when The More Music Morning Rush with Jeff and Jesyca will broadcast live from the parking area in front of Halifax Medical Center, 303 N. Clyde Morris Blvd., Daytona Beach.

Donations of brand new teddy bears can be dropped off during the broadcast from 6 to 9:30 a.m. Only brand new teddy bears, free from exposure to tobacco smoke or dust, can be accepted.

Following the broadcast, Broken Bow Records Recording Artist Sherrie Austin will accompany 99.9 FROGGY FM to the Speediatrics unit to hand out bears and sing carols to the children.

For information about the activities at Halifax Medical Center contact Kate Holcomb, 386-254-4224. For information about 99.9 FROGGY FM “We Care Teddy Bear” drive, contact Signe Huff, 386-672-9210.
# # #
Contact: Kate Holcomb, 386-254-4224
Halifax-Fish Community Health
Public Relations
kate.holcomb

(14 November 2003) Halifax•Fish Community Health Reaches Agreement with Aetna

DAYTONA BEACH - Aetna insurance has announced completion of a new three-year agreement with Halifax-Fish Community Health that makes hospital services through Bert Fish Medical Center and Halifax Medical Center available to its members.

Arvin Lewis, chief negotiator for the health system's Patient Business and Financial Services affiliate, said the agreement resulted from "realistic discussions in which the needs of both parties were recognized and the patient's interests kept in mind. We are pleased to return to a full affiliation with Aetna and look forward to providing quality care for its members."

Questions as to the details of the agreement should be directed to Aetna.
# # #
Contact: Kate Holcomb, 386-254-4224
Halifax-Fish Community Health
Public Relations
kate.holcomb

(14 November 2003) Funcoast Volleyball Classic November 18 - Presented by Florida Health Care Plans

DAYTONA BEACH -- The Fifth Annual Funcoast Volleyball Classic presented by Florida Health Care Plans will be played at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, November 18, at Spruce Creek High School, 801 Taylor Road, Port Orange. The event, the first in the Funcoast Classic series for the 2003-2004 school year, is an all-star game showcasing the best high school seniors in Volusia and Flagler counties. Academic scholar athletes are also recognized at the events.

All Funcoast Classic events are free andto the public. Attendees are asked to participate in a community food drive by making a donation of a canned food item.

The athletes will be divided into two teams, consisting of players from Atlantic, DeLand, Deltona, Father Lopez, Flagler Palm Coast, Mainland, New Smyrna Beach, Pine Ridge, Seabreeze, Spruce Creek, and Taylor high schools and Calvary Christian and Warner Christian academies. Over 100 college coaches have been invited to attend.

Spruce Creek High School’s Cara Swayze, and Mainland High School’s Sandy Garner will be head coaches for the game. Each squad will consist of approximately fifteen players. Last year, the East team won the match 3-2 over the West team, tying the series record at two matches each.

Other events in the 2003-2004 Funcoast Classic series presented by Florida Health Care Plans include:
· Funcoast Football Classic - Thursday, December 18, 2003 at Municipal Stadium, 7 p.m.
· Funcoast Soccer Classic (Girls) - Friday, March 5, 2004 – Site/Time TBD
· Funcoast Soccer Classic (Boys) - Friday, March 5, 2004 – Site/Time TBD
· Funcoast Basketball Classic (Girls) - Friday, March 19, 2004 at Atlantic HS, 6 p.m.
· Funcoast Basketball Classic (Boys) - Friday, March 19, 2004 at Atlantic HS, 7:30 p.m.

Last year, Florida Health Care Plans presented the Five Star Conference, Father Lopez High School and Warner Christian Academy a total of $4,000. Over the past five years, Florida Health Care Plans has donated just over $17,600 through the Funcoast Classic events.
# # #
Contact: Kate Holcomb, 386-254-4224
Halifax-Fish Community Health
Public Relations
kate.holcomb

(10 November 2003) Tree of Remembrance a Holiday Tradition for Thousands - Funds Raised Support Terminally Ill Patients and Their Families

PORT ORANGE - Hospice of Volusia/Flagler is holding its fourteenth annual Tree of Remembrance program in which ornaments inscribed with the names of those being honored or remembered are displayed on trees in the Volusia Mall (near JC Penney), 1700 W. International Speedway Blvd., Daytona Beach. from November 28 through December 24.

Proceeds enable Hospice of Volusia/Flagler to provide skilled medical, spiritual and emotional care to terminally ill patients in our community who cannot afford to pay for hospice services.

The Tree of Remembrance program kicks off Saturday, November 29, at 4 p.m. in the Volusia Mall with the "Blessing of the Trees" ceremony. Following the ceremony, a reception, complete with holiday refreshments and entertainment, will be held at 5:30 p.m. at the Hospice Inpatient Care Center, 3800 Woodbriar Trail, Port Orange. The public is invited to both events.

Ornaments this year include angels ($60 donation), gold metallic doves ($40 donation), silver metallic snowflakes ($30 donation) and teddy bears ($10 donation), and each come with a card to be inscribed with the name of those being honored or remembered.

In addition to ornaments, holiday cards designed for Hospice of Volusia/Flagler by local artists in packages of 15 ($10 donation), and a 'collector's edition' package of 20 cards from years past ($6 donation), are available. A new item this year is a CD produced for Hospice of Volusia/Flagler featuring selections from the Stetson University Choir's Christmas program ($20 donation).

All items may be purchased at the Tree of Remembrance display in the Volusia Mall. This year, the holiday cards and CD are also available at Publix Super Market locations throughout Volusia and Flagler counties. In addition, all ornaments and the CD are available at both of Hospice's Treasures of the Heart Resale Shops - 140 Palm Coast Parkway, NE, Palm Coast and 240 E. Graves Ave., Orange City.

Hospice of Volusia/Flagler conducted its first Tree of Remembrance in 1990 at the Volusia Mall and since then the annual program has become a tradition for literally thousands of donors, and many others who visit the tree site.

Hospice of Volusia/Flagler, a nonprofit health care organization, has been providing compassionate care to terminally ill patients and their families for 25 years. The mission of Hospice of Volusia/Flagler is to provide extraordinary and dignified comfort and compassion to every person facing the end of life. For information call 386-322-4701.
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Contact: Kate Holcomb, 386-254-4224
Halifax-Fish Community Health
Public Relations
kate.holcomb

(6 November 2003) African Americans 'Dying for Lack of Health Information' - Black Leaders and Halifax Medical Center Announce Culturally Appropriate Health Information Campaign

DAYTONA BEACH - The challenge of a black legislator to a white hospital official to do a better job communicating to African Americans has led to a partnership forged last week between Halifax·Fish Community Health, Florida Legislature's Conference of Black Legislators, the Florida Conference of Branches of the NAACP, the Florida Department of Health and several health organizations including the American Cancer Society.

The purpose of the partnership is to create culturally effective messages targeted to African Americans throughout the state, many of whom too often seek medical attention for conditions, like cancer and heart disease that have already progressed to deadly stages.

State Senator Tony Hill of Jacksonville, whose district extends into Volusia County, was visiting Halifax Medical Center in August when John E. Evans, director of corporate communications for Halifax·Fish Community Health, of which the 764-bed, legislatively chartered hospital is a part, set out to impress the legislator with a review of outreach efforts the hospital and health system has undertaken. In addition to customary health fairs and screenings, Evans showed Hill samples of a church bulletin insert with basic preventive care information the system provides to more than 40 primarily African American churches in its area.

"That's all well and good," the Senator shot back, "but you people just don't realize that you can write and you can talk all you want, but our people aren't going to listen because you're not talking to us on our terms and we just don't trust you." Hill explained that most health material he sees ignores cultural terms known and accepted by Blacks, and that "white folks have forgotten Tuskegee, but Black folks are very much aware of it and don't trust whites when it comes to you telling us what we should do about our health."

He was referring to a series of experiments begun in 1932 to examine the impact of syphilis involving Black men. When funding ran out early in the project, the Federal Health Service continued studying the effects of the disease on Black residents of Macon County, Alabama. Tuskegee Institute provided office space and its hospital for exams and autopsies, giving the study its name in the process. Subjects with syphilis and other sexually transmitted diseases were not told what they had and were not treated to stop or control the disease. After some 40 years, word of the use of the unwitting subjects became public and suit was filed on behalf of the victims and their families. In 1974 an out-of-court settlement was reached totaling $10 million. In 1997 President Bill Clinton held a White House ceremony to offer the nation's apologies to survivors and their families, saying, "The United States Government did something that was wrong, deeply, profoundly and morally wrong."

Evans, who as a young state employee had represented Florida's governor in negotiating with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. during civil rights demonstrations at St. Augustine in the 1960s, acknowledged that while caring clergy cooperated with his hospital, the results weren't what healthcare providers hoped for. After consultation with clinical and administrative staff at Halifax Medical Center and other Florida members of the National Association of Public Hospitals and Health Systems, he laid out for Senator Hill and Florida NAACP President Adora Obi Nweze a plan to make a difference. Its key points:

· The Florida Conference of Branches of the NAACP will set up a committee of community leaders, educators and cultural experts from predominantly Black colleges to take existing materials and rewrite them in culturally sensitive terms.

· Members of the Conference of Black State Legislators, also known as the Black Caucus, will prepare special messages to the voters who elected them and other Black constituents endorsing the message of the materials and urging Blacks to create relationships with primary care physicians or clinics.

· Local NAACP branches, offices of the Florida Department of Health, hospitals and the American Cancer Society and similar agencies, will circulate the materials, produced by Halifax for distribution in each Legislative District.

The plan was introduced and adopted by the NAACP State Conference in Daytona Beach last week, as it had been earlier by the Legislature's Black Caucus. Senator Hill was accompanied at the announcement by Caucus chair Ed Jennings, Jr., a state representative from Gainesville, Senator Gary Siplin of Orlando and Rep. Joyce Cusack of DeLand.

"If the health professionals and experts in culturally appropriate communication can provide information, those of us elected to be leaders can add a dose of inspiration and the local branches of the NAACP, along with the offices of the Health Department can make that lead to motivation for our brothers and sisters for whom this is, in a very real way, a matter of survival," Hill told a luncheon audience. He quoted a recent talk he had attended by the U. S. Surgeon General Richard H. Carmona, in which Carmona, an African American, had said that, literally, "our folks are dying for lack of information."

Evans, and NAACP State Health Chair Stephanie Owens-Royster, emphasized that the process of creating culturally appropriate materials isn't a matter of "dumbing down" information or of starting from scratch. "The goal is to put existing materials into a format that relates to language patterns and word meanings common to Florida's black communities," Evans said. "Our target audience is intelligent and is proud of its culture and heritage and raises defenses anytime an effort is made that ignores that pride, especially when it comes to matters of health." Owens-Royster said she expects the initial effort in the campaign will focus on areas where African Americans have disproportionately high death rates. Cardiovascular conditions, which claim the lives of 37 percent of all blacks that die each year and cancer, which kills almost 22 percent, will be early targets, she said.

The Florida effort relates to new emphasis on Black health adopted by the national NAACP and will coordinate with health literacy and diversity projects sponsored by the State of Florida in conjunction with a major drug company and with programs of the American Cancer Society and others.
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Contact: Kate Holcomb, 386-254-4224
Halifax-Fish Community Health
Public Relations
kate.holcomb

(6 November 2003) Halifax Family Practice Resident Receives Graduate Training Award

DAYTONA BEACH - Chuni Ginny Kwong, MD, of Port Orange, was awarded the AAFP/Bristol-Myers Squibb Award for Graduate Education in Family Practice from the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP). She is one of 20 recipients of the award nationwide. Kwong was recognized at the AAFP's annual Scientific Assembly in New Orleans in October.

According to the AAFP, recipients of the $2,000 award were selected on the basis of scholastic achievement, leadership qualities, community involvement and exemplary patient care. This year the AAFP received more than 160 applications for these awards.

Kwong earned her medical degree from the University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi, and is currently completing her residency training at Halifax Medical Center's Family Practice Residency Program in Daytona Beach.

Kwong is in her third and final year of residency at Halifax and is currently serving as chief resident. She has served on numerous patient care committees and as the residency and community coordinator for Tar Wars, an anti-tobacco educational program for fourth- and fifth-grade students. Upon completion of her residency in June 2004, Kwong hopes to practice family medicine in a private practice and volunteer as part-time faculty at a family practice residency program.

About the AAFP:
Founded in 1947, the American Academy of Family Physicians represents more than 94,300 physicians and medical students nationwide. It is the only medical specialty organization devoted solely to primary care. For information go to www.aafp.org.
# # #
Contact: Kate Holcomb, 386-254-4224
Halifax-Fish Community Health
Public Relations
kate.holcomb

(5 November 2003) Lifeline Coordinator Receives Leadership Award

DAYTONA BEACH - Joanne Fischette, the Lifeline program coordinator with Halifax-Fish Community Health, received the 2003 Star Award at the Lifeline Systems' Southern/Texas Academy in Framingham, Massachusetts. The award recognizes demonstrated commitment to helping greater numbers of at-risk elders stay safely in their own homes.

Lifeline Systems, a personal emergency response service company, created the Academy - a professional development program - to help community partners enhance their outreach skills while recognizing their leadership abilities and outstanding service to the elderly.

"It's an honor to be recognized for doing the work that I love," said Fischette. "It gives me great pleasure to be able to help elders live securely in their own homes and maintain their dignity and independence. They may be by themselves, but they are not alone."

Photo available upon request: Lifeline program coordinator Joanne Fischette accepting her Lifeline Award with Ron Feinstein, Lifeline System president and CEO in Framingham, Massachusetts.

About Halifax-Fish Community Health's Lifeline Program:
Halifax-Fish Community Health's Lifeline program currently serves over 350 subscribers in Volusia and Flagler counties. Lifeline is a personal response service that provides seniors with the ability to live independently, providing subscribers with a variety of services 24 hours a day, seven days a week including medical emergency notification, and medical appointment and medication reminders. Subscribers wear a lightweight pendant or wristband with a button, which when pressed puts them in touch with a trained operator who can respond appropriately and quickly. For information call Lifeline at 386-254-4020.

About Lifeline Systems:
Founded in 1974, Lifeline Systems is the largest personal response service in North America. With over 2,000 local community partners, Lifeline Systems has served over 5 million at-risk elders and their families. More information is available by going to www.lifelinesystems.com or calling 1-800-543-3546, or contact Ellen Bluestein in public relations at 617-448-2400
# # #
Contact: Kate Holcomb, 386-254-4224
Halifax-Fish Community Health
Public Relations
kate.holcomb

OCTOBER 2003 NEWS RELEASES - Scroll down

(23 October 2003) Funcoast Classics Presented by Florida Health Care Plans Will Showcase High School Senior Athletes - 2003/2004 Schedule Announced

DAYTONA BEACH - Florida Health Care Plans has announced the dates of the six Funcoast Classic games for the 2003-2004 school year.

Now in its sixth year, the Funcoast Classics showcase the best high school senior athletes in Volusia and Flagler counties with events in volleyball, football, soccer and basketball. Scholar athletes are also recognized at the events.

All Funcoast Classic events are free andto the public. Attendees are asked to participate in a community food drive by making a donation of a canned food item at each of the Funcoast Classic events.

The East teams will consist of players from Atlantic, Calvary Christian, Father Lopez, Flagler Palm Coast, Mainland, Seabreeze and Spruce Creek high schools. The West teams will consist of players from DeLand, Deltona, New Smyrna Beach, Pine Ridge, Taylor high schools and Warner Christian Academy. Over 1,000 college coaches will be invited to the evens to scout Volusia and Flagler County's finest senior athletes.

The 2003-2004 Funcoast Classics presented by Florida Health Care Plans include:
· Funcoast Volleyball Classic - Tuesday, November 18, at Spruce Creek HS, 7 p.m.
· Funcoast Football Classic - Thursday, December 18, at Municipal Stadium, 7 p.m.
· Funcoast Soccer Classic (Girls) - Friday, March 5, - Site/Time TBD
· Funcoast Soccer Classic (Boys) - Friday, March 5, - Site/Time TBD
· Funcoast Basketball Classic (Girls) - Friday, March 19, 2004 at Atlantic HS, 6 p.m.
· Funcoast Basketball Classic (Boys) - Friday, March 19, 2004 at Atlantic HS, 7:30 p.m.

The Inaugural Funcoast Football Classic took place in December 1998. Based on how well the event was received by the schools, students and scouts, Florida Health Care Plans added additional events with the Funcoast Volleyball Classic in November 1999, the Funcoast Basketball Classic for boys and girls in March 2000, and the Funcoast Soccer Classic for boys and girls in March 2003.

Last year, Florida Health Care Plans presented the Five Star Conference, Father Lopez and Warner Christian a total of $4,000. Over the past five years, Florida Health Care Plans has donated just over $17,600 through the Funcoast Classic events.
CONTACT: John Riordan, Special Projects Coordinator
Halifax-Fish Community Health
Phone: 386-322-4764
E-mail: john.riordan
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(23 October 2003) Bicycle Rodeo November 8 - Keiser College Hosts Rodeo for Kids On Daytona Beach Campus

DAYTONA BEACH - A bicycle rodeo for children will be held Saturday, November 8, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Keiser College, 1800 Business Park Road, Daytona Beach (off of Bill France Blvd., just north of the Daytona Beach Post Office). The rodeo is being coordinated by Volusia/Flagler SAFE KIDS Coalition in partnership with Keiser College. There will be activities and information to help kids stay safe on their bikes, as well as skateboards and in-line skates.

Parents who bring their children, with their bicycles and helmets, can participate in the bicycle rodeo. Safety stations will be set up to help kids learn safe riding techniques, and encourage parents and children to wear a helmet every time they use a bike, skateboard or in-line skates.

Free safety information will be available to help parents, caregivers and children learn more about the brain, the risks of traumatic brain injury, and provide lifesaving steps on how to protect themselves from injuries sustained during wheel-related activities.

According to the National SAFE KIDS Campaign, traumatic brain injury is the leading killer and disabler of children. Each year, 3,000 children are killed and approximately 29,000 are hospitalized due to traumatic brain injury. For those who survive and recover physically, the psychological consequences can last a lifetime. It is estimated that 75 percent of bicycle-related fatalities among children could be prevented with a helmet.

"Kids need to know that a head injury can happen to them. It can change the way they look, think and feel, and impact their lives forever," said Deborah Schlageter, coordinator of the Volusia/Flagler SAFE KIDS Coalition. "We encourage parents to sit down with their children and discuss the long-term consequences and risks associated with not wearing a helmet. Parents can empower their children to a wear helmet on every ride."

The November 8 event is part of an ongoing wheel safety program made possible by the Volusia/Flagler SAFE KIDS Coalition, whose goal is to reduce the number of injuries and fatalities to children. The wheel safety program works to increase awareness of the importance of properly fitted helmets.

For more information about the upcoming event, call Healthy Communities at 386-323-0000.
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Contact: Kate Holcomb, 386-254-4224
Halifax-Fish Community Health
Public Relations
kate.holcomb

(22 October 2003) Bert Fish Medical Center Cooks Up Another Culinary Arts Class on October 30

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Join award-winning Chef Jeff Pitterman as he teaches another in a series of Culinary Arts classes called "Cooking Light: Key West Style.''

The class is Thursday, Oct. 30, 3 - 4:30 p.m. in the Bistro at Bert Fish Medical Center, 401 Palmetto St., New Smyrna Beach.

Enrollment is $7.50 per person and class is limited to the first 30 participants who call for reservations.

Please call (386) 424-6550 to RSVP by Tuesday, Oct. 28.
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Media Contact: Cathy Vaughn, 386-424-6428
Bert Fish Medical Center
Public Relations
cathy.vaughn

(22 October 2003) Camp BeginAgain Helps Grieving Children - camper and volunteer registration deadline is November 7

DAYTONA BEACH - Grieving the loss of a loved one is difficult, but when the person grieving is a child, special support is often needed. Children need help understanding their feelings, and that the emotions they are experiencing are normal. This is the goal of Camp BeginAgain, a weekend retreat for young people age 6 to 17 who have experienced the death of a loved one.

The next Camp will be held November 21-23 and will be held at a new location, the Central Baptist Youth Camp in DeLand. Registration deadline is November 7.

The cost is $100 per child and scholarships are available. Camper applications can be picked up from school guidance counselors or by contacting the Lawrence E. Whelan BeginAgain Children’s Grief Center in Daytona Beach at 386-258-5100.

Compassionate individuals willing to volunteer to spend a weekend or a day helping children are needed. A free, comprehensive training program for Camp volunteers will be held November 7 from 5:30 to 9 p.m. For an application or more information call the Center.

BACKGROUND

Camp BeginAgain combines traditional camp activities such as sports, games, canoeing, singing, and other fun activities with peer sharing and creative arts, giving the children a chance to express their feelings, and to grieve with others experiencing similar emotions. Counselors and volunteers are available throughout the weekend to listen and talk with campers. A special memorial service is held at the end of camp to remember loved ones. Camp BeginAgain is just one of the children’s bereavement support programs offered by the Lawrence E. Whelan BeginAgain Children’s Grief Center, a program of Halifax Behavioral Services. The Center is located at 1124 Beville Road, Suite C, Daytona Beach. The phone number is 386-258-5100.
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Contact: Kate Holcomb, 386-254-4224
Halifax-Fish Community Health
Public Relations
kate.holcomb

(1 October 2003) Halifax Physical Therapist Earns Certification - one of eight in nation

DAYTONA BEACH – Bruce McKnight, MA, PT is one of eight physical therapists nationwide to earn certification as a Strain and Counterstrain practitioner. McKnight is the supervisor of outpatient physical therapy for The Rehab Center at Halifax Medical Center.

The Strain and Counterstrain technique, also known as positional release, is a gentle therapeutic technique based on relaxing muscles to relieve musculo-skeletal conditions such as neck and back pain, headaches or joint pain in the arms, legs, shoulders, hips and knees.

This was the first time the certification exam was held by the Jones Institute, which developed the Strain and Counterstrain technique. McKnight has been working with the Jones Institute to teach the technique to other therapists in the Southeast.

McKnight is a licensed physical therapist and holds a master’s degree in ergonomics and occupational biomechanics. He is also a certified ergonomic assessment specialist. He has worked at Halifax Medical Center for 15 years.
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Contact: Kate Holcomb, 386-254-4224
Halifax-Fish Community Health
Public Relations
kate.holcomb

(30 September 2003) Ancient Pathways In Healing: Magic, Miracles and Faith - 20th Annual Halifax Pastoral Theology and Ministry Conference Oct. 23

WHAT: The conference, "Ancient Pathways in Healing," is an interdisciplinary, nonsectarian seminarto the general public as well as health care professionals. The conference will focus on understanding how ancient religious beliefs shape modern attitudes toward healing. Topics include understanding the difference between magic and miracle; recognizing persistent traits of magic in religion and the influence these views have on modern thought; mental illness in the ancient world and its influence on gods and religions; and the healing of spirituality. The conference is sponsored by the Department of Pastoral Care at Halifax Medical Center.

WHO: The speaker is Dr. Clyde Fant, professor of Religious Studies, Emeritus, at Stetson University, DeLand, FL. A teacher, writer and lecturer, Dr. Fant has served as director of Stetson University's Pastors' School since 1985, and until 2000 was dean of the Chapel and the O.L. Walker Professor of Christian Studies at Stetson. Dr. Fant is a past president of the International Baptist seminary in Zurich, Switzerland, has taught at three seminaries, and served as pastor of Baptist congregations in Louisiana. His books include A Preaching Primer, The Misunderstood Jesus, Preaching for Today, and Guide to Biblical Sites in Greece and Turkey.

WHEN: Thursday, October 23. 8:30 a.m. Registration, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Conference

WHERE: Halifax Medical Center (HMC), Auditorium (located on the ground floor), 303 N. Clyde Morris Blvd., Daytona Beach

COST: $40.00

TO REGISTER: Conference brochures and registration forms are available in the Halifax Medical Center main lobby or call HMC Chaplain James Smith at 386-254-4138
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Contact: Kate Holcomb, 386-254-4224
Halifax-Fish Community Health
Public Relations
kate.holcomb

(24 September 2003) Special Grief Counseling Programs in October

PORT ORANGE - Two grief counseling programs for people who have experienced a traumatic loss will be held in October. Offered by Hospice of Volusia/Flagler, the programs are designed to meet the special needs of people who have lost a loved one due to homicide, suicide or accident.

The first is a restorative retelling program. With violent deaths, surviving family members often get stuck in the retelling, or the reliving, of how the loved one died and this group will assist with a form of retelling that aids in the healing process. This 10-week program will be held on Mondays starting October 6, from 6 to 8 p.m., at the Hospice Care Center, 3800 Woodbriar Trail, Port Orange. The program is recommended for anyone whose loss occurred six months ago or longer, and participants must attend an individual session with a group leader prior to the start of the group. For information or to register, call 386-258-3237.

The second is a trauma and loss family group program. This ongoing support group is for children, teens and adult members of families who have experienced a loss due to homicide, suicide or accident. The group will meet on the fourth Wednesday of every month, from 6-7:30 p.m., at the BeginAgain Children's Grief Center in Daytona Beach. Participants must attend an orientation session prior to attending the program. For information or to register, call
386-258-3237.
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Contact: Kate Holcomb, 386-254-4224
Halifax-Fish Community Health
Public Relations
kate.holcomb

PALM COAST – A child safety seat check up event will be held Saturday, October 4, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Tom Gibbs Chevrolet, 3565 E. Highway 100, Palm Coast. Parents and guardians are invited to drop by in their cars with their car seats and children to make sure their child car seat is correctly installed.

The Volusia/Flagler SAFE KIDS Coalition is coordinating the checkup event. In addition to getting their child safety seats checked, family members will receive free safety information.

“Safety is our top priority,” states dealership owner Tom Gibbs. “We are thrilled to be part of the Volusia/Flagler SAFE KIDS Coalition and provide this resource for the families of Flagler County.”

“Children should be in child safety seats, booster seats and/or seat belts every time they ride in a car or truck,“ states Joe Cohen, coordinator of the Flagler/Volusia Child Passenger Safety Team. “Unfortunately, nine out of ten child car seats are installed incorrectly.”

Motor vehicle crashes remain the leading cause of unintentional injury-related death among children ages 14 and under, according to the National SAFE KIDS Campaign. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that if used correctly, child safety seats have been found to be 71 percent effective in preventing fatalities, 67 percent effective in reducing the need for hospitalization, and 50 percent effective in preventing even minor injuries.

The October 4 event is part of an ongoing child safety seat distribution program made possible by the Volusia County Sheriff's Office, the Volusia County Fire Department, and the Volusia/Flagler SAFE KIDS Coalition. The Flagler/Volusia County Child Safety Seat Program, whose goal is to reduce the number of injuries and fatalities to children by increasing awareness of the importance of proper usage of child safety seats, was formed as a partnership in 1996.

For more information about the upcoming event, call Healthy Communities at 386-323-0000.

The Volusia/Flagler SAFE KIDS Coalition is part of the National SAFE KIDS Campaign, the first and only national nonprofit organization dedicated solely to the prevention of unintentional childhood injury — the number one killer of children ages 14 and under. Three hundred state and local SAFE KIDS coalitions in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico comprise the Campaign.
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Contact: Kate Holcomb, 386-254-4224
Halifax-Fish Community Health
Public Relations
kate.holcomb

(22 September 2003) Get Well Wishes Abundant at Halifax Medical Center - flowers are a favorite

DAYTONA BEACH - Staff and volunteers at Halifax Medical Center are dedicated to helping make every patient's stay in the hospital as comforting as possible, while delivering the medical care they need. When sending flowers, friends and family can, by following a few simple steps, help ensure they are delivered to their loved one in a timely manner without any difficulty.

First, check with an immediate family member or family spokesperson to determine if the patient welcomes flowers, and when it is appropriate to send them. If the patient is undergoing a procedure, is in surgery and/or recovery, or is admitted to one of the intensive care units for example, they will not be able to receive flowers.

Second, ask the family if they know how long the patient is expected to stay in the hospital. If there is a chance the patient could be released shortly, it might be more appropriate to have the flowers delivered to where the patient resides.

Third, it is very helpful if the florist is provided with the correct spelling of the patient's full name.

If you want to be extra considerate, when choosing a particular bouquet for a hospital patient ask the florist to limit the quantity of very fragrant blooms it contains. While these blooms are certainly beautiful, a very strong floral scent, especially in close quarters, can sometimes be overwhelming for someone who is not feeling their best.

For security reasons we will not provide a patient's room number to anyone over the phone. However, when provided with a complete patient name, we can confirm whether or not that person is listed in the patient directory at the time of the call.

In light of the general tightening of security procedures in the aftermath of 9/11, and in keeping with our implementation of Homeland Security recommendations for major hospitals, we will continue to implement more visitor control at Halifax Medical Center. While we will try to assure any inconveniences due to these efforts are minimal, we believe that the safety of our patients and care teams more than makes them worthwhile.
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Contact: Kate Holcomb, 386-254-4224
Halifax-Fish Community Health
Public Relations
kate.holcomb

(22 September 2003) Study: Halifax Medical Center Rated Among Best in Nation - Quality of Care Cited by New HealthGrades Study

Contacts:
KateHolcomb, Halifax Medical Center (386) 254-4224, kate.Holcomb
Sarah Loughran, HealthGrades (303) 716-6502; sloughran

LAKEWOOD, CO (September 22, 2003) – Halifax Medical Center (HMC) in Daytona Beach has received five-star ratings for clinical performance in cardiology, pulmonary and respiratory care, and back and neck surgery, ranking it among the best in the nation in those areas, according to a new study released today by HealthGrades, the healthcare quality company. The sixth annual “HealthGrades Hospital Quality in America Study” analyzes and rates procedures and diagnoses in the nation’s nearly 5,000 hospitals, with fewer than 15 percent of hospitals meriting a five-star rating in a given category. The hospital’s ratings place it among the top 5% in the nation for both cardiology and pulmonary and respiratory care.

“Our focus is to provide the region with the best care possible,” said HMC Administrator Dan Lang. “To have an independent study validate our efforts is especially gratifying. That our patients have good outcomes with fewer complications is a credit to the everyday efforts of our physicians, nurses, staff and volunteers, and is important information for area residents who seek and deserve the highest quality of care.”

HealthGrades developed the study and ratings information to help consumers understand the differences in care from hospital to hospital. The ratings are available free to consumers at www.healthgrades.com.

“Consumers continue to ask for more and better information to help them in their healthcare decision making,” said Dr. Samantha Collier, HealthGrades’ vice president of medical affairs. “Our analysis provides an apples-to-apples comparison of hospital performance by procedure, and it is evident that there is a significant variance between individual hospitals. For Halifax Medical Center to score as well as it did reflects the efforts of everybody in the organization, and should be very comforting to area residents.”

The hospital quality ratings are compiled annually using three years of the most currently available Medicare patient data licensed from the federal government’s Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), part of the Department of Health and Human Services. To create its ratings system, HealthGrades compares the actual and predicted mortality or complication rates for specific procedures and diagnoses. HealthGrades then assigns a one-, three- or five-star rating for performance level. The data is risk-adjusted to ensure that hospitals are compared equitably, regardless of the severity of their patient populations. A five-star rating indicates performance better than expected and among the best in the nation. The study’s methodology is available at www.healthgrades.com.

About Halifax Medical Center
Halifax Medical Center is a 764-bed, full service, tertiary care hospital founded in 1928. Its main campus is in Daytona Beach at 303 North Clyde Morris Boulevard with a branch campus, Halifax Medical Center-Atlantic Campus, at 400 N. Clyde Morris Boulevard. Halifax Behavioral Services, the only area center for adolescent psychiatric services, occupies a campus nearby. A satellite hospital, Halifax Medical Center-Port Orange, is under construction and is expected toas a full service facility in 2005. Halifax has an outpatient center in Ormond Beach, and operates two community clinics and three Urgent Care Centers.

Halifax Medical Center services include the region’s most modern Heart Center, only Trauma Center, Pediatric Emergency Department, Neonatal and Pediatric Intensive Care Units, and both a Comprehensive Stroke Center and Neuroscience Center. The Family BirthPlace welcomes more new residents to the area than any other birthing facility and the uniquely themed Speediatrics unit for treatment of youngsters is a feature of the Betty Jane France Pediatric Center. Halifax provides cancer care through the Herbert D. Kerman Regional Oncology Center, and is a teaching hospital. In addition to a radiologic training program, Halifax serves as the host institution for the nationally noted Halifax Family Practice Residency Program. More information about Halifax Medical Center is available at www.halifax.org.

About HealthGrades
Health Grades, Inc. (OTCBB: HGRD) is a healthcare-quality ratings, information and advisory services company. Clients include health care providers, employers, health plans, insurance companies and consumers. HealthGrades works with healthcare providers to help assess, improve and promote their quality. HealthGrades provides consumers access to information about health care providers and practitioners through its Web site and provides liability insurers, employers and payers with critical information about health care quality.

HEALTHGRADES - Frequently Asked Questions

1) Who is HealthGrades?
HealthGrades is a health care information and advisory services company serving both consumers and the health care industry. Our mission is to support informed healthcare decisions and advance the quality of health care in the United States. HealthGrades analyzes governmental and private data to provide the public with comprehensive, objective quality ratings for nearly every hospital in the country.
2) What hospitals are included in HealthGrades’ Hospital Quality Ratings?
HealthGrades objectively rates every hospital in the United States treating Medicare patients through provision of services in the following areas: cardiac surgery, cardiology, orthopedic surgery, neurosciences, pulmonary/respiratory care, vascular surgery, and obstetrics. (Obstetrics and Women’s Health Services information is available for 18 states only due to the public availability of data).
3) What data is used to determine the ratings?
Raw data used to produce HealthGrades “Hospital Report Cards” comes from two sources: (1) Medicare (MEDPAR) files, licensed from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), and (2) state all payer files made public by states. The MEDPAR data includes 100% of hospitals participating in the Medicare program.
4) How are the star ratings derived?
Data on the Web site represent three years of the most current information available from CMS. This includes 2000 – 2002 government fiscal years (October through September). All hospital quality information is risk adjusted to provide a fair comparison between hospitals. Statistically significant differences between actual and expected performance are used to assign “star ratings” which reflect a grade of poor, as expected, or best. Expected outcomes are derived through use of a proprietary risk adjustment model developed in collaboration with established industry experts. The methodology white paper, available on www.healthgrades.com, provides additional detail.
5) How often are the ratings updated?
HealthGrades’ hospital ratings are updated annually. The latest ratings are scheduled for release on Sept. 22, 2003.
6) Who sees and uses this ratings information?
Both industry and consumers currently use our ratings. Employers, health plans, benefits managers, insurance companies and other industry experts rely on HealthGrades’ ratings and information to measure, compare and select healthcare providers. More than 3 million consumers annually access www.healthgrades.com while an additional 3.5 million individuals access HealthGrades information directly through their employers.
7) How does HealthGrades account for differences in patient severity within hospitals nationwide?
HealthGrades proprietary risk-adjustment methodology accounts for pre-existing conditions, procedural risk, and demographics that can influence patient outcomes. By analyzing the patient population of each provider and applying the same model across all providers nationwide, HealthGrades can provide an “apples to apples” comparison of performance. HealthGrades risk-adjustment models were developed with extensive research and are well accepted within the industry.
8) How do HealthGrades’ ratings differ from other hospital ratings?
HealthGrades is the only consumer-oriented, national rating system strictly focused on clinical quality outcomes that rates nearly every hospital in the country. By contrast, other hospital ratings organizations mix operational, financial, or opinion survey results criteria into their methodology. HealthGrades is also the only company to maintain a free, consumer friendly Website with ratings for hospitals nationwide. HealthGrades ratings are based on objective criteria and utilize three years of the most current data available.
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(19 September 2003) New Bereavement Support Groups Starting in October Throughout Volusia and Flagler Counties

VOLUSIA AND FLAGLER COUNTIES - The Hospice of Volusia/Flagler bereavement support groups will begin meeting in October and areto anyone in the Volusia/Flagler area who has recently experienced a death.

The Hospice of Volusia/Flagler offers "New Beginnings," an adult grief support group for individuals who need understanding and help in coping with the death of a loved one. The groups are facilitated by professional bereavement counselors and topics include: making adjustments to a new way of life; identifying feelings and symptoms associated with grief; and learning more effective ways to manage loss and stress.

"New Beginnings" sessions run for seven weeks and areto the public. Group sizes are limited to ten people and advance registration is required. Sessions are held throughout Volusia and Flagler counties beginning:

· DeLand, Oct. 14 - First Baptist Church, 725 N. Woodland Blvd., Tuesdays, 6:30 p.m.
· Port Orange I, Oct. 15 - Hospice Care Center, 3800 Woodbriar Trail, Wednesdays, 6:30 p.m.
· Ormond Beach, Oct.15 - Grace Lutheran Church, 338 Ocean Shore Blvd., Wednesdays, 1:30 p.m.
· Port Orange II, Oct. 16 - Hospice Care Center, 3800 Woodbriar Trail, Thursdays, 6:30 p.m.
· New Smyrna Beach, Oct. 16 - Coronado United Methodist Church, 201 S. Peninsula Ave., Thursdays, 1:30 p.m.
· Palm Coast, Oct. 20 - Florida Health Care Plans-Marketing Office, 21 Florida Park Dr.,
Mondays, 9:30 a.m.
· Daytona Beach, Oct. 21 - Our Lady of Lourdes, 201 University Blvd., Tuesdays, 6:30 p.m.

For more information on New Beginnings sessions and other grief counseling programs, contact Hospice of Volusia/Flagler in East Volusia at 386-322-4701, in Ormond Beach at 386-673-7770, Flagler County at 386-446-0300, and in West Volusia at 386-774-2188 or 800-272-2717.

Children's Grief Counseling - The BeginAgain Children's Grief Center, a program of Halifax Behavioral Services, offers grief support programs especially for young people and their families. For information on children's grief services, contact Karen Grant at the Center in Daytona Beach at 386-258-5100.
# # #
Contact: Kate Holcomb, 386-254-4224
Halifax-Fish Community Health
Public Relations
kate.holcomb

(16 September 2003) BFMC Designated a 'Get With The Guidelines' Hospital by American Heart Association

NEW SMYRNA BEACH - Bert Fish Medical Center has been recognized by the American Heart Association as a Get With The Guidelines Coronary Artery Disease Hospital, administrators learned recently.

The designation means Bert Fish is participating in the Association's Get With The Guidelines program, a quality improvement initiative to reduce the risk of recurrent heart attacks by helping hospital staff follow proven standards and procedures while caring for coronary patients.

Under the program, coronary patients are started on aggressive risk-reduction therapies such as cholesterol-lowering drugs, aspirin, ACE inhibitors and beta-blockers in the hospital. Patients also receive smoking cessation and weight management counseling, and referrals for cardiac rehabilitation before they are discharged.

These standards of care are outlined in the American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology secondary prevention guidelines for patients with coronary artery disease.

"BFMC has been committed to providing the latest technology in cardiac marker blood tests and interventions such as cardiac catheterization,'' said Nancy Epps, Laboratory Manager. "This certification is further evidence of our dedication to the full continuum of care for our cardiac patients."
"We wanted to incorporate the improvement process from an organizational standpoint," added Maryann Bledsoe, Lead Case Manager at Bert Fish.

Full implementation of the secondary prevention guidelines is a critical step in saving the lives of coronary patients, according to Lynn Smaha, M.D., Ph.D., American Heart Association volunteer chairman for the national Get With The Guidelines program. AHA's program is designed to help hospitals such as Bert Fish Medical Center implement standards and protocols that will reduce the number of recurrent events and death in these patients.

According to the American Heart Association, more than 450,000 people suffer recurrent heart attacks each year. Statistics also show that within six years after a heart attack, about 22 percent of men and 46 percent of women will be disabled with heart failure. Within one year of a heart attack, 25 percent of men and 38 percent of women will die.

Research indicates that when patients are discharged from the hospital on appropriate medications such as aspirin, beta-blockers, ACE inhibitors and lipid-lowering medicines, their risk of a second event is reduced and lives are saved.

Get With The Guidelines is designed to help Bert Fish Medical Center's staff develop and implement a secondary prevention guideline process. The program includes quality improvement measures such as care maps, discharge protocols, standing orders and measurement tools. Designed to be quick and efficient, these tools will enable BFMC to improve the quality of care it provides cardiac patients, save lives and ultimately, reduce healthcare costs by lowering the recurrence of heart attacks. Projections have shown if the Get With The Guidelines program was implemented nationwide, more than 80,000 lives could be saved each year.

This American Heart Association program, developed with support from an unrestricted grant from Merck & Co., Inc., is being implemented in hospitals around the country. For more information on Get With The Guidelines, visit www.americanheart.org and type Get With The Guidelines in the search box.
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Media Contact: Cathy Vaughn, 386-424-6428
Bert Fish Medical Center
Public Relations
cathy.vaughn

(15 September 2003) Senior Olympics During Port Orange Family Days

PORT ORANGE - A series of free, fun and competitive events for seniors will take place September 29 through October 3 during Port Orange Family Days. Presented by Halifax Medical Center-Port Orange and the Port Orange YMCA, Senior Olympics areto men and women age 55 and above.

Participants will compete in age specific categories by gender in racquetball, table tennis, horseshoes, swimming (freestyle) and bingo. The events will take place at the Port Orange YMCA, 4701 City Center Parkway with the exception of horseshoes, which will take place at the Port Orange Adult Center, 4790 Ridgewood Ave.

Registration forms are available at the Port Orange YMCA, or go to www.familydays.com. Completed registration forms can be turned in at the Port Orange YMCA prior to the event, or the event site the day of the event. All of the Senior Olympic events are free of charge. Participants do not have to be Port Orange residents to enter For information, contact the Port Orange YMCA, 386-760-9622

Schedule of Events:
Racquetball Tournament Monday, September, 29 9 a.m. Port Orange YMCA

Table Tennis Tournament Tuesday, September, 30 9 a.m. Port Orange YMCA

Horseshoes Tournament Wednesday, October 1 9 a.m. Port Orange Adult Center

Swimming (Freestyle) Thursday, October 2 9 a.m. Port Orange YMCA
Bingo Friday, October 3 9 a.m. Port Orange YMCA

Directions
The Port Orange YMCA is located at 4701 City Center Parkway, Port Orange. From I-95: Exit 256 - Dunlawton Ave. (Port Orange). Head East. Make a left (North) on City Center Pkwy. The Port Orange YMCA will be on the right hand side of the road.

The Port Orange Adult Center is located at 4790 Ridgewood Ave., Port Orange. From I-95: Exit 256 -Dunlawton Ave. (Port Orange). Head East. Make a right (South) on Ridgewood Ave. (US 1), go approximately one mile. The Port Orange Adult Center will be on the right hand side of the road.
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Contact: Kate Holcomb, 386-254-4224
Halifax-Fish Community Health
Public Relations
kate.holcomb

(8 September 2003) Hospice of Volusia/Flagler Rededicates Sept. 11 Monument On Tragedy’s Anniversary

PORT ORANGE -- Hospice of Volusia/Flagler will add a new dimension this week to the piece of the World Trade Center it placed last year beside a quiet lake on its Port Orange campus to honor the victims of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

The sight of the section of a support beam from New York landmark, one of a few pieces donated to locations around the nation for memorial purposes by the Mayor’s Office, so moved Palm Coast resident Letha Herh at the ceremony just one year ago that she donated funds to better display and preserve the beam, recognizing those who lost their lives at the World Trade Center, Pentagon, and in the related crash near Pittsburgh, Pa. of United Airlines Flight 93.

The new memorial will be rededicated at 11 a.m., Thursday, Sept. 11 in a ceremony that will feature Volusia County Sheriff Ben Johnson’s remarks on the teamwork between law enforcement and citizens in protecting against terrorism, and a recorded message from former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani expressing his appreciation for the direct and moral support New Yorkers received from the people of Florida in the days following the terrorist attacks. During a Daytona Beach visit earlier this year, Giuliani signed the text for a special plaque that has been cast in bronze and will be a permanent part of the memorial.

Mrs. Herh, with the assistance of Hospice Board member George Rousis and development consultant Bill Hall who first sought to obtain the WTC beam for a local memorial, will unveil the memorial. It features granite quarried in New York, reflective of those who lost their lives at the World Trade Center; Virginia, the location of the Pentagon; and Pennsylvania, in honor of those aboard Flight 93. Linda Cole, known as “Daytona Beach’s First Lady of Song,” will present the National Anthem and other selections as part of the program, which will be hosted by John E. Evans, director of corporate communications for Halifax-Fish Community Health.

Ample parking is available adjacent to the Hospice of Volusia/Flagler Care Center. Those who can’t be present in person are invited to tune in the ceremony on WROD Radio, 1340 on the AM dial.

Directions to Sept. 11 Memorial Rededication: Hospice of Volusia/Flagler is located at 3800 Woodbriar Trail in Port Orange (just West of Nova Road off Dunlawton Ave.). From I-95: Exit #256 Dunlawton Ave. (Port Orange). Head East. Make a left on Woodbriar Trail (at Halifax Medical Center-Port Orange), to lakeside location in front of Hospice.

Photo Available: Rudolph Giuliani signing text for Hospice plaque while in Daytona Beach earlier this year.
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Contact: Kate Holcomb, 386-254-4224
Halifax-Fish Community Health
Public Relations
kate.holcomb

(3 September 2003) 2nd Annual Hospice 5K Run & Walk on September 27 to Benefit Hospice of Volusia/Flagler Caregiver Support Programs

PORT ORANGE - Hospice of Volusia/Flagler will host the 2nd Annual Hospice Run & Walk - Celebrating the Spirit of Caregiving on Saturday, September 27. The 5K Run/Walk will be held at Hospice of Volusia/Flagler, 3800 Woodbriar Trail, Port Orange. Registration begins at 6:45 a.m., the timed competitive 5K run starts at 7:50 a.m., and the 5K walk begins at 8 a.m. The event is part of the Port Orange Family Days activities.

Advance registration for the event is $15 per person ($20 on day of event). All paid registrants receive a T-shirt, goodie bag, entry into the prize drawings, food and beverages. Entry forms are available online at www.familydays.com, at all Hospice of Volusia/Flagler offices (Port Orange, Orange City, Ormond Beach, and Palm Coast), or by calling 386-322-4701, ext. 6296. Pre-registration will be held September 25 and 26 from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. at Hospice of Volusia/Flagler. Participants are encouraged to pick up their shirts and goodie bags during pre-registration. For more information about Port Orange Family Days, go to www.familydays.com.

Participants are encouraged to form teams by signing up co-workers, friends and family. A complimentary team photo will be taken on race day. Anyone who cannot attend the event but would like to support Hospice patients and caregivers can do so by registering as a "Caregiver Supporter." Caregiver Supporters can pick up their T-shirts and goodie bags during pre-registration.

Event Notes:
· Bright House Networks is the presenting sponsor for the Hospice 5K Run & Walk.
· The 5K competitive run will be a timed event with awards for top three runners in each male and female age group: 0-14, 15-19, 20-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70-74, 75+.
· Funds raised will help Hospice of Volusia/Flagler offer caregivers relief and respite as they so selflessly give their time and hearts to those they love.
· 592 supporters attended the Inaugural Hospice Run/Walk.

Caregivers play an integral role in the care of Hospice patients. Hospice of Volusia/Flagler Executive Director Debbie Harley said, "During the last 24 years, Hospice of Volusia/Flagler has witnessed ordinary people perform extraordinary acts of kindness and compassion at life's end. After all these years, we are still moved by the dedication and sacrifices family members give to their loved ones as they face the end of life's journey."

Directions to 2nd Annual Hospice 5K Run & Walk
Hospice of Volusia/Flagler is located at 3800 Woodbriar Trail in Port Orange. From I-95: Exit #256 Dunlawton Ave. (Port Orange). Head East. Make a left on Woodbriar Trail (at Halifax Medical Center-Port Orange). Follow signs to parking.
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Contact: Kate Holcomb, 386-254-4224
Halifax-Fish Community Health
Public Relations
kate.holcomb

(3 September 2003) Child Safety Seat Checkup Event on September 20 in Daytona Beach

DAYTONA BEACH – A child safety seat checkup event will be held Saturday, September 20, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Jon Hall Pontiac-GMC, 901 Nova Road, Daytona Beach. Parents and guardians are invited to drop by in their cars with their car seats and children to make sure their child car seat is correctly installed.

Healthy Communities, Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, and Volusia/Flagler SAFE KIDS Coalition are coordinating the checkup event. In addition to getting their child safety seats checked, families will receive free safety information.

“Safety is our top priority,” states dealership general manager Bud Ritchey. “We are thrilled to be part of the Volusia/Flagler SAFE KIDS Coalition and provide this resource for the families of Volusia County.”

“Children should be in child safety seats, booster seats and/or seat belts every time they ride in a car or truck," states Joe Cohen, community relations officer with the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office. “Unfortunately, nine out of 10 child car seats are installed incorrectly.”

The September 20 event is part of an ongoing child safety seat distribution program made possible by the Volusia County Sheriff's Office, the Volusia County Fire Department, and the Volusia/Flagler SAFE KIDS Coalition. The Flagler/Volusia County Child Safety Seat Program, whose goal is to reduce the number of injuries and fatalities to children by increasing awareness of the importance of proper child safety seat usuage, was formed as a partnership in 1996.

For more information about the upcoming event, call Healthy Communities at 386-323-0000.

(26 August 2003) Bert Fish Medical Center Seeks Nursing Magnet Recognition

NEW SMYRNA BEACH - Bert Fish Medical Center recently received a $24,000 grant to develop a Nursing Magnet Recognition Program that will empower nurses to change patient care processes and increase nursing staff satisfaction.

The grant awarded by the Bert Fish Foundation in DeLand will help BFMC qualify for the program, which identifies and honors excellence in the care nurses provide. It would recognize Bert Fish Medical Center as a nursing service "magnet" that has created a work environment to acknowledge and reward professional nursing.

The Nursing Magnet Recognition Program was developed by the American Nurses Credentialing Center in 1994 to recognize healthcare organizations that provide the very best in nursing care and uphold the traditions that support professional nursing practices. The ANCC has awarded the designation to 74 healthcare organizations, if which six are in Florida.

Based on defined quality indicators and standards of nursing care, the Magnet Program honors organizations committed to delivering quality patient care through excellence in nursing. A hospital that earns Magnet Program status for a designated four-year period enjoys a competitive advantage in recruiting and retaining nurses, enhancing its nursing care, increasing staff morale and attracting high quality physicians and specialists. In effect, a Magnet Program "raises the bar'' for employees by establishing standards that must be met.

Nursing Magnet organizations also encourage their staff members to form cooperative working relationships based on respect, integrity and teamwork. Those characteristics, in turn, improve the quality of patient care.

Wanda Gerson, Chief Nursing Officer/Assistant Administrator, estimated it will take about 18 months to develop, apply for and implement the Magnet Recognition Program curriculum.

"I'm excited about this opportunity to recognize the excellent care provided by our nursing staff,'' Gerson said. "I thank the Bert Fish Foundation for this generous gift, which will greatly benefit our nurses.''

At BFMC, she said part of the effort will involve encouraging nurses to participate in patient care decision-making, develop leadership skills among nursing management team members and facilitate communication and processes that are critical to the accomplishment of BFMC's primary goal - its service to individuals, families, groups and the community.

To qualify for Magnet designation, Bert Fish first will submit a completed application form and documentation to show how its staff implements program standards and how they're incorporated within the nursing service. Then, the American Nurses Association will make a site visit and evaluate the hospital's nursing care environment. The site visit process also involves community participation and public comment, during which the hospital's documentation of the program isfor public review and comment. Afterward, the ANA appraiser will submit a final report and recommendations on BFMC's magnet application.

Establishing a nursing program resource center will be an essential part of the effort to ensure continuing education for the BFMC nursing staff. The resource center will incorporate recent nursing publication and journals, computer access to electronic media, links to research and standards of care.
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Media Contact: Cathy Vaughn, 386-424-6428
Bert Fish Medical Center
Public Relations
cathy.vaughn

(20 August 2003) Halifax Medical Center Eyes New Medical Complex As A 'Campus of Tomorrow'

DAYTONA BEACH - Halifax Medical Center today took the first steps toward creation of a medical complex to replace some current facilities by entering into a contract to acquire approximately 230 acres of land in the Daytona Beach area's fast-developing west side.

"It has become increasingly obvious that growth of the region is creating needs we soon will be unable to meet at our current location at International Speedway and Clyde Morris Boulevards. When Halifaxd its doors seventy-five years ago, our current campus was criticized for being too far 'out of town.' Now it is bisected by busy city streets and parking becomes more of a problem with each year," Halifax Hospital Medical Center Board Chair Glenn Ritchey said. "The time is ripe to invest in a new location that provides us with many options to create new facilities keyed to advances in medicine and dedicated to the comfort and convenience of our patients and their families."

Consolidated-Tomoka Land Company announced the signing of the land sale contract today, identifying the land as located south of LPGA Boulevard, between Clyde Morris and Williamson Boulevards. Consolidated-Tomoka Sr. Vice President Bruce W. Teeters said the land would be sold for approximately $19 million dollars. He said both the acreage and purchase price are subject to adjustment based upon survey and wetlands determinations. John E. Evans, director of Corporate Communications for Halifax·Fish Community Health, said the adjustments, because a portion of the property is in wetlands and not suitable for building, could total several million dollars. He said the Hospital District hopes to close on the property by the end of this year and that payment, over a period of time, would come from a possible bond issue, hospital operating revenues and gifts and grants supporting expansion of services to the Funcoast Region.

"The recent recognition of Halifax Medical Center as being among the top 5 percent in the nation in clinical quality emphasizes both successful outcomes for its patients and that it is staffed at every level by caring people who deserve a facility equal to their skills and dedication. Our Board is committed to seeing that they have just such a facility," Ritchey said.

"The nature of the hospital business has changed through the years," Halifax·Fish CEO Ron R. Rees, who has led the Halifax administration for nearly three decades, said. "Outpatient services have greatly expanded, the length of inpatient stays has shortened. Specialty Centers meet individual needs with customized services, and the whole hospital environment has become more user-friendly. We deal today more than ever before in matters of prevention and in the maintenance of good health. We have dreamed and planned for years about what our region deserves and the time has come for us to begin to turn concepts into solid plans to guide our growth."

Rees emphasized that today's commitment is "the first step down a long road" and that the Hospital Board is committed to "getting a great deal of input from our physicians, staff, volunteers and the community as to the creation of a true 'Campus of Tomorrow.'" He said it is likely that partial funding for new facilities will come from a series of capital campaigns "that will strengthen our partnership with the community in providing services consistent with a desirable quality of life."
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Contact: John E. Evans, 386-254-4228
Halifax-Fish Community Health

DAYTONA BEACH - An infant female brought to Halifax Medical Center on Tuesday morning after being found at the front entrance to the Atlantic Campus of Halifax Medical Center is currently listed in very stable condition. The infant was admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit at Halifax Medical Center for observation and evaluation.

Halifax Medical Center-Atlantic Campus is located at 400 N. Clyde Morris Blvd, one block north of Halifax Medical Center's main campus, in Daytona Beach. It is a satellite campus of Halifax Medical Center and currently offers services including Halifax Urgent Care, Halifax Center for Advanced Imaging, Pre-Op Assessment, Ambulatory Infusion Clinic, and other outpatient services and offices. The building is currently staffed to beMonday through Friday, and specific hours vary by department ranging from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. Halifax-Fish Community Health security officers make rounds of the Atlantic Campus after hours.

All questions regarding the incident the infant should be directed to the Daytona Beach Police Department and/or the Department of Children and Family Services.
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Contact: Kate Holcomb, 386-254-4224
Halifax-Fish Community Health
Public Relations
kate.holcomb

(19 August 2003) Bert Fish Medical Center Performs Record Number of Kidney Transplants During Summer

NEW SMYRNA BEACH - Bert Fish Medical Center's Kidney Transplant Program performed a record number of transplant surgeries in July and August, bringing its total to 90 transplants since the programd for business in July 1999.

"Summertime is a busy time for transplants in general,'' said Dr. Bobby Nibhanupudy, Co-Director of the Kidney Transplant Program and its primary transplant surgeon. "The other part of it is, our transplant waiting list has gotten longer and we have more patients whose time has come and an organ was available. And when you add to that, the other Central Florida kidney group suspending transplants in July, that resulted in the 18 transplants we've done since the end of June.''

Eleven of those operations were performed from the last day of June to the end of July, including one with a living donor. Seven more transplants have been done this month, bringing the program's annual average to just over 22. There are 34 patients currently on the waiting list.

Winter Park Urology Associates announced in May its surgeons would stop performing transplants July 1 due to the medical liability insurance crisis in Florida, so some of the donated organs that formerly would have been transplanted by those physicians came to Bert Fish instead. Although BFMC's transplant surgeons supported Urology Associates and understood the group's position, Bert Fish's program remained

The Kidney Transplant Program at Bert Fish Medical Center offers patients the option of advanced surgical techniques such as hand-assisted laparoscopic nephrectomy (removal of a kidney), to shorten the recovery time for living donors.
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Media Contact: Cathy Vaughn, 386-424-6428
Bert Fish Medical Center
Public Relations
cathy.vaughn

(18 August 2003) New Device Helps Patients Relearn How To Walk

DAYTONA BEACH - The Neuroscience Center at Halifax Medical Center is now using a sophisticated treadmill system to help patients with spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury and stroke relearn how to walk.

The Litegait system ® is a treadmill with an overhead frame that has a harness attached which supports patients. This allow for proper upright posture and safety. The therapist is then able to adjust the treadmill settings and make manual corrections to the hips and legs as the patient walks. This results in correct biomechanics while walking.

Research indicates that this type of gait training helps to retrain the locomotor reflexes in the spinal cord which may be of benefit to patients with neurological injuries.

Interview and photo opportunities include:
· Interview with Carolyn Geis, MD. Dr. Geis is the medical director of the Neuroscience Center and director of rehabilitative services at Halifax Medical Center.
· Physical therapist assisting a patient using the Litegait device.

For information or to set up an interview contact Kate Holcomb, 386-254-4224, or e-mail kate.holcomb. To contact the Neuroscience Center at Halifax Medical Center call 386-947-4641.
# # #
Contact: Kate Holcomb, 386-254-4224
Halifax-Fish Community Health
Public Relations
kate.holcomb

(11 August 2003) Physician Helps Student Athletes Avoid the Perils of Dehydration

DAYTONA BEACH - Dr. John Shelton is a man on a mission. Each year as school goes back in session, the stories of student athletes collapsing and in some cases dying after hard workouts in high heat, frustrates the physician who has made a career of teaching doctors-in-training how to help their patients avoid the perils of dehydration.

Preventing dehydration and other heat related illnesses increases safety and enhances the performance of athletes. It can also save a life.

In August, with temperatures routinely exceeding 90 degrees and the humidity soaring, teams gear up for the fall season. On school and recreational athletic fields throughout the area, kids are participating in team practices, and for many it might be the first strenuous activity they've done in several months.

"All certified athletic trainers are well versed on heat illness and for good reason. Heat illness can be a serious, even deadly problem. For student athletes in Central Florida the danger is real," warns Dr. Shelton.

Dr. Shelton is the director of the Family Practice Residency Program Sports Medicine Fellowship at Halifax Medical Center. He, along with Sports Medicine Fellow Pasqualino Caputo, MD, works with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU), Bethune-Cookman College (BCC), and Daytona Beach Community College athletic departments performing physical evaluations and making training room rounds on student athletes with the school trainers. The physicians attend all home B-CC football events, and help cover ERAU basketball games as well.

"Trainers routinely push student athletes to drink fluids, and parents should remind kids to go along with trainer recommendations, even if they are not thirsty. By the time they feel thirsty they are already pretty dehydrated," advises Dr. Shelton.

Illnesses caused by dehydration can be serious, even life threatening, and include:
· Muscle cramps.
· Heat Exhaustion - Heat exhaustion is the inability to use muscles for strenuous exercise until rehydrated. Symptoms include profound weakness and exhaustion, and often dizziness, syncope, muscle cramps and nausea.
· Heatstroke - Heatstroke is characterized by a very high body temperature and usually, but not always, hot dry skin, and possibly seizure or coma. It is actually a combination of potential medical complications including:
   o Muscle damage, or rhabodmyolysis, which can be severe and causes kidney failure and even death.
   o Hypotension, or very low blood pressure, that can cause failure of multiple organ systems such as the brain resulting in seizures and brain damage.
   o Cardiac arrest due to the inability of the heart to pump when there simply is not enough volume of blood to sustain circulation and life.
· Death.

Dr. Shelton stresses that even elite athletes who pay very close attention can become more dehydrated than they realize in extreme conditions.

"In one stage of the Tour De France, eventual winner Lance Armstrong lost 5 kilograms or more than 10 pounds (more than four percent of his body weight was lost) even though he was drinking heavily during the race. The problem was the temperature that day was 100 F and he needed to be drinking even more. He finished the race but his performance was definitely affected, he lost more than 90 seconds to his competitor, causing many observers to speculate on what went wrong for him. It became clear with the weigh-in. He even had to get IV fluids that night to race the next day because even after he drank three to four liters of liquid, he was still several pounds down and simply was having trouble getting all the needed fluid down without causing nausea from a very full stomach.

"Remember, Armstrong is a very experienced professional elite athlete and it still happened to him. I do not encourage using IV fluids for routine hydration for high school or college players, as it's probably best to replace the fluids naturally, by mouth, and rest before returning to vigorous competition. For the average athlete, trying to compete this close to the fringe of near illness is just not worth the medical risks," advises Dr. Shelton.

Thankfully, heat-related deaths are rare, but practice or competition in hot, humid conditions poses special problems for student athletes in Central Florida. Constant surveillance and education are necessary to prevent heat-related problems. So get out the water, and drink up!

TIPS TO AVOID THE PERILS OF DEHYDRATION
· Conditioning counts. Ideally athletes will have done some training in the heat (30 to 60 minutes per day) before their practice schedule gets into full swing. This allows for acclimatization and adaptation to the heat.
· Some athletes are more susceptible than others. A history of previous heat illness might mean an athlete is at higher risk of recurrence; some physical conditions and substances increase risk as well. Athletes need to be made aware of the symptoms of heat illness and be watched closely, with pre- and post-practice weigh-ins performed to be sure about their level of hydration.
· Avoid the hottest part of the day. Ideally, summer practices should be held early in the day (finish before 9 to 10 a.m.) or late (after 6 p.m.) following afternoon rainstorms - ideally when temperatures are below 90 degrees - especially with the "two-a-day" practices many football teams hold.
· Make a gradual start. The first few days of practice should begin with the lightest equipment to avoid heat retention by athletic gear. For example, with football, coaches should limit practice to wearing shorts and shirts on day one with conditioning only. Perhaps adding shoulder pads with shorts on day two, then moving to full gear no earlier than day three.
· Water, water everywhere. Water must be freely available at all times to all athletes and they should be reminded to drink regularly. Fluid breaks should be scheduled, and occur more frequently as the temperature and humidity rise. Assuming a student is eating a normal three-meals-per-day diet, consuming water only for the first one to two hours is usually adequate. Advertising touting so called sports drinks are more about capturing market-share, than medical need. We don't usually reach the point of needing salt or electrolyte supplementation until 1.5 hours or more into a workout (i.e. marathon athletes). Sports drinks are okay, but they're not essential for a less than two-hour workout. Getting enough water is what matters most.
· Avoid muscle cramps. Kids who experience frequent muscle cramps may benefit from an electrolyte solution but there is no guarantee that the cramps will respond. The primary reason muscle cramps occur is lack of conditioning, which is improved only by the practices. To recover from an intense spasm of the cramp, some players may have to rest, even skip a practice or two, to allow the muscle to recover as well as give time for re-hydration.
· Do it by the numbers. As a general rule of thumb, pre- and post-practice weigh-ins are useful to determine how much weight is lost in water and therefore needs replacing before the next practice. Players who lose two percent or more of their body weight after one practice will have decreased performance and are susceptible to injury. Players experiencing a three percent or greater weight loss after one practice are at risk for serious heat illness and should not practice at all until they drink enough to get their body weight back to or close to pre-practice weight. Example: 150 lb. athlete (pre-practice weight) has a 2% weight loss (3 lbs) bringing body weight to 147 1bs. This player should weigh a minimum of 148 lbs and will have to drink 1-2 liters or more before the next practice to minimize risk of heat illness. The same player experiencing a 3% loss (4.5 lbs.) will have to drink even more, and should not practice until body weight is back up to 148 lbs.
· Supplements and early hot season conditioning don't mix. Never ever use supplements (such as creatine) during this early hot season conditioning period. These substances increase the particle load in the blood and require even greater water intake to allow them to be filtered out by the kidneys under any condition. The net effect is more work for the kidneys, less water available for the cooling effect of sweating. Some over the counter medications can have the same effect.
· No Ephedra. Ephedra has been linked to many deaths and medical complications such as high blood pressure, stroke, heart attack or arrhythmia even before dehydration occurs, thus compounding an already existing risk. Athletes are led to believe so called supplements will always make performance better and there simply is not scientific data to support this.
· Take action quickly. Anytime an athlete appears sick or compromised, quickly move them out of the sun and remove most of their clothing to allow cooling. Spraying mist or pouring water on remaining clothes will help. Locate on-site medical personnel if available. Strongly consider a medical evaluation at the nearest hospital emergency department if the athlete doesn't recover quickly by beginning to drink, sit up and begin feeling better.
· Know when it is an emergency. Heatstroke is a medical emergency. Confusion and collapse are the most obvious signs. Persistent vomiting, more than one time, interferes with adequate intake of water. Medical care must be obtained immediately. Intravenous fluids may be necessary. Victims of heatstroke should be hospitalized and carefully monitored.
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Contact: Kate Holcomb, 386-254-4224
Halifax-Fish Community Health
Public Relations
kate.holcomb

(5 August 2003) Halifax Medical Center Earns HealthGrades’ Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical Excellence

DAYTONA BEACH - Halifax Medical Center, observing its 75^th anniversary of service to Florida’s Funcoast, has been awarded an overall hospital quality distinction that places it among the nation’s elite.

In meetings today with hospital managers, physicians and community leaders, and the Board of the Halifax·Fish Community Health, officials of HealthGrades, the national healthcare quality firm, announced that Halifax has received its 2003 Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical Excellence. The award places Halifax among a group of less than 200 hospitals nationally who are seen at the pinnacle of quality performance across numerous clinical service lines.

The latest nationwide analysis evaluated hospitals’ clinical outcomes across 20 procedures and diagnoses in six clinical specialties: cardiac surgery, cardiology, orthopedic surgery, neuroscience, pulmonary, and vascular surgery. HealthGrades statistically aggregated the individual procedure and diagnosis ratings to create a hospital-wide evaluation of overall clinical quality. Only full-service hospitals that score among the top 20 percent nationwide are eligible for the Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical Excellence; this equates to less than five percent of the nation’s total of approximately 5000 hospitals.

HealthGrades Senior Vice President Michael Phillips, who presented the trophy signifying Halifax designation to Hospital Administrator Dan Lang, told his audiences that the award “is a testament to the strong culture of exceptional clinical quality that this organization possesses. It is not luck that results in this distinction, but hard work and dedication to quality.”

Halifax·Fish CEO Ron Rees, who has been a part of the Halifax operation for nearly three decades, told a luncheon of physician and community leaders at Daytona USA that “clinical quality requires the commitment of all the members of our medical staff and of every member of our team, from the bedside to the lab to the laundry and to the volunteers who assist patients and their families in so many ways. Together, they have earned this award, and now we are all challenged to maintain the high standard of quality that will enable it to be renewed in the years ahead.”

This is the latest in a line of accolades for Halifax Medical Center. In 2003, HealthGrades five star quality ratings were received individually within cardiac services, orthopedics, vascular surgery, and pulmonary/respiratory care. The ratings place Halifax Medical Center among the top 10 ranked in Florida and among the top 10 percent in the nation for overall cardiac services. Earlier Halifax had been designated a Solucient Top 100 Cardiovascular hospital in a national review by that company, and it is a multi-year winner of the regional Consumer Choice hospital designation conferred by National Research Corporation based on polling done in the area.

HealthGrades is a healthcare-quality ratings, information and advisory services company whose clients include healthcare providers, employers, health plans, insurance companies and consumers. With its proprietary, objective provider ratings and expert advisory services, HealthGrades is creating the standard for healthcare quality. HealthGrades provides its clients with targeted solutions that enable them to measure, assess, enhance and market healthcare quality. HealthGrades can be accessed through the Internet at www.healthgrades.com.

VISUALS AVAILABLE ON REQUEST:
1) Halifax Medical Center Administrator Dan Lang and HealthGrades Senior Vice President Michael Phillips unveil the 2003 HealthGrades Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical Excellence at the Halifax manager’s meeting.
2) Halifax-Fish Community Health Board of Directors member Glenn Ritchey, Halifax Medical Center Administrator Dan Lang, HealthGrades Senior Vice President Michael Phillips and Halifax Medical Center Medical Staff President James E. McDonnell, MD, present the 2003 HealthGrades Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical Excellence to physicians and community leaders at a luncheon.
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Contact: Kate Holcomb, 386-254-4224
Halifax-Fish Community Health
Public Relations
kate.holcomb

JULY 2003 NEWS RELEASES - Scroll down

(31 July 2003) New Bereavement Support Groups Starting in August Throughout Volusia and Flagler Counties

VOLUSIA AND FLAGLER COUNTIES - The Hospice of Volusia/Flagler bereavement support groups will begin meeting in August and areto anyone in the Volusia/Flagler area who has recently experienced a death.

The Hospice of Volusia/Flagler offers "New Beginnings," an adult grief support group for individuals who need understanding and help in coping with the death of a loved one. The groups are facilitated by professional bereavement counselors and topics include: making adjustments to a new way of life; identifying feelings and symptoms associated with grief; and learning more effective ways to manage loss and stress.

"New Beginnings" sessions run for seven weeks and areto the public. Group sizes are limited to ten people and advance registration is required. Sessions are held throughout Volusia and Flagler counties beginning:

· Port Orange I, Aug. 6 - Hospice Care Center, 3800 Woodbriar Trail, Wednesdays, 10 a.m. - noon

· Port Orange II, Aug. 7 - Hospice Care Center, 3800 Woodbriar Trail, Thursdays, 6:30 - 8 p.m.

· New Smyrna Beach, Aug. 7 - Coronado United Methodist Church, 201 S. Peninsula Ave., Thursdays, 1:30-3:30 p.m.

· DeLand, Aug. 12 - First Baptist Church, 725 N. Woodland Blvd., Tuesdays, 6:30-8 p.m.

· Palm Coast, Aug. 25 - Florida Health Care Plans, 21 Florida Park Dr., Mondays, 9:30-11 a.m.

· Ormond Beach, Sept. 3 - Grace Lutheran Church, 338 Ocean Shore Blvd., Wednesdays, 1:30-3:30 p.m.

For more information on New Beginnings sessions, contact Hospice of Volusia/Flagler in East Volusia at 386-322-4701, in Ormond Beach at 386-673-7770, Flagler County at 386-446-0300, and in West Volusia at 386-774-2188 or 800-272-2717.

Children's Grief Counseling - The BeginAgain Children's Grief Center, a program of Halifax Behavioral Services, offers grief support programs especially for young people and their families. For information on children's grief services, contact Karen Grant at the Center in Daytona Beach at 386-258-5100.
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Contact: Kate Holcomb, 386-254-4224
Halifax-Fish Community Health
Public Relations
kate.holcomb

(31 July 2003) Hard Look at Ravages of AIDS in South Africa Topic of August 6 Presentation

DAYTONA BEACH - The philosophy of the hospice movement - to assist the terminally ill to achieve a "good" death in which a quality of life is maintained to the end - is challenged daily by the massive AIDS epidemic that has much of Africa in its grips.

Staff and supporters of Hospice of Volusia/Flagler (HOVF) and interested area residents will be offered a rare detailed look at how AIDS has torn families apart and the pressure it places on caregivers when Patricia B. Alfino, volunteer services manager for St. Luke's Hospices based in Cape Town, South Africa, presents an illustrated discussion at The Museum of Arts and Sciences in Daytona Beach on Wednesday, August 6, at 7 p.m.

The program is free andto the public. Refreshments will be provided. There is no admission charge, but a collection to benefit the St. Luke's Hospices will be taken. For information call JoAnne King at 386-322-4701, ext. 6395.

St. Luke's, which was created in 1980 and serves a broad area around Cape Town through a series of community-based hospice programs, has had a "sister service" affiliation with HOVF for two years. HOVF staff held a special drawing for a quilt made and donated by a Hospice staff member. The proceeds were sent to St. Luke's to assist in meeting the mounting challenges of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and its broader program that assists the terminally ill and their families. Like Hospice of Volusia/Flagler, St. Luke's operates an inpatient care center, hospital services and a range of bereavement services.

Ms. Alfino, who is touring the United States developing support for the St. Luke's program and the needs of her nation, has been instrumental in the recent expansion of St. Luke's services to 12 branches through innovative partnerships between the hospice and hospitals and provincial governments in adjacent areas. St. Luke's professional interdisciplinary teams care for patients with all terminal illnesses. The most common of these, in addition to AIDS, are cancer and motor neuron disease.

St. Luke's has created a hospice network with clinics, hospitals and other informal care agencies, which trains and employs people from the community as caregivers to provide quality care to patients and their families. There is no charge for the service, though if insurance is available claims are submitted. International donors such as the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund and the Elton John Foundation are major underwriters of the St. Luke's program.

Family care is especially difficult in the South African culture. St. Luke's Hospice Social Worker Nomakula Mrubata, who runs a support group from a hospital in Khayelitsha near Cape Town, estimates that one third of HIV-positive people she has worked with are rejected by their families. Some are kicked out, but most are treated so badly at home that they leave.

In June, South Africa's largest newspaper, the Sunday Times, told the story of how 36-year-old Sindiwe Apie, whose husband's family would not eat food she made or let her touch their children, convinced her husband to divorce her. "You'd think your family would be at your side. It's a very painful thing when they reject you," Apie was quoted as saying.

Dr. Liz Gwyther, chief executive officer of St. Luke's Hospice, is a recognized leader in a South African movement to empower women infected with HIV/AIDS to seek some semblance of a normal life. Although in much of South Africa rejection, mainly of women, by family members is widespread, she says the high rate of HIV infection in some areas has lessened rejection. "In places like KwaSZulu-Natal every family has been affected. It's no longer something that happens to other people. This has reduced the stigma, but it's tragic that things have come this far," Gwyther said.

Patricia Alfino, who is the current chair of the Cape Town Volunteer Center, is trained in nursing, midwifery and holds a community health diploma. She is active in South Africa's National Progressive Primary Health Care Project and has been named Woman of the Year In Community Health.
# # #
Contact: Kate Holcomb, 386-254-4224
Halifax-Fish Community Health
Public Relations
kate.holcomb

(14 July 2003) Bert Fish Medical Center Offers Mammograms Through Grant From Susan G. Komen Foundation

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Bert Fish Medical Center is offering free or reduced-fee mammograms to women who qualify for the screening on the basis of their income, age and residency through a $29,000 grant from the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation's Central Florida Affiliate.

This community outreach effort will be coordinated through the hospital-based Women's Breast Health Program, a comprehensive service that offers education, screening and treatment of breast-related problems. The program is intended to guide patients through all phases of treatment for breast disease, from their initial mammography appointment to any follow-up treatment that may be necessary.

To further that goal, the Komen grant, which recently was awarded to BFMC based on an application submitted by the Bert Fish Medical Center Foundation, will provide mammograms at no charge or reduced fees for uninsured women and those of limited income. Participants must be age 35 and older, and reside in Southeast Volusia County. An application to establish need and eligibility for the program will be completed by each woman and participants will be asked to obtain a prescription for a mammogram from their primary care physician or other health care provider.

If a woman has had a previous mammogram at a facility other than Bert Fish Medical Center or Bert Fish Medical Center-Edgewater, BFMC needs those films before an appointment is made for a grant-funded mammogram.

The Komen grant also will help Bert Fish develop a Breast Cancer Resource/Outreach Center offering breast cancer education and resource materials.

"We are extremely pleased to be a Susan G. Komen grant recipient, especially since this was our first time in applying for a grant for our newly developed Woman's Breast Health Program,'' said Patty Tanner, Breast Health Program Coordinator. "This grant will enable us to offer the women in Southeast Volusia County more of an opportunity to have information, screening and education of breast health-related problems readily available. We realize that by education and screening we can make more women aware of the importance of the early detection and treatment of breast cancer. This will be an exciting experience for us and we look forward to helping the women in our community.

"We ask those who are interested in this program to call me first, at 386-424-6334, so I can send them an application,'' Tanner added.
The Central Florida Affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation works to fund education, screening and treatment for medically underserved women in Brevard, Flagler, Lake, Marion, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Sumter and Volusia Counties. Because of this funding, thousands of women who could not afford mammograms and breast health care in the Central Florida service area are being screened for breast cancer. Komen's mission is to eradicate cancer as a life-threatening disease by advancing research, education, screening and treatment.

The Central Florida Affiliate raised more than $300,000 through its 2002 Central Florida Race for the Cure® and other fundraising events held throughout 2002. Upon recommendation by the Affiliate's Grant Committee, the Board of Directors awarded approximately 75 percent of the funds raised to local organizations for education, screening and treatment of medically underserved women in the Central Florida Service Area. The grant received by the Women's Breast Health Program at Bert Fish Medical Center was one of seven awarded to deserving Central Florida organizations and programs. The remaining 25 percent of the funds supports the Susan G. Komen Foundation's National Award and Research Grant Program, which has provided much needed funding for groundbreaking breast cancer research and innovative projects in the area of breast health for the last 20 years.

The Komen Foundation emphasizes that early detection of breast cancer saves lives. In 2003, it is estimated that 211,300 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer (one every three minutes) and 39,800 women will die of breast cancer (one every 12 minutes). Mammography is the best known method of early detection because it has the ability to detect breast cancers before they can be felt. Until more is known about preventing breast cancer, its detection at an early stage provides a greater chance of survival and offers more treatment options. When the disease is confined to the breast, the five-year survival rate is over 95 percent.
For more information about grant-funded mammograms offered by the Women's Breast Health Program at Bert Fish Medical Center, call Patty Tanner at 386-424-6334. For information on the Susan G. Komen Foundation's Central Florida Affiliate visit www.komencentralflorida.com.
The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation was established in 1982 by Nancy Brinker to honor the memory of her sister, Susan G. Komen, who died of breast cancer in 1980 at the age of 36. Today, the Komen Foundation has more than 75,000 volunteers working through a network of U.S. and international affiliates. It also sponsors Komen Race for the Cure® events to eradicate breast cancer as a life-threatening disease by advancing research, education, screening and treatment. From its inception, the Foundation has raised in excess of $450 million in the fight against breast cancer. Through 2001, the Foundation has awarded more than 700 grants totaling $90 million for breast cancer research. It currently supports research at many institutions in the United States and around the world, investing in cutting-edge research that might not be funded elsewhere. The Foundation remains the largest private source of funding for breast cancer research and community outreach programs.
# # #
Media Contact: Cathy Vaughn, 386-424-6428
Bert Fish Medical Center
Public Relations
cathy.vaughn

(14 July 2003) Zapf Creation Delighted Its Littlest Fans with Delivery of Loveable Dolls to Children at Halifax Medical Center

DAYTONA BEACH – Zapf Creation, a leading manufacturer of dolls and doll accessories and co-sponsor of a NASCAR Busch Series car, provided children in Speediatrics, the racing-themed pediatric unit at Halifax Medical Center, with some of its most beloved dolls on Thursday, July 3. Also on hand to delight the patients and their family members, was Zapf Creation’s life-sized costumed-character Maggie Raggies Sweetie Singer who posed for photographs with the children.

VISUALS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST:
1) Child greeting Zapf Creation’s Maggie Raggies Sweetie Singer costumed-character at the nurse’s station as she arrived in Speediatrics at Halifax Medical Center in Daytona Beach.
2) Zapf Creation’s Maggie Raggies Sweetie Singer costumed-character visiting with mom and toddler in Speediatrics at Halifax Medical Center in Daytona Beach.

ABOUT HALIFAX MEDICAL CENTER: The 36-bed Betty Jane France Pediatric Center encompasses Speediatrics, the racing-themed pediatric unit, along with the area’s only pediatric intensive care unit, at Halifax Medical Center. Just steps away from the Daytona International Speedway, the Center honors Betty Jane France, the first lady of NASCAR. Her design expertise and support make the Speediatrics environment possible, and helps create a healing atmosphere that makes a stay in the hospital more fun for children and less stressful for parents.

CONTACTS: For information about Halifax Medical Center or photos of the July 3 event, contact Kate Holcomb, 386-254-4224 or e-mail kate.holcomb For information about Zapf Creation, contact Mary Wiggins, 617-272-8405 or mwiggins.
# # #
Contact: Kate Holcomb, 386-254-4224
Halifax-Fish Community Health
Public Relations
kate.holcomb

(9 July 2003) Inaugural Hospice of Volusia/Flagler Golf Festival raises over $30,000 for Trauma and Loss Program

PORT ORANGE - Hospice of Volusia/Flagler announced that the Inaugural Hospice of Volusia/Flagler Golf Festival at Sugar Mill Country Club raised $30.132 for their Trauma and Loss Program. An 18-hole golf scramble was held for 216 golfers, who spread out on all 27 holes at Sugar Mill Country Club, on Friday, May 2.

Presenting the proceeds on the day of the tournament were Sugar Mill Country Club Manager Paul Mankowsky, Golf Pro Robert Schwab, and Club President Darel Johnson. On hand to accept, representing Hospice of Volusia/Flagler, were Executive Director Deborah Harley and Trauma and Loss Program Coordinator Marjorie Lamphear.

“We extend sincere thanks to all those who have helped support our Inaugural Golf Festival,” said Harley. The Trauma and Loss Program provides individual, family, and group services to adults and children in Volusia and Flagler counties who have experienced the loss of a loved one due to homicide, suicide, or accidental death.

Ed Cooper, Hospice volunteer and Sugar Mill Country Club member, said “This first year event was so successful due to the outstanding turnout from both our generous sponsors and enthusiastic golfers. A great message of community support was shown for Hospice of Volusia/Flagler and their Trauma and Loss program.”

The date for the Second Annual Hospice of Volusia/Flagler Golf Festival is being planned for April 2004. The two-day festival will kick-off with a live auction and dinner on a Thursday night and an 18-hole golf scramble on Friday.
# # #
Contact: Kate Holcomb, 386-254-4224
Halifax-Fish Community Health
Public Relations
kate.holcomb

(1 July 2003) Physicians Graduate from Halifax Medical Center Family Practice Residency Program
Seven plan to practice medicine in Volusia County

DAYTONA BEACH - Graduates of the Family Practice Residency Program (FPRP) at Halifax Medical Center (HMC) were honored at ceremonies Saturday, June 28, marking the completion of their three-year residency at the nationally recognized and accredited family practice residency training program. The FPRP has a total of 24 residents and attracts hundreds of applicants each year for its eight first-year positions. Seven plan to practice medicine in Volusia County (see list on page two).

The graduation event was held at the Museum of Arts and Sciences in Daytona Beach where FPRP faculty, residents, alumni, and other invited guests including administrators and board members of Halifax and Bert Fish medical centers, joined the graduates, along with their family and friends.

Several awards were presented during the ceremonies. The Brian Blaxall Award, presented by the FPRP faculty to the highest achieving graduating resident based on clinical skills, motivation, thoroughness, compassion and knowledge, was presented to John Desmond, IV, MD. Desmond and Alfonza McCollum, Jr., MD, served as chief residents this year.

Joanne Saxour, MD, received several awards. The nurses and staff of the Family Health Center named her the FPRP Resident of the Year. Following a special presentation to Connie Treloar, during which a special plaque was given posthumously to Budd Treloar, MD, to recognize her husband for his significant contributions to the FPRP, Saxour received the inaugural award in Treloar's name honoring the graduating resident demonstrating the greatest interest and enthusiasm in support of women's health. Saxour was also the recipient of the annual McCarthy Award, presented by the HMC medical staff at their June meeting, recognizing her for excellence in research and education during her residency.

Also presented at the June HMC medical staff meeting was the Gillespy Award. The winner, David Heise, MD, was voted "Most Caring Physician" by HMC nurses. This award, funded annually by Dr. and Mrs. Thurman Gillespy, is given to the graduating resident the nurses feel most exemplifies the characteristics of a caring physician including compassion, empathy, and kindness, and professional respect toward the health care team. Dr. Heise plans to join the HMC Emergency Department upon graduation

The residents made several presentations of their own. Michael Suah, MD, received the Teacher of the Year Award, their highest honor. The Family Practice Physician of the Year Award went to FPRP faculty member Edwin Prevatte, MD; and Cecille Tapia-Santiago, MD, received a special appreciation award.

List of Graduating Physicians:
John J. Desmond, IV, MD
Medical School: Medical College of Georgia
Plans: Joining a multi-specialty medical group in Tifton, GA

David Heise, MD
Medical School: University of Texas Southwestern
Plans: Physician with Halifax Medical Center's Emergency Department, Daytona Beach

Joseph L. Jackson, Jr., MD
Medical School: Medical College of Georgia
Plans: Family practice medicine in Waynesboro, GA, in private practice with his father

Alfonza McCollum, Jr., MD
Medical School: Medical University of South Carolina
Plans: Florida Health Care Plans family practice physician, Ormond Beach

Kiran Navin Patel, MD
Medical School: Ross University
Plans: Family practice medicine in the Greater Daytona Beach area, location to be determined

Carlos Sanchez, MD
Medical School: University of South Carolina School of Medicine
Plans: Family practice medicine in the Greater Daytona Beach area, location to be determined

Joanne D. Saxour, MD
Medical School: University of Maryland
Plans: Family practice medicine in Port Orange, assuming the practice of K. Lee Cate, MD.

Jay Patrick Taylor, MD
Medical School: University of South Florida
Plans: Emergency physician in West Volusia County

Graduating Sports Medicine Fellow:
R. Terry Livingston, MD, the sixth sports medicine fellow to graduate from the FPRP, has accepted a position as a physician with Halifax Medical Center's Emergency Department, upon completion of his fellowship in September.

Incoming First-Year Residents (name - medical school):
Melanie Eskew, MD - Loyola University of Chicago/Stritch School of Medicine
Rachel Eyma, MD - State University of New York Stony Brook School of Medicine
Karen Gaynair, MD - American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine
Ann Klega, MD - University of Florida College of Medicine
Carlos Molina, MD - University of Texas Medical School at Galveston
Hanson Nguyen, MD - Medical University of the Americas
Rachael Pakunpanya, MD - Louisiana State University Medical Center
Ryan Schmidgall, MD - University of Illinois College of Medicine

Incoming Second-Year Resident:
Ahmad Amawi, MD - transfer from Memorial Health University Medical Center residency program; graduated from St. Matthew's University School of Medicine

Incoming Sports Medicine Fellow:
Pasqualino Caputo, MD - St. Elizabeth Family Medicine Residency Program in Utica, NY; medical degree from University of Queensland, Australia; bachelors degrees from McGill University in psychology and physical therapy.
# # #
Contact: Kate Holcomb, 386-254-4224
Halifax-Fish Community Health
Public Relations
kate.holcomb

(27 June 2003) Senior Line Sponsors Educational Seminar on Overactive Bladder Syndrome

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services estimates approximately 13 million Americans suffer from overactive bladder symptoms and other forms of incontinence.

An average of only one person in five seeks medical help for this condition, although about 80 percent of patients who do seek treatment can be cured or achieve substantial improvement. Not all of those affected are seniors; there are a variety of causes that can affect younger adults, too, and urinary incontinence can be a sign of a more serious problem.

SeniorLine, an affiliate of Halifax·Fish Community Health, is sponsoring a free educational seminar Tuesday, July 8 for women who experience the discomfort of overactive bladder, including urgency, frequency and/or urge incontinence. The seminar starts at 6 p.m. in the Lobby of the Herbert D. Kerman Regional Oncology Center at Bert Fish Medical Center (at the South Entrance), 401 Palmetto St. Its featured speaker is John Greene, M.D., a Board-certified urologist who practices at 261 N. Causeway, New Smyrna Beach.

Due to limited seating, please reserve your place by calling (386) 478-1835 by Monday, July 7.
# # #
Media Contact: Cathy Vaughn, 386-424-6428
Bert Fish Medical Center
Public Relations
cathy.vaughn

(20 June 2003) Halifax Medical Center Announces 2003
Employee of the Year and Caregiver of the Year

DAYTONA BEACH - Halifax Medical Center (HMC) announced the 2003 winners of the Halifax Quality Caregiver of the Year and the Halifax Employee of the Year awards at its annual employee recognition luncheon held May 27 in Daytona Beach.

Those attending the event included this year's employees of the month award winners and service pin recipients, along with the members of the Halifax Hundred Club - the 100 hospital employees with the most longevity.

The 2003 Halifax Quality Care Giver award was presented to Valorie Stephens, RN, of Daytona Beach, for providing exceptional patient care. Stephens works in the HMC outpatient unit where she prepares patients for procedures and afterwards helps them with their recovery. She has worked in the unit for 2.5 years. Stephens, who has been a nurse for 13 years, says she cares for each of her patients 'as if they are a member of my own family' and tries to make her patients feel as comfortable as possible during what can sometimes be a stressful experience.

Vera Kight was presented the 2003 Halifax Employee of the Year award. Kight, of Port Orange, is the facility operations business coordinator and has worked at HMC for the last 12 years. Kight says she gets a great deal of satisfaction from coordinating construction, renovation and maintenance projects from 'demolition to completion.' Kight was one of 12 nominees for the award. The other nominees, all employees of the month, were: Shari Krauth, Laura Lamb, Lucy DeWilliams, Connie Jackson, Marilyn Rauch, Charlette Baker, Wanda Mitchell, Karyn Consigny, Martha Desena, Valerie Durrance, and Everlina Kennedy.

Founded in 1928, Halifax Medical Center employs 3,000 people who work at the 764-bed hospital, its satellite campuses and community clinics, and is an affiliate of Halifax-Fish Community Health.
# # #
Contact: Kate Holcomb, 386-254-4224
Halifax-Fish Community Health
Public Relations
kate.holcomb

(June 17 2003) Bert Fish Medical Center Offers Cooking Class For Kids

NEW SMYRNA BEACH – Join BFMC’s award-winning chef, Jeff Pitterman, as he teaches the third in a series of Culinary Arts classes at Bert Fish Medical Center, “Creative Cooking for Kids’’ on Thursday, June 26. The class is 3-4:30 p.m. in the hospital cafeteria known as the Bistro, 401 Palmetto St.

The suggested age range for children enrolled in the cooking class is 8-12 years old and parent supervision is requested. The class costs $5 for each child or parent and enrollment is limited to a total of 30 people.

Please call (386) 424-6550 to RSVP by Tuesday, June 24.
# # #
Media Contact: Cathy Vaughn, 386-424-6428
Bert Fish Medical Center
Public Relations
cathy.vaughn

(17 June 2003) Bert Fish Medical Center is Host To Annual Hand Surgery Conference

NEW SMYRNA BEACH - Hand surgeons Richard Tessler, M.D., and Tamara Ray Clancy, M.D., members of the medical staff at Bert Fish Medical Center, participated in the University of Florida Hand Fellows Alumni Annual Meeting June 13-14 at BFMC.

The two-day conference in the hospital's administrative board room drew 19 hand surgeons from across the country, as well as 15 physical and occupational therapists, a Licensed Practical Nurse and a Physician Assistant.

Guest speaker for the event was Dr. Paul R. Manske, an orthopedic surgeon on staff at Barnes Jewish Hospital, Washington University of Medicine, in St. Louis, Mo., and an internationally recognized specialist in pediatric hand surgery. The editor of the Journal of Hand Surgery, Manske said this year's conference was the first he had attended at BFMC and he was honored to present case studies on topics such as flexor tendon injuries.

"It was an excellent experience for all involved. Dr. Manske is a world expert in pediatric hand surgery,'' Dr. Tessler said after the conference. "The facility was fine; the learning experience was great and we're looking forward to having it here again in two years. The next conference will be held in San Diego, Calif., in 2004, and we'll be back in New Smyrna Beach in 2005.''

"We are delighted to have them; we have had the annual conference here for over 10 years,'' added BFMC Administrator Kathy Leonard. "We have enjoyed seeing the group grow and the conference provides our therapists with continuing education opportunities to hear presentations by nationally recognized speakers.''
# # #
Media Contact: Cathy Vaughn, 386-424-6428
Bert Fish Medical Center
Public Relations
cathy.vaughn

(5 June 2003) Jerry Lewis To Talk About Finding Support and Inspiration to Conquer Chronic Pain During Jun. 9 Appearance in Daytona Beach

DAYTONA BEACH - For the first time in 40 years, comic genius Jerry Lewis is managing his excruciating back pain, caused by a career of comedic pratfalls, which nearly drove him to suicide.

Through his involvement with TAME THE PAIN www.tamethepain.com, a national public education initiative that links people in chronic pain with pain specialists, Lewis is coming to Daytona Beach to discuss how specialized pain management has improved his quality of life.

The event, presented locally by Halifax Medical Center’s Interventional Pain Center, and hosted by the Museum of Arts and Sciences, 1040 Museum Blvd, Daytona Beach, is free andto the public. Seating is limited to the first 200 to attend.

Lewis’ hour-long presentation starts at noon. The doors to the Root Auditoriumat 11 a.m. Attendees will also receive $2 off the regular price of admission to the museum exhibits, compliments of the Museum of Arts and Sciences.

Halifax Medical Center’s Interventional Pain Center, located at Halifax Medical Center’s main campus in Daytona Beach, offers the most technologically advanced procedures and treatment options available today, including neurostimulation devices like the one Lewis has used.
# # #
Contact: Kate Holcomb, 386-254-4224
Halifax-Fish Community Health
Public Relations
kate.holcomb

(30 May 2003) "Perspectives on Disability" is Theme of Halifax Medicine and Ministry Conference on June 24

DAYTONA BEACH - What do Tom Davis, Kathy Davis, Tom Bird and David Ring have in common? They each live with a disability, which has not stopped them from achieving their own professional goals, and gives them a unique perspective they will share with those who help and work with people of all abilities.

The Halifax Medical Center Department of Pastoral Care presents the Eighteenth Annual Halifax Medicine and Ministry Conference, "From Awareness to Understanding: Perspectives on Disability," on Tuesday, June 24, at Tomoka Christian Church, 1151 W. Granada Blvd., Ormond Beach. Registration starts at 8:30 a.m., and the conference is from 9 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. The registration fee is $40. Lunch is not included, however a lunch break will allow participants enough time to have lunch on their own.

The conference isto the public and offers six hours of continuing education for nurses, social workers, marriage and family therapists, mental health counselors and clergy. For a registration brochure or information, call the Department of Pastoral Care at Halifax Medical Center at 386-254-4138, or call 386-254-4000 and ask for Jim Smith. Brochures are also available in the main lobby at Halifax Medical Center, 303 N. Clyde Morris Blvd., Daytona Beach. Conference information is available online at www.halifax.org.

Speakers and their topics include:
Daytona Beach Community College licensed mental health counselor Kathy Davis, LMHC, will try to dispel many of the misconceptions about blind people in her presentation, "I'm Not Blind; I Just Can't See." Davis, who is blind, will also discuss how faith and spirituality can make a difference in meeting the challenges that often accompany disabling conditions.

In his presentation, "Living With A Fatal Disease," Tom Davis, PhD, will explain the physical and emotional side of Amytrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig's Disease), and help participants observe the spiritual and caring side of the disease. Davis, who recently retired from Daytona Beach Community College, has been involved in teaching for 47 years at almost all levels of education and has authored several books and educational articles.

Spinal cord injury survivor Tom Bird, MHS, will share his personal experiences to help participants understand the dynamics of living a person goes through following a traumatic spinal cord injury. Bird is a senior case manager for the Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Program with the Florida Department of Education Vocational Rehabilitation Services.

Motivational speaker, minister and author Reverend David Ring shares his thoughts on overcoming seemingly insurmountable obstacles, his heartaches and his victories in living with the neurological disorder cerebral palsy. Ring, of Franklin, Tennessee, is the author of Just As I Am.

Carolyn Geis, MD, medical director of the department of rehabilitation at Halifax Medical Center, will identify community resources, equipment and therapies for people with disabilities, as well as help participants gain a better understanding of disability as it relates to aging.

Norman Hoffman, PhD, EdD, LMFT, LMHC, is the clinical director for the Counseling and Psychotherapy Center in Ormond Beach. In his presentation, "Bridging the Gap," Hoffman will discuss barriers that prevent the disabled from making vital social connections.
# # #
Contact: Kate Holcomb, 386-254-4224
Halifax-Fish Community Health
Public Relations
kate.holcomb

(28 May 2003) Halifax Medical Center Trauma Surgeons Agree to 30-Day Extension

CONTACT:
For Halifax Medical Center - Kate Holcomb, 386-254-4224
For Surgical Associates - Joseph Bianchi, MD, or Michael Fabian, MD,
386-252-4853

DAYTONA BEACH - Following a late afternoon meeting on Tuesday with Halifax Medical Center (HMC) administrative staff, the physicians of Surgical Associates announced that they have agreed to extend their deadline to discontinue providing trauma surgical services at HMC's Level II Trauma Center an additional 30 days through June 30.

Trauma surgeons with Surgical Associates, whose skills make possible the life-saving 'Golden Hour' at HMC's Level II Trauma Center, terminated negotiations with HMC on February 28 on extension of their current contract, which expired March 1. At that time the team of surgeons said they would continue to operate under their current contract without formal extension while they wait to see what actions the 2003 Florida Legislature would take.

The action was described as 'a good faith action that will test the good faith of the Legislative leaders who are promising relief,' according to John E. Evans, director of Corporate Communications.

"As a Hospital, and on behalf of the community, we are grateful to these physicians for putting the community ahead of their personal interests, and it gives us more time to work on getting a long-term solution in place," said Evans.

Halifax Medical Center (HMC), a 764-bed acute care hospital, has the only trauma center on Florida's East coast from Jacksonville to Melbourne. The HMC Trauma Center cared for 842 critically injured patients last year and serves all of Volusia and Flagler counties.
# # #
Contact: Kate Holcomb, 386-254-4224
Halifax-Fish Community Health
Public Relations
kate.holcomb

(23 May 2003) New Bereavement Support Groups Starting in June Throughout Volusia and Flagler Counties

VOLUSIA AND FLAGLER COUNTIES - The Hospice of Volusia/Flagler bereavement support groups will begin meeting in June and areto anyone in the Volusia/Flagler area who has recently experienced a death.

The Hospice of Volusia/Flagler offers "New Beginnings," an adult grief support group for individuals who need understanding and help in coping with the death of a loved one. The groups are facilitated by professional bereavement counselors and topics include: making adjustments to a new way of life; identifying feelings and symptoms associated with grief; and learning more effective ways to manage loss and stress.

"New Beginnings" sessions run for seven weeks and areto the public. Group sizes are limited to ten people and advance registration is required. Sessions are held throughout Volusia and Flagler counties beginning:

· Port Orange I, June 11 - Hospice Care Center, 3800 Woodbriar Trail, Wednesdays, 10 a.m. - noon

· Port Orange II, June 12 - Hospice Care Center, 3800 Woodbriar Trail, Thursdays, 6:30 - 8 p.m.

· New Smyrna Beach, June 12 - Coronado United Methodist Church, 201 S. Peninsula Ave., Thursdays, 1:30-3:30 p.m.

· Palm Coast, June 16 - Florida Health Care Plans, 21 Florida Park Dr., Mondays, 9:30-11 a.m.

· Orange City, June 17 - Hospice of Volusia/Flagler West Volusia Office, 2777 Enterprise Rd., Suite 101, Tuesdays, 6:30 - 8 p.m.

· Ormond Beach, June 18 - Grace Lutheran Church, 338 Ocean Shore Blvd., Wednesdays, 1:30-3:30 p.m.

For more information on New Beginnings sessions, contact Hospice of Volusia/Flagler in East Volusia at 386-322-4701, in Ormond Beach at 386-673-7770, Flagler County at 386-446-0300, and in West Volusia at 386-774-2188 or 800-272-2717.

Children's Grief Counseling - The BeginAgain Children's Grief Center, a program of Halifax Behavioral Services, offers grief support programs especially for young people and their families. For information on children's grief services, contact Karen Grant at the Center in Daytona Beach at 386-258-5100.
# # #
Contact: Kate Holcomb, 386-254-4224
Halifax-Fish Community Health
Public Relations
kate.holcomb

(20 May 2003) Volunteers Needed for Children’s Grief Center - Application deadline is June 6 for next training session

DAYTONA BEACH - The Lawrence E. Whelan BeginAgain Children’s Grief Center, is offering a training course for those interested in working with grieving children and their families. The Center is looking for compassionate individuals who are willing to give a one-year commitment to the program. “We are looking for people who want to make a difference in the life of a child,” said Program Coordinator Karen Grant, who is a licensed clinical social worker.

The deadline to apply for the next volunteer training session is June 6. All volunteers receive a free, comprehensive training program which is held at the Center, 1124 Beville Rd., Suite C, Daytona Beach. The next five-week session will be held on Monday nights, from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m., starting June 9.

Individuals interested in becoming volunteer facilitators or finding out more about the Center, should call Karen Grant at 386-258-5100.

BACKGROUND:
The Lawrence E. Whelan BeginAgain Children’s Grief Center, a program of Halifax Behavioral Services,d in February 1998 and is the only program of its kind in Volusia and Flagler counties. Supported by community donations, the Center offers a safe place where children and families can express their grief in a supportive, caring environment. Activities at the Center are geared to each child’s needs. Drawings, acting out emotions, group discussions and ceremonies are all a part of the therapy to facilitate the healing process. The Center serves children age 4 to 18 and offers children’s groups with adult groups conducted simultaneously. Under the direction of Karen Grant, LCSW, and formatted after the Dougy Center in Portland, Oregon, the Center is staffed by trained volunteers who facilitate group sessions. There is no cost for children to participate.
# # #
Contact: Kate Holcomb, 386-254-4224
Halifax-Fish Community Health
Public Relations
kate.holcomb

(8 May 2003) 2003 Water Safety Program Set to Meet Goal of Enrolling 1,090 Eligible Children in Swimming Lessons - Scholarship Applications Now Available

VOLUSIA/FLAGLER COUNTIES (8 May 2003) - Prevent unintentional injury before it happens and “Wrap Your Arms Around Safety” this summer by enrolling your eligible child in swimming lessons at an area pool near you.

While “Wrap Your Arms Around Safety” is the theme of National SAFE KIDS Week (May 3-10), preventing unintentional injury among children is a year-long effort in Volusia and Flagler counties, and throughout the country.

The National SAFE KIDS Campaign reports that drowning remains the second leading cause of unintentional injury-related death among children ages 14 and younger. The majority of drowning and near-drowning incidents occur in residential swimming pools and inwater sites. However, children can drown in as little as one inch of water.

Because every second counts, Volusia/Flagler SAFE KIDS Coalition, which is coordinated by Healthy Communities, works to prevent drowning and near-drowning among children by providing scholarships for eligible children to receive swimming lessons throughout the summer and into the fall.

The goal for the 2003 Water Safety Program is to enroll more than 1,090 eligible children and youth, ages 2 - 16. Eligibility is based on household gross monthly income. The only cost to participate is a $3 registration fee per child. Since the water safety program began in 1996, more than 4,400 eligible children have participated in the program. To register or for information call Healthy Communities, 386-323-0000.

Lessons will be held at the following swimming pool facilities in Volusia and Flagler counties:
* Aqua Park Aquatics - 600 Eaton Rd., Edgewater
* Chisholm Pool - 520 S. Clara Ave., DeLand
* Daytona Beach Community College - 1200 W. International Speedway Blvd., Daytona Beach
* Daytona Beach YMCA - 825 Derbyshire Rd., Daytona Beach
* DeLand YMCA - 761 Highway 92, DeLand
* Deltona Family YMCA - 280 Wolf Pack Run, Deltona
* Holly Hill Parks & Recreation - 1065 Ridgewood Avenue, Holly Hill
* Port Orange YMCA - 1000 City Center Circle, Port Orange
* Ormond Beach YMCA - 51 Center St., Ormond Beach
* Frieda Zamba Aquatic Complex - 4520 Belle Terre Parkway, Palm Coast

The swimming program is made possible with funding from The Orlando Magic Youth Foundation, Volusia County’s Children and Families Advisory Board, the Kiwanis Club of Flagler/Palm Coast, and the Kiwanis Sports Fishing Club.

Background:
The Volusia/Flagler SAFE KIDS Coalition is part of the National SAFE KIDS Campaign, the first and only national non-profit organization dedicated solely to the prevention of unintentional childhood injury-the number one killer of children age 14 and under. The Campaign is made up of more than 300 state and local SAFE KIDS coalitions in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

Founding Sponsor Johnson & Johnson continues its 15-year partnership with the Campaign. Johnson & Johnson will support National SAFE KIDS Week with a national advertising campaign, and by distributing safety checklists through 60,000 retail stores nationwide and sending a freestanding insert of coupons to more than 45 million households.
# # #
Contact: Kate Holcomb, 386-254-4224
Halifax-Fish Community Health
Public Relations
kate.holcomb

(1 May 2003) BFMC Foundation Dedicates Brian Sykes Resource Center for Kidney Transplant Program Patients

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -Awaiting or recovering from a kidney transplant when your family is miles away can be a stressful experience, so Bert Fish Medical Center's Foundation is providing a way for those patients to keep in touch with their loved ones.

The Foundation and BFMC's Adult Kidney Transplant Program areng a new resource center in the transplant unit with computers and other resources, enabling kidney transplant recipients and donors to e-mail friends and relatives, as well as learn about the latest news in the world of organ donation and transplantation.

The Brian Sykes Resource Center is dedicated to the memory of Brian P. Sykes, a kidney transplant recipient whose family wanted to ensure his legacy of caring and concern for family and friends lived on at Bert Fish Medical Center.

The dedication of the center will be Monday, May 5 at Noon in the Kidney Transplant Clinic area on the Third Floor of Bert Fish Medical Center, 401 Palmetto St., New Smyrna Beach, FL. Brian's parents, Pat and Ron Sykes, will speak at the event, as will Dr. Bobby Nibhanupudy, the Transplant Program's Co-Director and Primary Surgeon, BFMC Administrator Kathy Leonard and Foundation Chairman Nelson Jones.

The resource center will feature desktop and laptop computers, an Internet connection and links to transplant related websites, as well as journals and periodicals about recent innovations in the field of transplantation. A digital camcorder capable of taking digital still photos, too, will allow patients to e-mail pictures to friends and family members.

Born in Summit, N.J., in October 1972, Brian P. Sykes went into the field of art and animation after graduating high school and started college at Roger Williams University in Rhode Island in 1992. He soon transferred to Full Sail Real World Education, a recording arts educational institution in Winter Park, Fla., and graduated from Real World in October 1996 with a specialized Associates Degree in Production. In October 1997 he added a specialized Associates Degree in Digital Media. He collected 8mm cameras and films by Stanley Kubrick, his favorite director and producer, and aspired to produce and direct films himself.

Despite the kidney disease that first overtook him at age 16, Brian was a kind, gentle and fun-loving individual who had the ability to touch those with whom he came in contact. He died May 5, 2000, but Brian's caring demeanor will live on in the resource center created in his memory.
# # #
Media Contact: Cathy Vaughn, 386-424-6428
Bert Fish Medical Center
Public Relations
cathy.vaughn

(28 April 2003) Trauma Surgeons at Halifax Medical Center Plan to Terminate Services as of June 1

CONTACT:
For Halifax Medical Center - Kate Holcomb, 386-254-4224
For Surgical Associates - Joseph Bianchi, MD, or Michael Fabian, MD,
386-252-4853

DAYTONA BEACH - Surgical Associates, the organization of trauma
surgeons who support the Trauma Center at Halifax Medical Center (HMC), advised area media that they plan to terminate that support effective June 1.

In an internal notification to HMC employees Monday evening, HMC
Administrator Dan Lang said Halifax Medical Center officials are
continuing to work with the doctors to determine what, if any,
additional steps can be taken to continue their service and to encourage
legislative leaders to find workable solutions to Florida’s current
medical liability crisis.

"It is our policy to do all possible to assure that the life-saving
presence of a trauma center remains a viable part of our service to the
region," said Lang.

Trauma surgeons with Surgical Associates, whose skills make possible the
life-saving 'Golden Hour' at Halifax Medical Center's Level II Trauma
Center, terminated negotiations with HMC on February 28 on extension of their current contract, which expired March 1. At that time the team of
surgeons said they would continue to operate under their current
contract without formal extension while they wait to see what actions
the 2003 Florida Legislature would take.
# # #
Contact: Kate Holcomb, 386-254-4224
Halifax-Fish Community Health
Public Relations
kate.holcomb

(18 April 2003) BFMC Foundation Sponsors Organ Donor Awareness Event Thursday, April 24

NEW SMYRNA BEACH - Bert Fish Medical Center Foundation is making the gift of life a priority during National Organ Donor Awareness Week April 21-25.

The Foundation is working in partnership with Bert Fish Medical Center's Kidney Transplant Program to deliver the message on organ donation and sponsor a special event Thursday, April 24 at New Smyrna Beach High School to raise community awareness about the issue.

From 9-11 a.m. in the high school auditorium, the school's Medical Academy students and others will hear a talk on the importance of organ donation and transplantation by Dr. Bobby Nibhanupudy, Co-Director and Primary Transplant Surgeon for the Bert Fish Medical Center Adult Kidney Transplant Program. The Medical Academy, in which students learn about careers in the medical profession, is a community partnership between Bert Fish and New Smyrna Beach High School.

Reinforcing the message about the importance of organ donation, students will view the short feature video, "Flow,'' from the James Redford Institute for Transplant Awareness. Geared toward students, it depicts an encounter between a donor family member and a transplant recipient. The emotional story helps young people understand the life and death struggle of those in need of transplants and the painful experience of families faced with deciding whether to donate the organs of a loved one.

Afterward, Dr. Nibhanupudy, BFMC Chaplain Don Shobert and Chris Hertenstein, a licensed clinical social worker from Halifax Behavioral Services, will moderate a discussion with the students about organ donation and transplantation. The session will be filmed by John Wilton, Ph.D., an artist and videographer, who also is an instructor in the Art Department at Daytona Beach Community College.

"Last year, the Foundation made organ donation a priority and we were able to fund a number of outreach programs thanks to a gift from Sonny and Judy King,'' said Teri Cobean, Foundation President. "The Kings became aware of the importance of organ donation when Mr. King was given a second chance at life thanks to an organ donor. Mr. King believes that more people would be willing to share organs if they are aware of the process involved, and educating high school students about the issue has become a national priority.

"In many instances these young people are beginning to drive and are becoming independent thinkers,'' she said. "They sign organ donor cards but forget to discuss the issue with their families, who may be surprised to learn of their child's wishes during a difficult time. We hope that through the production of this film aimed at high school students and their families, we can facilitate andiscussion among family members who will make organ donation viable for minors.

"With the advancement of hand-assisted nephrectomy (an advanced kidney removal procedure offered at Bert Fish Medical Center), living donors can undergo the surgery to share their organs with relative ease and return to normal function within a matter of days,'' Cobean added. "This means that patients who have been lingering between life and death life are given a second chance when their names are removed from the lengthy list of those awaiting transplantation. Today, there are over 80,000 names on the nationwide list of those waiting for organs."

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy G. Thompson has designated the month of April as National Donate Life Month to help raise public awareness of the critical need for organ, tissue, marrow and blood donation.
# # #
Media Contact: Cathy Vaughn, 386-424-6428
Bert Fish Medical Center
Public Relations
cathy.vaughn

DAYTONA BEACH - Radiology Associates, the independent radiology practice that provides services at Halifax Medical Center, has notified the hospital that, effective June 1, its physicians will no longer read screening or diagnostic mammograms done at the hospital and its satellite service centers. The group told the hospital that, in response to the medical liability crisis in Florida that has driven malpractice insurance premiums out of range, they are curtailing mammography activity not only under their Halifax contract, but at their independently operated centers in Palm Coast and St. Augustine. If the current Florida Legislature should act to limit excess damage awards, which physicians believe would lead to more manageable malpractice premiums, their decision may be reversed.

“This notice is unacceptable in terms of the services we are committed to provide to the communities we serve,” Halifax Medical Center Administrator Dan Lang said. “However,” he added, “with physicians in many high risk specialties cutting back in response to their untenable situation, it may be that the delivery of healthcare will be harder hit in the very near future. It would be a tragedy if our ability to diagnose and treat illnesses in their earliest and most curable stages were stymied by what has become a political tug of war.”

Halifax·Fish Community Health CEO Ron Rees responded to the notice by ordering a staff review of all possible options to see that services are continued for area patients. Since the affiliates of Halifax·Fish, which in addition to Halifax Medical Center include Bert Fish Medical Center and Florida Health Care Plans, all utilize independent radiology groups, there is a possibility that emergency cases might be covered within the healthcare system. Retaining other radiologists to handle studies refused by the contract group or even sending screening films to be read by radiologists in other states, where malpractice premium issues have been resolved, could be another option and is being looked at.

Halifax·Fish Spokesman John E. Evans said there is no question of System support for physicians, some of whom are being forced out of business in Florida. “The larger issue though, is what happens to the woman in whom a problem area is detected in a screening mammogram. She now has to wait at least month to get a diagnostic study done on which her treatment depends, and not being able to get a routine annual mammogram or a diagnostic study at any time will create a situation our communities can’t tolerate. The discussion needs to shift from talk about doctors and lawyers to focus on the patients who are being shortchanged by a lack of response to their very real needs,” he said. “When we all talk, it can be written off as self-interest. Our patients need to speak up so lawmakers know what the concerns are really all about.”
# # #
Contact: Kate Holcomb, 386-254-4224
Halifax-Fish Community Health
Public Relations
kate.holcomb

(8 April 2003) Faith in Action Health Ministry of Hospice of Volusia/Flagler to Honor Local Volunteers at April 27 Luncheon during National Volunteer Week

DAYTONA BEACH - The Faith in Action Health Ministry of Hospice of Volusia/Flagler (HOVF), a Faith in Action program in Volusia County, is recognizing National Volunteer Week, (April 27- May 3). National Volunteer Week is set aside to honor the dedicated community members who donate their time and energy to their fellow citizens. The Faith in Action Health Ministry is holding a special luncheon for these volunteers at the Adam's Mark Daytona Beach Resort on Sunday, April 27 at 1 p.m. Mark Spivey, MSW, MA will be the guest speaker.

The Faith In Action Health Ministry of HOVF develops volunteer care teams at faith-based congregations in our community. Each care team provides services to 16-18 community members known as "Care Friends." The principle of this Faith in Action program is "Love Thy Neighbor."

"In addition to recognizing our Faith in Action volunteers for their service, we are honoring National Volunteer Week to raise awareness of the vital contribution these volunteers make in the health and well being of our care recipients," said Suzanne DeWees, PhD, health ministry coordinator at Hospice of Volusia/Flagler. "The theme for this year's event is 'Celebrate Volunteers - the Spirit of America.' We at Hospice of Volusia/Flagler believe that our volunteers demonstrate that very spirit each day by helping neighbors in the community maintain their independence despite long-term health needs."

Faith in Action is an interfaith volunteer caregiving program of The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Faith in Action Health Ministry of HOVF is one of more than 1,100 Faith in Action programs across the nation providing services to their neighbors in need. Faith in Action
volunteers attending the recognition luncheon will represent Madison Heights Church of God in Christ, Daytona Beach; Christ Presbyterian Church, Ormond Beach; and First United Methodist Church, Port Orange.

LEADERSHIP TRAINING JUNE 4-5
Faith in Action Health Ministry of HOVF uses the care team methodology to serve care recipients and their families in Volusia County. Life's Journey, the community end of life coalition (supported by HOVF), is sponsoring a Care Team Network Leadership Training session June 4-5 in Ormond Beach. Interested persons from churches, synagogues, mosques and other houses of worship, as well as the community at large, are welcome to attend and learn about developing care teams. Life's Journey is able to offer this training for only $10 per person due to support from Rallying Points, a Last Act Initiative. Go to www.careteam.org to learn more about the training. For information contact Dr. Suzanne DeWees, health ministry coordinator, at 386 239-5000, ext 5277, or e-mail suzanne.dewees

BACKGROUND
Care team volunteers help those in need with many everyday activities, such as picking up groceries or providing a ride to the doctor. With this volunteer assistance, members of the community who have long-term illnesses or disabilities can maintain their independence for as long as possible.

With more Americans living longer lives, many are faced with the challenge of helping a family member, neighbor or friend who has arthritis, diabetes, cancer, Alzheimer's, AIDS, or other long-term health conditions. Starting in 1983 with the Interfaith Volunteer Caregivers Program, and continuing in 1993 with the introduction of Faith in Action, The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has supported faith-based community efforts to help meet these challenges through volunteer caregivers.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, based in Princeton, N.J., is the nation's largest philanthropy devoted exclusively to health and health care. It concentrates its grant making in four goal areas: to assure that all Americans have access to basic health care at reasonable cost; to improve care and support for people with chronic health conditions; to promote healthy communities and lifestyles; and to reduce the personal, social and economic harm caused by substance abuse - tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drugs. Visit the Faith In Action Web site at www.fiavolunteers.org for more information.

Hospice of Volusia/Flagler offers comprehensive, high quality hospice services and bereavement support to terminally ill patients and their loved ones throughout Volusia and Flagler counties. Hospice of Volusia/Flagler is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization registered in the state of Florida.
# # #
Contact: Kate Holcomb, 386-254-4224
Halifax-Fish Community Health
Public Relations
kate.holcomb

(8 April 2003) Hospice of Volusia/Flagler Hosts Inaugural Golf Tournament

PORT ORANGE - Hospice of Volusia/Flagler will host its Inaugural Hospice Golf Tournament on Friday, May 2 at Sugar Mill Country Club, 100 Clubhouse Circle, New Smyrna Beach. The tournament will be a scramble format with a shotgun start at 8:30 a.m.

Remaining spots are limited. Registration for the event is $75 per person or $300 for a foursome, and includes cart and greens fees. Each player will receive a goody bag, entry into "hole in one" contests on all par 3s, longest drive and closest to the pin, and a buffet lunch. Corporate sponsorships, which include a foursome, are still available and start at $500. Hole sponsors are available for $100.

Proceeds from the golf tournament will be used to benefit the Hospice Traumatic Loss program which provides counseling and support services to individuals and families who have suffered loss due to homicide, suicide or accidental death.

For information, call Becky Hudson at 386-322-4701, extension 6386.

Thanks to the generosity of national and local organizations, prizes include: Anheuser-Bush golf bags and jackets, golf clubs, a DVD player, gift certificates, Walt Disney World Resort Theme Park passes, autographed memorabilia and much more. Saturn of Daytona Beach is donating a car for a "hole in one" prize on one par 3.

Hospice of Volusia/Flagler, a nonprofit health care organization, has been providing compassionate care to terminally ill patients and their families for 24 years. The mission of Hospice of Volusia/Flagler is to provide extraordinary and dignified comfort and compassion to every person facing the end of life. Hospice of Volusia/Flagler is a proud partner of Halifax-Fish Community Health.
# # #
Contact: Kate Holcomb, 386-254-4224
Halifax-Fish Community Health
Public Relations
kate.holcomb

(3 April 2003) Halifax Medical Center Joins National Disaster Medical System in Support of Military

DAYTONA BEACH – Halifax Medical Center has entered into an agreement of understanding with the National Disaster Medical System (NDMS) to provide up to 25 beds with a 24 hour notice, in the event the federal government’s hospital system reached capacity. Up to 100 additional beds could be made available at the Atlantic Campus of Halifax Medical Center with a more advanced notice.

The agreement, which was signed March 17, could be utilized if a mass casualty emergency situation, whether from a natural or man-made disaster in this country or from US military casualties overseas, required a rapid coordinated response by both federal and civilian health care facilities.

The agreement also means that Halifax participates in regular table-top drills with the NDMS. As part of its own disaster plan, Halifax Medical Center has, as most if not all hospitals do, similar assistance understandings with other area hospitals.

Soldiers were last treated at Halifax Medical Center from 1942-1947 when the hospital was leased by the federal government. It was first designated as a Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) Training Center and one year later it became a military hospital called Welch Convalescent Hospital. During this wartime period, HMC moved to 624 S. Atlantic Ave., Daytona Beach, after purchasing the Robert Wendell Hotel (now Oceanview Manor), and converting it to a temporary hospital for civilian patients. The Welch Convalescent Hospital closed on June 17, 1946 and Halifax Hospital was returned to the County on January 1, 1947.
# # #
Contact: Kate Holcomb, 386-254-4224
Halifax-Fish Community Health
Public Relations
kate.holcomb

(21 March 2003) Radiologists Notify Halifax Medical Center They May Stop Reading Screening Mammograms

DAYTONA BEACH - As many as 70 Volusia County women each day may be denied screening mammograms, the vital first step in breast cancer detection. That's the number reviewed by radiologists at Halifax Medical Center who today put the hospital on notice that they "may discontinue mammographic interpretation altogether if no significant liability changes are enacted in the current legislative session."

The number affected by the decision of the 16-member Radiology Associates, the private practice group that acts as agents of the hospital in studying mammograms, may be larger since radiologists in the practice also provide the same services through centers they operate in Palm Coast and St. Augustine.

Dr. Charles Burkett, chief of mammography for Radiology Associates, advised Halifax Medical Center Administrator Dan Lang that his group has determined it "does not wish to pursue a long term contract for the interpretation of screening mammograms. When our current contract expires March 31, 2003, we could continue to provide interpretive services on a month to month contractual basis." Lang said that, short term at least, no changes in the level of service should be noted by patients.

Approximately 17,000 women receive screening mammograms each year at Halifax, a procedure considered essential for women on an annual basis beginning at age 40. As the number of highly trained physicians available to interpret the mammograms has shrunk with skyrocketing malpractice insurance premiums, lengthy waits for initial or annual mammograms have become commonplace. Currently, it is not uncommon in Central Florida to have a wait of three to five months for an appointment for a screening mammogram. At Halifax Medical Center, the current wait for an appointment is approximately two weeks, said HMC Radiology Manager Alberto Tineo.

"We have been expecting to receive this notice as the radiologists' contract expires," Lang said, "for it is a reflection what is happening at hospitals throughout Florida and around the nation in states where the medical liability issue has not been addressed. We will do everything we can to keep the skilled physicians, with whom we have a long-standing relationship, working to meet the needs of our community, but we understand the economic squeeze they and other practitioners who work in high-risk areas are feeling. That is why we have been urging patients and staff to learn about the issues, make individual judgments on the best solutions and then let their legislators in Tallahassee and Washington know their feelings."
# # #
Contact: Kate Holcomb, 386-254-4224
Halifax-Fish Community Health
Public Relations
kate.holcomb

Steven Miles, MD, Radiologist
Radiology Associates
120 N. Frederick Ave., Daytona Beach
Phone: 386-255-5496

VOLUSIA COUNTY – According to the October 2000 Florida Health Insurance Study, 52,943 Volusia County residents under the age of 65 have no health insurance. For these residents, a serious illness becomes a financial disaster. For the community, caring for the un- and under-insured impacts taxes and contributes to the rising cost of health care for all.

Though the uninsured represent only 16 percent of the Volusia County population, a level well below the state average of 20.8 percent, we can improve our efforts and the health of our community by communicating about available services and how to access them. The events of “Cover the Uninsured Week,” part of a weeklong series of national and local activities that will take place from Monday, March 10, through Sunday, March 16, 2003, are designed to foster this communication.

MON., MAR. 10, NOON – FREE ADMISSION
“Cover the uninsured week”ng ceremonies

Ceremonies begin with a proclamation on steps of Daytona Beach City Hall, and continue in City Council Chambers with a town hall meeting. This event provides an overview of the issues and information on how consumers can make their representatives in state and federal government aware of their concerns. Location: Daytona Beach City Hall, 301 S. Ridgewood Ave., Daytona Beach.

TUEs., MAR. 11, 6:30 P.M. – FREE ADMISSION
“WHEN GOOD INTENTIONS FALL SHORT”

Claire Metz, WESH NewsChannel 2 news anchor, chairs a panel discussion on how policies governing Medicaid often work counter to the purposes for which this program was intended. This creates hardship on providers and patients alike, often leaving eligible individuals without the care of specialists. Location: Museum of Arts and Sciences, 1040 Museum Blvd., Daytona Beach.

WED., MAR. 12, 1:30 – 3:30 P.M. – FREE ADMISSION
“WHO CRIES FOR HELP? WHO ANSWERS?”

The focus of this community forum is how health and human service agencies identify and respond to residents with physical and mental health needs, and what they can and should expect from the health-related organizations serving the Funcoast area. Location: Adam’s Mark Room, Wendell P. Holmes Business Building, Bethune-Cookman College, 138 Lincoln St., Daytona Beach.

THURS., MAR. 13, NOON – 2 P.M. - $20/PERSON (INCLUDES LUNCH) “EMPLOYEE HEALTH INSURANCE, HOW CAN WE AFFORD IT?” To reserve a seat, call Suzie Erdle at 386-255-0981, ext. 222.

Kevin McCarty, Director of Florida’s Office of Insurance Regulation, addresses efforts to make health insurance more affordable for small businesses, followed by a panel of local insurance executives led by Florida Health Care Plans CEO Butch Simpson. The panel will take questions and offer ideas on what we can do now, and how we should be planning for the future of employee health care. Reservations are required and lunch is included. To reserve a seat, call Suzie Erdle at 386-255-0981, ext. 222. Location: LPGA Clubhouse, 1000 Champions Drive, Daytona Beach.

FRI., MAR. 14, 10 A.M. – 1 P.M. – FREE ADMISSION “WROD AM 1340 HEALTH EXPO” FEATURING DR. TODD HUSTY, WESH NEWSCHANNEL 2 MEDICAL REPORTER

From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., area health and community service providers will have displays, discuss their services, and offer samples and give-always to the expo participants. From noon to 1 p.m. Dr. Todd Husty, WESH NewsChannel 2 medical reporter, will host a panel of diet, fitness and pharmaceutical experts, discussing how we can all remain active and healthy whatever our insurance coverage may be. Location: Volusia Mall, 1700 West International Speedway Blvd., Daytona Beach.

“Cover the Uninsured Week” is presented by The Volusia Health Alliance – a working alliance of the Halifax, Southeast Volusia and West Volusia hospital districts and the Volusia County Health Department, with cooperation from: Bethune-Cookman College Division of Nursing; The Chamber, Daytona Beach/Halifax Area; Community Health Action Information Network (C.H.A.I.N.); United Way of Volusia-Flagler Counties; Volusia County Medical Society; WESH NewsChannel 2; WROD AM 1340.

# # #
Contact: Kate Holcomb, 386-254-4224
Halifax-Fish Community Health
Public Relations
kate.holcomb

(4 March 2003) Bert Fish Medical Center Dept. of Radiology Dedication Set for March 16 in Honor of Dr. Alan J Stern, MD

NEW SMYRNA BEACH - Two and a half years after his death, Dr. Alan J Stern's 22-year legacy of caring for patients is still evident at Bert Fish Medical Center.

In honor of his devotion to his patients, his department and BFMC, the Southeast Volusia Hospital District Board, Medical Staff, Administration of BFMC and Department of Radiology staff invite the community to a ceremony naming the department for Dr. Stern.

The dedication ceremony will be Sunday, March 16, at 2:30 p.m. There will be anHouse 2-4 p.m. and guests are invited to tour the Department of Radiology. Refreshments will be served in the lobby of the William W. Schildecker Outpatient Center at BFMC, 401 Palmetto St.

"Many of the innovations and advances in our Radiology Department were a direct result of efforts initiated by Alan,'' said Dr. Avrohm Faber, a general and vascular surgeon on the BFMC Medical Staff and a close friend and colleague of the late Dr. Stern. "He dedicated his professional life to our hospital and the Department of Radiology. I feel his presence every time I walk through the Radiology Department.''

In addition to his responsibilities in the Department of Radiology, he actively participated in hospital affairs. Dr. Stern served on many professional committees and was elected Chief of the BFMC Medical Staff in 1985. He assisted the Southeast Volusia Hospital District Board in planning and developing a medical facility with the latest diagnostic and treatment technology, supported efforts to recruit necessary medical specialties to Bert Fish Medical Center and helped further the district's outreach efforts to make medical care available to all residents.

"We are taking an important step in honoring a physician who helped us achieve a higher level of service for patients through accessibility to advanced technology,'' said BFMC Administrator Kathy Leonard. "Dr. Stern advocated for the development of radiology capabilities. I believe he would be proud of what he had a major piece in developing--a modern, state-of-the-art Department of Radiology and Imaging.''

EDITOR'S NOTE: Dr. Stern did not use a period after the "J" in his name because was not an abBreviation of his middle name - it is just the initial.
# # #
Media Contact: Cathy Vaughn, 386-424-6428
Bert Fish Medical Center
Public Relations
cathy.vaughn

(4 March 2003) New Bereavement Support Groups Starting in March Throughout Volusia and Flagler Counties

VOLUSIA AND FLAGLER COUNTIES - The Hospice of Volusia/Flagler bereavement support groups will begin meeting in March and areto anyone in the Volusia/Flagler area who has recently experienced a death. The Hospice of Volusia/Flagler offers "New Beginnings," an adult grief support group for individuals who need understanding and help in coping with the death of a loved one. The groups are facilitated by professional bereavement counselors and topics include: making adjustments to a new way of life; identifying feelings and symptoms associated with grief; and learning more effective ways to manage loss and stress.

"New Beginnings" sessions run for seven weeks and areto the public. Group sizes are limited to ten people and advance registration is required. Sessions are held throughout Volusia and Flagler counties beginning:

DeLand, Mar. 18 - First Baptist Church, 725 N. Woodland Blvd., Wednesdays, 6:30 - 8 p.m.

Port Orange I, Mar. 19 - Hospice Care Center, 3800 Woodbriar Trail, Wednesdays, 10 a.m. - noon

Port Orange II, Mar. 20 - Hospice Care Center, 3800 Woodbriar Trail, Thursdays, 6:30 - 8 p.m.

New Smyrna Beach, Mar. 20 - Coronado United Methodist Church, 201 S. Peninsula Ave., Thursdays, 1:30-3:30 p.m.

Palm Coast, Mar. 24 - Florida Health Care Plans, 21 Florida Park Dr., Mondays, 9-11 a.m.

Ormond Beach, Mar. 26 - Grace Lutheran Church, 338 Ocean Shore Blvd., Wednesdays, 1:30-3:30 p.m.

Children’s Grief Counseling - The BeginAgain Children’s Grief Center, a program of Halifax Behavioral Services, offers grief support programs especially for young people and their families. For information on children’s grief services, contact Karen Grant at the Center in Daytona Beach at 386-258-5100.

For more information on New Beginnings sessions, contact Hospice of Volusia/Flagler in East Volusia at 386-322-4701, in Ormond Beach at 386-673-7770, Flagler County at 386-446-0300, or call toll free at 800-272-2717.
# # #
Contact: Kate Holcomb, 386-254-4224
Halifax-Fish Community Health
Public Relations
kate.holcomb

FEBRUARY 2003 NEWS RELEASES - Scroll Down

CONTACT:
For Halifax Medical Center - Kate Holcomb, 386-254-4224
For Surgical Associates - Joseph Bianchi, MD, 386-252-4853

DAYTONA BEACH - Trauma surgeons whose skills make possible the life-saving 'Golden Hour' at Halifax Medical Center's Level II Trauma Center have terminated negotiations with the Hospital on extension of their current contract, which ends March 1. The team of surgeons will continue to operate under their current contract without formal extension while they wait to see what actions the 2003 Florida Legislature, convening next week, will take.

According to Joseph D. Bianchi, MD, Florida's current medical liability insurance crisis has impacted physicians in high-risk specialties to the point where their chosen field is no longer economically viable. "Although Halifax as a public hospital offers some protections under sovereign immunity, the current liability crisis makes the practice of our profession a losing proposition. When it appears that the President and members of the Florida Senate can't see problem that affects physicians throughout the state, then it becomes time to look at changing the nature of our practice, or the state in which we work," he said.

Bianchi and fellow trauma surgeons Michael Fabian, Michael Harrington, Mark White and David Ramshaw, practicing as Surgical Associates, have contracted with the Hospital for more than a decade to provide on-call coverage of Trauma cases brought to the Center 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

"It is our hope that our elected officials under the direction of Senator Jim King (Senate President) will seriously consider the sixty recommendations proposed by the Governor's Task Force on Healthcare Liability Insurance. The passage of meaningful tort reform, which must include a cap on non-economic damages of $250,000, will hopefully prevent the closure of the trauma center," the doctors said in a letter to Halifax Administrator Dan Lang.

Lang said he is grateful to the physicians for agreeing to continue supporting the Trauma Center during Legislative consideration of healthcare reforms. "With Bike Week starting in the next few days and special events coming up through April, our ability to respond to the most active time of the year for the Trauma Center would otherwise be crippled," he said "Given that these specialists are reflecting what their counterparts at hospitals throughout the state have been saying for some time, our chances of being able to maintain Trauma services should they decide not to continue are slim at best."

"A hospital can create the life-saving environment of a trauma unit, and hire the support staff that enables physicians trained and experienced in dealing with disaster, accident and injury victims to function, but without those doctors we're stymied," Lang said. He noted the current healthcare crisis is not confined to surgeons and trauma units. "Elsewhere in Florida we are seeing mammography programs closed, neurosurgery abandoned and even obstetric services reduced because doctors can't afford the insurance that protects them. What we have in the notice the trauma surgeons have served on us is a wake-up call that these things could just as well happen here," Lang said.
# # #
Contact: Kate Holcomb, 386-254-4224
Halifax-Fish Community Health
Public Relations
kate.holcomb

(27 February 2003) Halifax Medical Center Trauma Team Hopes Safety Messages Reach Riders and Drivers

DAYTONA BEACH – Members of the Halifax Medical Center Trauma Team will tell you they are the nicest group of people you hope you never meet.

If you’re a biker, they hope the meeting won’t happen. History suggests, however, that many motorcycle riders will become all too familiar with this highly trained team, especially during Bike Week and other special events that bring large numbers of motorcyclists to the Funcoast.

In fact, during Bike Week HMC usually sees as many critically injured patients in just 10 days, as are seen in an average month. HMC is the only trauma center on Florida’s Funcoast from Jacksonville to Melbourne. In part because of the special events of the area, the Halifax Medical Center Emergency Department is one of the busiest in the state, seeing nearly 90,000 patients a year.

Members of the HMC Trauma Team take active roles in local and state safety initiatives year round, but Bike Week becomes a special focus for them. HMC Trauma Program Coordinator Debbie King, RN, who has served as the chairman of the Daytona Beach and Halifax Area Chamber’s Bike Week Safety Committee, will once again be coordinating the Task Forces’ First Aid Tent on Main Street Mar 1-8 during Bike Week 2003. In addition to basic first aid, free blood pressure checks recorded on a wallet card complete with motorcycle safety tips, will be available.

In 2002, King was appointed by the Florida Department of Transportation to serve on the statewide subcommittee charged with facilitating the Florida Motorcycle Safety Strategic Plan. She says the goal of the plan is to help create a safer environment for all Floridians, including motorcyclists, bicyclists, motorists and pedestrians.

The five goals of the Florida Motorcycle Safety Strategic Plan include:
1) motorist awareness

2) reduction of impaired riders – alcohol is a significant factor in fatal crashes in Florida

3) increased use of helmets and other protective gear for the face, eyes, hands, feet and legs – helmets are 35 percent effective in preventing death, 67 percent effective in preventing brain injury

4) promotion of the safe operation of motorcycles – including proper license and endorsement, which requires a higher level of training and experience

"Safety is everyone’s responsibility and we hope through our efforts bikers, visitors and residents alike will be safe and have fun during Bike Week.," said King. "Don’t drink and ride, wear proper safety equipment, and make sure you have the knowledge and experience to handle the bike you are riding."

King also notes motorists need to take extra precautions while so many bikers are on the road. "We hope riders and drivers alike will take all necessary precautions to keep themselves and those they share the road with safe," said King.

Halifax Medical Center - Bike Week Injuries
Information collected by the Trauma Center at Halifax Medical Center on motorcycle crash victims and Bike Week related incidents.

68 67 Patients admitted with motorcycle accident injuries (does not include patients treated in the Emergency Department and released)

35        27      Wearing a helmet
21        31       No helmet
8          6       Unknown if wearing a helmet
4          3       Helmet use not applicable (involved in a motorcycle accident but not as a rider)
21        23       Admitted to Intensive Care
3*       5         Patient Deaths at Halifax Medical Center

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Contact: Kate Holcomb, 386-254-4224
Halifax-Fish Community Health
Public Relations
kate.holcomb

(26 February 2003) Camp BeginAgain Helps Grieving Children - Camper and volunteer registration deadline is March 17

DAYTONA BEACH - Grieving the loss of a loved one is difficult, but when the person grieving is a child, special support is often needed to help them understand their feelings and recognize that their emotions are normal. This is the goal of Camp BeginAgain, a weekend retreat for young people age 6 to 17 who have experienced the death of a loved one. The Camp will be held April 4-6 at Camp Kiwanis on Mill Dam Lake in the Ocala National Forest.

The cost is $100 per child. Scholarships are available. Camper applications are available from school guidance counselors or by contacting the Grief Center in Daytona Beach at 386-258-5100. Camp volunteers are needed and information is available by calling the Centers. The registration deadline for camper and volunteer applications is March 17.

Camp BeginAgain combines traditional sports, games, and other recreational activities with peer sharing and creative arts. "Camp provides children with the opportunity to express their feelings and to grieve with others experiencing similar feelings," said Coordinator Karen Grant. "Counselors and volunteers are available throughout the weekend to listen and talk with campers." A special memorial service is held at the end of camp to remember loved ones in a meaningful ritual. Camp BeginAgain is just one of the children's bereavement support programs offered by the Lawrence E. Whelan BeginAgain Children's Grief Center, a program of Halifax Behavioral Services.

# # #
Contact: Kate Holcomb, 386-254-4224
Halifax-Fish Community Health
Public Relations
kate.holcomb

(25 February 2003) "Tar Wars" Student Poster Contest Entries Showcased at March 15House

PORT ORANGE - Currently in the United States, more than four million children younger than 18 are regular smokers, according to the American Academy of Family Practice Physicians. Nearly 90 percent begin smoking by the age of 18. Each day more than 6,000 children smoke for the first time, and another 3,000 become daily smokers. Annually, these statistics add up to more than one million new, underage smokers; approximately one-third will die prematurely from smoking-related illnesses. An additional 15.5 million children are exposed to secondhand smoke in their homes. Tar Wars® is a youth tobacco-free education program which teaches tobacco prevention.

Anhouse showcasing the original artwork of local fourth and fifth grade students who entered the "Tar Wars" poster contest will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, March 15, at the newly relocated Halifax Family Health and Sports Medicine Center, 5111 S. Ridgewood Ave., Port Orange. The Poster Contest Awards Ceremony will be held at 3 p.m.

During thehouse, the public will be able to vote for "The Best in Show" poster, learn about community efforts to reduce tobacco use, and tour the new medical office. Free refreshments will be served.

Tar Wars,® targeting fourth- and fifth-grade students, is an award-winning, youth tobacco-free education program and poster contest of the American Academy of Family Practice Physicians which teaches tobacco prevention. The program focuses on the short-term, image-based consequences of tobacco use and how to think critically about tobacco advertising. A follow-up poster contest at the school, state, and national levels is conducted to reinforce the "Tar Wars" message. Health care professionals and educators present the lesson to approximately 400,000 fourth- and fifth-grade students annually. Local poster contest winners are entered in the state competition. Schools participating in local "Tar Wars" presentations include Sweetwater Elementary, Calvary Christian Academy, West Side Elementary and Port Orange Elementary. For more information visit www.tarwars.org.

In Volusia County, the program is presented at participating schools by Halifax Family Practice Residents. Halifax Medical Center is a teaching hospital associated with the University of South Florida in Tampa. The nationally recognized Halifax Family Practice Residency Program (FPRP) has 24 first-, second- and third-year resident medical doctors completing their medical training to become board certified family practice physicians. The FPRP provides family practice medical care to patients in the Halifax Family Health Centers in Daytona Beach and Port Orange. For more information visit www.halifaxfprp.org.

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Contact: Kate Holcomb, 386-254-4224
Halifax-Fish Community Health
Public Relations
kate.holcomb

(25 February 2003) The Fourth Annual Funcoast Basketball Classic Presented by Florida Health Care Plans on Mar. 21

DAYTONA BEACH, FL -- The Fourth Annual Funcoast Basketball Classic presented by Florida Health Care Plans will be played Friday, March 21at Seabreeze High School, 2700 Oleander Ave, Ormond Beach. This double-header all-star event begins with the girls game at 5:30 p.m., followed by the boys game at 7:30 p.m. Admission is free.

The East Team consists of high school senior basketball players from Atlantic, Calvary Christian, Mainland, Palm Coast, Seabreeze, Spruce Creek and Warner Christian high schools. The West Team consists of players from DeLand, Deltona, Father Lopez, New Smyrna Beach, Pine Ridge and Taylor high schools. Head coaches for the girls game are Ben Witherspoon, Seabreeze High School (East), and Bruce Palmer, Pine Ridge High School (West). Head coaches for the boys game are Doug Shott, Atlantic High School (East), and Hank Goldstone, DeLand High School (West).

The games will showcase the best high school senior basketball players in Volusia and Flagler counties. Halftime activities include a three-point shootout during the girls game and a slam dunk contest during the boys game. Florida Health Care Plans will also present Academic Achievement Awards to select athletes at the conclusion of each game. Over 250 college coaches have been invited to attend so they can scout the players.

Funcoast Basketball Classic History:
Girls Boys
2000 West 67 East 62 2000 East 108 West 94
2001 East 61 West 25 2001 West 77 East 68
2002 East 61 West 39 2002 West 80 East 63

The Funcoast Classic Presented by Florida Health Care Plans series also includes the upcoming Funcoast Boys and Girls Soccer Classic on Thursday, March 6 at Deltona High School, 100 Wolfpack Run. Other Funcoast Classic events already played this school year include the Funcoast Volleyball Classic and the Funcoast Football Classic.

In addition to sponsoring and coordinating the events, Florida Health Care Plans will make donations in support of the sports programs at Warner Christian Academy, Calvary Christian Academy, Father Lopez High School and the Five Star Conference upon the completion of the 2002/2003 series. The Five Star Conference includes Mainland, Spruce Creek, Flagler Palm Coast, Seabreeze, Atlantic, DeLand, Deltona, Pine Ridge, New Smyrna Beach and Taylor high schools.

# # #
Contact: John Riordan, 386-322-4764
Halifax-Fish Community Health
Special Projects
john.riordan

(24 February 2003) Florida Health Care Plans Announces Inaugural Boys and Girls Funcoast Soccer Classic on Mar. 6

DAYTONA BEACH -- The Inaugural Boys and Girls Funcoast Soccer Classic presented by Florida Health Care Plans will be played Thursday, March 6, at Deltona High School, 100 Wolf Pack Run. The girls game starts at 5:30 p.m. and the boys game starts at 7:30 p.m. Both games feature the best senior high school soccer players in Volusia and Flagler counties. Admission is free.

The East team consists of high school senior soccer players from Atlantic, Mainland, New Smyrna Beach, Palm Coast, Seabreeze, Spruce Creek, and Warner Christian Academy. The West team consists of high school senior soccer players from DeLand, Deltona, Father Lopez, Pine Ridge and Taylor.

Florida Health Care Plans will be also be presenting Academic Achievement Awards to selected athletes at the conclusion of each game. Over 120 college coaches have been invited to attend to scout the players.

Spruce Creek High School's Jim Lundy will coach the Girls East team while Allen Mandell of DeLand High School will coach the Girls West team. For the boys game, Mainland's Michael Cole will coach the Boys East team and DeLand High School's Lary Beal will coach the Boys West team. Each team will have approximately twenty players on the roster.

The Funcoast Classic series, presented by Florida Health Care Plans, also includes the upcoming Funcoast Boys and Girls Basketball Classic on Friday, March 21 at Seabreeze High School Gymnasium, 2700 North Oleander Ave., Ormond Beach. Other Funcoast Classic events already played this school year include the Funcoast Volleyball Classic and the Funcoast Football Classic.

In addition to sponsoring and coordinating the events, Florida Health Care Plans will make donations in support of the sports programs at Warner Christian Academy, Calvary Christian Academy, Father Lopez High School and the Five Star Conference upon the completion of the 2002/2003 series. The Five Star Conference includes Mainland, Spruce Creek, Flagler Palm Coast, Seabreeze, Atlantic, DeLand, Deltona, Pine Ridge, New Smyrna Beach and Taylor high schools.
# # #
Contact: John Riordan, 386-322-4764
Halifax-Fish Community Health
Special Projects
john.riordan

(21 February 2003) Southeast Volusia Senior Advisory Council Sponsors Savvy Seniors Seminar

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Savvy Seniors, an educational workshop on personal safety, medical and helpful information, will be staged March 12 at the YMCA facility in Edgewater, 148 W. Turgot Ave.

A $3 pre-registration fee includes attendance at workshops, materials associated with each seminar topic, resource materials and lunch. Participants will sign in at 8:30 a.m. and workshops will begin at 9 a.m., followed by lunch and time to network with the experts. Workshop speakers include Neil Oslos, M.D.; Kathy Norris, from the Florida Department of Financial Services; representatives of area police and fire departments and other service agencies. Seminar topics will include new information about medications and healthcare, protecting your assets and your person, who to call and where to go when you have questions or need help, and more.

All participants must pre-register by Monday, March 10 either by sending their name, telephone number and a $3 check (payable to SeniorLine) to: SeniorLine Savvy Seniors, 111 N. Frederick Ave., Daytona Beach, FL 32114, OR by calling 386-478-1835 to reserve a seat and pay $5 at the door.

The Southeast Volusia Senior Advisory Council is a collaborative effort of organizations and individuals interested in issues affecting the quality of life for seniors in their communities. It operates under the leadership of SeniorLine, an affiliate of Halifax·Fish Community Health.

# # #
Media Contact: Cathy Vaughn, 386-424-6428
Bert Fish Medical Center
Public Relations
cathy.vaughn

(13 February 2003) Halifax Medical Center Installs New ImageChecker® Computer Aided Detection (CAD) System for Breast Cancer Screening - Studies Show that the Use of the ImageChecker Could Result in Earlier Detection of a Significant Number of the Cancers Currently Detected with Screening Mammography

DAYTONA BEACH - This year, approximately 200,000 women in the United States will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer and studies show that a significant number of breast cancers could be detected earlier. Recently, Halifax Medical Center acquired the new ImageChecker® Computer Aided Detection (CAD) system for use in breast cancer screening to assist radiologists in minimizing false negative readings during mammograms.

"Early diagnosis is the key to surviving breast cancer and mammography screenings, with the benefit of the ImageChecker CAD system, could prevent thousands of breast cancer deaths each year in the United States alone," said Halifax Medical Center Radiologist Charles Burkett, MD. "Regular screening mammograms are the best way to detect breast cancer early, which is also when it is easiest to treat. The new Computer Aided Detection ImageChecker System here at Halifax Medical Center is like having another set of eyes looking for abnormalities or signs of disease on a regular basis during our mammogram screening analyses to help increase our detection rate of invasive cancers."

The ImageChecker from R2 Technology is the first U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) approved Computer Aided Detection system for use in breast cancer screening. Studies show use of the ImageChecker could result in earlier detection of a significant number of the cancers currently detected with screening mammography in those women who had a prior screening mammogram nine to 24 months earlier.

The ImageChecker CAD system is currently used in conjunction with film based mammography. After digitizing a film mammogram, the system's specialized processing software analyzes the image and draws the radiologist's attention to suspicious features that may be indicative of cancer. The radiologist typically reviews the entire mammogram first and then activates the ImageChecker monitor to see if any areas have been highlighted for additional review. If an image is marked, the radiologist goes back to the original mammogram to review this area of the image in more detail.

"Our dedication to winning the fight against breast disease and the benefits of screening mammography is further enhanced by the use of the ImageChecker," said Alberto Tineo, manager of radiology at Halifax Medical Center. "This new CAD system will allow us to provide our patients all the benefits of early detection and improve overall management and treatment."

According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), if breast cancer is identified early, or in Stage 0 or I, when it is confined to the duct or local area of the breast, the patient's chances for survival are dramatically higher. The five-year survival rate for breast cancer patients decreases from approximately 95 percent for cancers detected and treated at an early stage, to 36 percent for stage III cancers (where the cancer has spread to surrounding tissue) to just 7 percent for late stage cancers that have spread to distant organs.

With 764 beds, Halifax Medical Center (HMC) is the largest hospital serving Florida's Funcoast and has the only Level II Trauma Center serving the region. HMC is located at 303 N. Clyde Morris Blvd., Daytona Beach. For additional information about HMC go to www.halifax.org. For further information about Computer Aided Detection, visit www.r2tech.com.

ImageChecker is a registered trademark of R2 Technology, Inc.
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Contact: Kate Holcomb, 386-254-4224
Halifax-Fish Community Health
Public Relations
kate.holcomb

(5 February 2003) National Child Passenger Safety Week, February 9-15 --Volusia/Flagler SAFE KIDS Coalition Urges Parents to Buckle Up the Entire Family When Riding in Motor Vehicles

DAYTONA BEACH - In recognition of National Child Passenger Safety Week, Volusia/Flagler SAFE KIDS Coalition will join community agencies throughout Florida and nationwide to spread the message that the entire family should buckle up when riding in a motor vehicle.

Coalition Coordinator Deborah Schlageter stated, "Buckling up is still the most effective way to save lives and reduce injuries from motor vehicle crashes on America's roadways." According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for children age 4 to 14, and in 2000 more than half of all children under 15 years of age killed in car crashes were completely unrestrained. Adults who don't buckle up send children a deadly message that it is all right to ride unbuckled when traveling in a motor vehicle. In fact, research shows that when a driver is unbuckled, 70 percent of the time, children riding in that vehicle will be unbuckled too.

Even when parents use restraints, their child still may be at risk. Community child safety seat checkups held throughout Florida indicate that over 96 percent of the child safety seats inspected were incorrectly installed in one or more ways.

Using child safety seat and vehicle manufacturers' instructions together holds the key to a correct child safety seat installation. Yet instructions are often difficult to read. In addition, most children who have outgrown their forward-facing child safety seats, at about 40 pounds, are prematurely placed in adult safety belts.

"When your child outgrows his or her forward-facing child safety seat, a booster seat should be used until the child is at least eight years old or four feet nine inches tall. Safety belts are made for adults and don't fit children correctly when used alone. A booster seat raises a child to allow the vehicle safety belt to be positioned correctly on the child's body," said Schlageter.

A new system called LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children) is available in newer vehicles and on all new child safety seats to make installations easier. LATCH works without using the vehicle safety belts.

Child safety seat checkups are scheduled during the week at the following locations:

Wednesday, February 12 - 3 to 6 p.m.
Gator's - in the parking Lot
1788 S. Woodland Blvd., DeLand
Coordinated by Volusia County Fire Services

Friday, February 14 - 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Wal-Mart - in the parking Lot
174 Cypress Point Parkway, Palm Coast
Coordinated by Florida Highway Patrol

# # #
Contact: Kate Holcomb, 386-254-4224
Halifax-Fish Community Health
Public Relations
kate.holcomb

(24 October 2002) For Second Consecutive Year, Independent Study Names Halifax Medical Center Among Solucient 100 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals --Top Cardiovascular Hospitals Have Lower Mortality, Complication Rates than Peers

DAYTONA BEACH (24 October 2002) – A recently released study named Halifax Medical Center as one of the Solucient 100 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals. The strictly empirical analysis identifies those hospitals that have achieved excellence in care, efficiency of operations and sustainability of cardiovascular performance.

Halifax Medical Center, a 764-bed acute care hospital located in Daytona Beach, is the only hospital in Volusia and Flagler counties that has been recognized as a Solucient 100 Top Hospital. This is the second consecutive year Halifax Medical Center has received this recognition, each year Halifax Heart Center data, whichd in 1998, was included in the study.

The fourth annual study, Solucient 100 Top Cardiovascular Benchmarks for Success - 2002, used publicly available data, statistically adjusted for variations in care, illness levels and costs, to track performance in key cardiology areas.

The Halifax Heart Center includes a diagnostic outpatient cardiology unit and two cardiac catheterization labs, three dedicated operating suites, a 7-bed cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit, and an adjacent 23-bed Cardiovascular Progressive Care Unit.

The Solucient 100 Top Hospitals® Cardiovascular Benchmarks for Success study found that if all hospitals achieved the success levels of the top performers, U.S. hospitals could save at least $880 million annually, and 4,400 fewer patients would die annually from the cardiac procedures studied.

The study also found that top-performing facilities consistently outperform their peers, especially in terms of mortality and complication rates:

"Achieving this benchmark in the treatment of heart disease is a tremendous accomplishment for a hospital," explains Jean Chenoweth, executive director of the Solucient 100 Top Hospitals research program. "These winning teams shine a light on practice and performance that will help guide all hospitals to deliver better care."

The Solucient 100 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals are stratified in categories or peer groups that represent hospitals throughout the country, and include 30 teaching hospitals with cardiovascular residency programs, 40 teaching hospitals without cardiovascular residency programs, and 30 community hospitals. Halifax Medical Center was named in the teaching hospitals without a cardiovascular residency program group.

The study uses detailed clinical and patient management information, including Solucient's DRG (Diagnostic Related Group) and hospital database, as well as publicly available MedPAR data (Medicare Provider Analysis and Review). Focusing on hospitals that treat a broad spectrum of cardiology patients, the study included all hospitals that had at least 30 unique cases in each of the following groups for 1999 and 2000:

Hospitals that met these volume criteria then were analyzed according to the following measures of clinical quality practices and efficiency of operations to produce benchmarks for superior hospital performance:

Solucient is the leading source of health care business intelligence. Its mission is to provide comprehensive, results-oriented information to drive business growth, manage costs, and deliver quality care. Solucient's expertise and proven solutions enable providers, payers, employers, and pharmaceutical companies to achieve results and realize value. By bridging the gap between data and information, knowledge and value, Solucient drives intelligent business decisions. For more information, visit the Solucient Web site at www.solucient.com.

# # #
Contact: Kate Holcomb, 386-254-4224
Halifax-Fish Community Health
Public Relations
kate.holcomb

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Bert Fish Medical Center's award winning chef, Jeff Pitterman, will teach a culinary arts class on "Festive Holiday Classics'' Tuesday, Nov. 12, at 3 p.m. in the BFMC Bistro.

This will be Pitterman's inaugural culinary arts class; more are planned for the community.

The class lasts one hour, 30 minutes, and costs $7.50. It is limited to the first 30 people who make reservations.

Please call 424-6550 to RSVP if you plan to attend.

# # #
Media Contact: Cathy Vaughn, 386-424-6428
Bert Fish Medical Center
Public Relations
cathy.vaughn

(24 October 2002) Physician Assistant Joins Halifax Keech Health Center Staff

DAYTONA BEACH - Ask Gail Wall, PA-C, what she likes best about her job and she'll tell you "Everything, I really enjoy what I do." Wall, who joined the staff at Halifax Keech Health Center in Daytona Beach in June, is a physician assistant-certified, a title used by physician assistants who have obtained and maintained national certification requirements established by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA).

Wall works very closely with Halifax Keech Health Center physicians Andrea Thorpe, MD, and Adela Carino-Cadic, MD. She specializes in caring for adolescents, bringing extensive experience to her new position at the Center, a community health clinic affiliated with Halifax Medical Center located at 431 S. Keech St., Daytona Beach, where she provides patients with pediatric, school and sports physical exams, and provides teenagers with family planning and reproductive health care. The Center will begin offering special afternoon adolescent care sessions for this important group of patients.

Drs. Thorpe and Caidic have long recognized the need for medical care that targets the specific needs of the adolescent population. Said Thorpe, "The transition from childhood to adolescence can be very confusing and difficult, and requires medical providers who are both non-judgmental and aware of various sexual practices, psychological and psychiatric issues, peer pressure, drug abuse, and problems with self-esteem experienced by adolescents. The staff welcomes Gail Wall to our team."

Prior to joining to joining the staff at Halifax Keech Health Center, Wall was with the Volusia County Health Department for 13 years. In addition to completing the education needed to become a physician assistant and holding the credentials of physician assistant-certified, Wall received her bachelor of science degree from the University of Central Florida.

Physician assistants are health care professionals licensed to practice medicine with physician supervision. As part of their responsibilities, PAs conduct physical exams, diagnose and treat illnesses, order and interpret tests, counsel patients on preventative health care, assist in surgery and in most states can write prescriptions.

While PAs are found in all areas of medicine, the American Academy of Physician Assistants states over 50 percent of all PAs practice primary care medicine - family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology. They receive a broad education in medicine and their education is ongoing through continuing medical education and continual interaction with physicians and other health care providers.
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Contact: Kate Holcomb, 386-254-4224
Halifax-Fish Community Health
Public Relations
kate.holcomb

(23 October 2002) Halifax Medical Center Radiologist Elected President of American College of Radiology-Florida Chapter

DAYTONA BEACH – Steven G. Miles, MD, was elected President of the Florida Chapter of the American College of Radiology (ACR), and was installed at the ACR’s annual meeting in Orlando in October.

Miles, who was elected by his peers, will serve a one-year term as president of the ACR, an organization that represents both diagnostic radiologists and radiation oncologists.

Miles is a radiologist with Halifax Medical Center. He has also served as president of the Volusia County Medical Society, and chairman of the board of directors for both Halifax Medical Center and Halifax-Fish Community Health. He lives in Ormond Beach.

# # #
Contact: Kate Holcomb, 386-254-4224
Halifax-Fish Community Health
Public Relations
kate.holcomb

DAYTONA BEACH – The Halifax Trauma Center at Halifax Medical Center is gearing up for the increase in seriously injured patients typically seen during peak event periods such as Biketoberfest (October 17-20). Halifax Medical Center has the only Trauma Center serving the east coast of Florida from Jacksonville to Melbourne and has one of the busiest emergency departments in Florida.

Recent technological advances, coupled with our systematic approach to trauma care, have Halifax Medical Center more prepared than ever before to quickly assess, diagnose and treat seriously injured patients. These include:

NOTE: Media are invited to Halifax Medical Center on Thursday, October 10, from 5:30 to 7 p.m., to attend a physician reception where interviews with clinical staff, demonstrations of the new technologies, and photo opportunities are available. To attend contact Kate Holcomb, 386-254-4224, e-mail: kate.holcomb.

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(8 October 2002) Patient-Friendly MRI Brings New Diagnostic Imaging Capabilities To Bert Fish Medical Center

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- A new, powerful Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) unit was lifted into place Tuesday morning at Bert Fish Medical Center, greatly enhancing the hospital's imaging capabilities.
Magnetic resonance imaging measures the amount of water in body tissues to create images of areas such as the brain and spine, utilizing magnetic fields and radio frequency energy. The magnet in the new unit manufactured by Siemens is more powerful than the old machine, offers higher quality images of the body and can perform scans in nearly half the time. It's also quieter and features a shorter, wider tunnel for patient comfort.
Siemens removed the old MRI from BFMC Sept. 23, and employees began working to renovate the space with wood flooring, new wallpaper and a window to give it a warm, friendly atmosphere.
Zane Matkovich, Director of Imaging Services, estimated that work will be completed and the new MRI will be installed and operational by early November.
Until then, patients will be accommodated in a mobile MRI unit that has been stationed just south of the Herbert D. Kerman Regional Oncology Center at BFMC.
# # #
Contact: Cathy Vaughn, 386-424-6428
Bert Fish Medical Center
Public Relations
cathy.vaughn

(26 September 2002) Bert Fish Medical Center Is Test Site Sept. 30 For International Study Of Lotion That Blocks Jellyfish Stings

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Bert Fish Medical Center will be the site Monday, Sept. 30, of an international study to test the effectiveness of a new lotion that protects against jellyfish stings like those that hurt more than 1,600 people along Volusia County beaches this summer.

Dr. Arlen Stauffer, Medical Director of BFMC's Emergency Department, said jellyfish stings are common during the summer months and people often seek treatment for their symptoms at Bert Fish's Emergency Room. "We saw five patients who were stung by a jellyfish over the past weekend,'' he noted.

Dr. Stauffer is serving as principal investigator in the jellyfish study. Other investigators are Amit Lotan, PhD, from Hebrew University in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv University in Israel; Valeh Levy, M.D, an area radiologist; Valerie Weaver Davis, M.D., a New Smyrna Beach dermatologist; and Paul S. Auerbach, M.D., of Stanford University in California. Representatives from EVAC also will be observing the study.

According to Nidaria Technology Ltd., an Israel-based company, its new "Safe Sea Lotion'' contains a jellyfish sting inhibitor or barrier based on patented technology. The lotion can be formulated with or without sunscreen, and has already been tested successfully on stings from a dangerous species of jellyfish in the eastern Mediterranean, and on other less toxic types of jellyfish.

The study will be conducted in the BFMC Board Room starting at 11:30 a.m. Monday. It's expected to last several hours. Jellyfish tentacles will be placed on the inner arms of test subjects, on whom one arm will be coated with Safe Sea Lotion and the other with a substance of similar appearance that doesn't contain the sting inhibitor.

Nidaria Technology is providing money for expenses related to the study. Those include the cost of procuring and preserving jellyfish specimens, the cost of lotion used in the study, payment of 12 test subjects, photography, stationing an advanced life support-certified registered nurse at the test site, medications required in the event of any allergic reactions and miscellaneous expenses.

A less toxic relative of the deadly box jellyfish found in Australia is believed to be responsible for stinging swimmers along county beaches this summer. Contact with the tentacles of these non-lethal jellyfish usually causes immediate pain and whitening of the skin, followed by redness and swelling at the stinging site. It may be accompanied by a burning sensation and the forming of blisters; stings also may leave color changes on the skin and can develop a scar. Although these jellyfish stings are painful, they are not considered dangerous to adults.

# # #
Contact: Cathy Vaughn, 386-424-6428
Bert Fish Medical Center
Public Relations
cathy.vaughn

26 September 2002) BFMC Physician Practices To Take Over Care of Community Health Center Patients

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Local Family Practice and Internal Medicine physicians will take over the medical care of patients served by Bert Fish Medical Center's Community Health Center on Tuesday, October 1.

Several area physicians have agreed to care for about 500 patients in the program, according to Roxanne Buckley, Nurse Manager in charge of the Community Health Center. She expected the restructuring of care for those patients to be completed by Oct. 15.

The new program will operate much like a Health Maintenance Organization (HMO), said BFMC Administrator Kathy Leonard, and patients receiving financial assistance through BFMC will be assigned a primary care physician. To qualify for the hospital's assistance program, patients may call Bert Fish's financial assistance specialist at 424-6466.

"This will improve and expedite the patients' access to medical treatment,'' added Wanda Edington, BFMC Assistant Administrator/Chief Nursing Officer. She said employees currently working at the Community Health Center will be reassigned to other patient care positions within BFMC.

Other medical offices eventually may be located in the northern half of the building that currently houses the BFMC Community Health Center, 412 Palmetto St.

# # #
Contact: Cathy Vaughn, 386-424-6428
Bert Fish Medical Center
Public Relations
cathy.vaughn

(23 September 2002) Bert Fish Medical Center Lifts Out Old MRI Magnet Tuesday to Prepare for New MRI Installation

New Smyrna Beach - A crane will lift out the magnet for Bert Fish Medical Center's existing MRI machine Tuesday morning, paving the way for installation of a new, more powerful MRI unit that's expected to be up and running by late October.

Workers prepared the area Monday by cutting out a section of interior and exterior walls. To accommodate patients during the construction, a temporary, mobile MRI has been stationed near a south entrance door to the Herbert D. Kerman Regional Oncology Center at BFMC.

Accented with birch paneling, the new, permanent MRI will be at home amid renovations underway in the MRI suite, which will incorporate wood flooring and a large window to bring in light and give the room a warm, patient-friendly atmosphere.

Besides being much quieter than Bert Fish's existing MRI unit, the new Siemens 1.5 Tesla (a measurement of magnet strength) MRI employs “state of the art technology” and a shorter bore to benefit claustrophobic patients,'' said Zane Matkovich, Director of Imaging Services at BFMC.

"The new MRI offers significantly faster scanning and new clinical applications for vascular imaging,'' Matkovich added. "The equipment will permit us to take advantage of future enhancements for clinical applications.'' He said he expects the new MRI unit to be delivered in about two weeks.

# # #
Contact: Cathy Vaughn, 386-424-6428
Bert Fish Medical Center
Public Relations
cathy.vaughn

(12 September 2002) Affordable Health Care Coverage for Children KidCare Enrollment Now Open

DAYTONA BEACH –- Children covered by health insurance are more likely to have a healthy school year than those who are not. According to Florida KidCare, children with health insurance are more likely to:
· Get the care they need
· Get the shots they need
· Miss fewer days of school
· See a doctor and nurse who knows them

The enrollment period for the Florida KidCare child health insurance program is now

Enrolling in Florida KidCare is based on income and family size and is available for children ages birth through 18. Most families pay $15 a month, while some families pay nothing at all. The cost of coverage for a full year could be significantly less than the cost of one visit to an emergency room.

As an umbrella program, Florida KidCare combines the best of private and public health insurance into an affordable, quality and comprehensive program for children. Program components include Medicaid, MediKids, Healthy Kids and Children’s Medical Services Network.

In Volusia and Flagler counties, Healthy Communities administers the program and staff is available to provide one-on-one assistance in completing the application. Through the use of online applications now available to KidCare staff in Volusia and Flagler, Healthy Communities staff is expanding their outreach efforts and speeding up the application process.

For more information, call Healthy Communities at 386-323-0000. Residents of Flagler County or those living in the 407 area code may call toll free at 800-236-0785.

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Contact: Kate Holcomb, 386-254-4224
Halifax-Fish Community Health
Public Relations
kate.holcomb

PORT ORANGE - In the year since the September 11 terrorist attacks on America thousands have gone to the Ground Zero site of the World Trade Center to pay respects and share their grief while viewing the tangible aftermath of the acts that triggered the War on Terrorism. Millions more who had relatives or friends killed or injured would have joined them had they had the opportunity.

Hospice of Volusia/Flagler, whose grief counselors met with many area residents whose loved ones were affected by the tragedy, has arranged for a small piece of Ground Zero to be brought to its Port Orange Care Center as the centerpiece of a September 11 Remembrance Ceremony and later a lasting memorial to the victims and reminder of national unity.

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, responding to a Hospice request put before him through the efforts of Florida Senator Bill Nelson and his New York colleague Charles Schumer, has sent Hospice a portion of one of the World Trade Center girders plucked from Ground Zero in the search and recovery effort. The small piece of the once towering building will be focal point for a ceremony to be held at 12 NOON September 11 on the banks of a small lake adjacent to the Hospice Care Center at 3800 Woodbriar Trail, just west of Nova Road off Dunlawton Avenue. In the event of inclement weather, the ceremony will move to the nearby portico and lobby area of the Care Center.

“Some of our staff who had relatives and friends lost in the tragedy have wished they could bring some closure to their grieving by visiting Ground Zero,” said Debbie Harley, director of Hospice of Volusia/Flagler. “Time and funds have kept that from happening for them and many others, and we saw this as an opportunity to symbolically, at least, provide a visible and tangible connection with the World Trade Center.” For others, Harley said, the service will be an opportunity to reaffirm the unity of which the World Trade Center Towers now represent.

The brief ceremony will include prayers by Hospice Chaplain Bob Kicklighter and brief remarks by local leaders. The public is welcome and urged to attend, and, for those still working through the emotions of a year ago, Hospice counselors will be present and available for discussion at the Hospice Care Center immediately following the program.

Hospice of Volusia/Flagler, a nonprofit health care organization, provides care for terminally ill patients and their loved ones in their homes, nursing homes, or wherever they reside. Hospice of Volusia/Flagler, one of the first hospice organization established in the country, offers the area’s most comprehensive hospice program, including the 16-bed inpatient Care Center in Port Orange. Grief counseling is available to anyone in the community who has experienced a loss. Services are covered by Medicare, Medicaid and most commercial insurance, and are extended to those without insurance or resources through the generous support of public contributions and memorial gifts. Hospice of Volusia/Flagler is an affiliate of Halifax·Fish Community Health.

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Contact: Kate Holcomb, 386-254-4224
Halifax-Fish Community Health
Public Relations
kate.holcomb

Independent Study Names Halifax Medical Center Among 100 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals -- Top Cardiovascular Hospitals Have Lower Mortality, Complication Rates than Peers

DAYTONA BEACH (July 3, 2001) – A recently released study named Halifax Medical Center as one of the Solucient100 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals. The analysis, announced in this week’s Modern Healthcare magazine, identifies those hospitals that have achieved excellence in care, efficiency of operations and sustainability of cardiovascular performance.

Halifax Medical Center, a 764-bed acute care hospital in Daytona Beach, was recognized as a Solucient 100 Top Hospital. Halifax Medical Center is the only hospital in Volusia, Flagler, Orange, Seminole, Brevard and Lake counties included in the list. This is the first year data from the Halifax Heart Center, whichd in December 1997, was included in their studies.

The third annual study, Solucient 100 Top Cardiovascular Benchmarks for Success, focused on hospitals that treat high volumes of heart attack patients and perform large numbers of specific cardiac-related procedures – bypass grafts and angioplasties.

The Halifax Heart Center includes a diagnostic outpatient cardiac unit and two cardiac catheterization labs, three dedicated operating suites, a 7-bed cardiovascular intensive care unit, and an adjacent 23-bed cardiovascular progressive care unit. More than 5,400 heart, cardiac catheterization and related procedures are performed each year.

Research Highlights
The Solucient 100 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals study found top-performing facilities consistently outperform their peers, especially in terms of mortality and complication rates:

The study also found that if all hospitals in the study achieved the success levels of the Solucient top hospitals, each would save an average of $1.35 million annually among Medicare patients alone – an average of about $2,000 per cardiology case. Deaths from the procedures studied would drop 23 percent and post-operative mortality rates would drop 30 percent in peer hospitals.

"Our analysis clearly indicates that volume alone does not tell the whole story, at least in terms of mortality, hemorrhage and infection," says Jean Chenoweth, senior vice president and executive director of the Solucient 100 Top Hospitals program.

The winners of the award are stratified in categories or peer groups that represent hospitals throughout the country, and include 25 teaching hospitals with cardiovascular residency programs, 45 teaching hospitals without cardiovascular residency programs, and 30 community hospitals. Halifax Medical Center was named in the teaching hospital without cardiovascular residency program group.

The study analyzed the nation’s hospitals using empirical performance data from the publicly available Medicare Cost and MedPAR. To establish a sample of hospitals that were relatively uniform in cardiac patient volume, the analysis was restricted to acute care, non-federal hospitals that met minimum volume in each year -- 1998 and 1999:

Hospitals that met these volume criteria were then analyzed according to the following measures:

For a list of the "Solucient 100 Top Hospitals: Cardiovascular Benchmarks for Success" winners and a summary of the report, visit http://www.100TopHospitals.com.

Solucient is a leading source of health care intelligence benchmark information, powering health care decisions for providers, payers, consultants, employers, and pharmaceutical companies. Formed by the recent merger of HCIA-Sachs and HBSI, Solucient's information helps benchmark performance across the continuum of care.

BACKGROUND

Photo Available: Rudolph Giuliani signing text for Hospice plaque while in Daytona Beach earlier this year. # # # Contact: Kate Holcomb, 386-254-4224 Halifax-Fish Community Health Public Relations kate.holcomb

Photo Available: Rudolph Giuliani signing text for Hospice plaque while in Daytona Beach earlier this year.
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Contact: Kate Holcomb, 386-254-4224
Halifax-Fish Community Health
Public Relations
kate.holcomb