In honor of National Poison Prevention Week (March 14-20), we at Brandon Regional Hospital want to provide parents some useful tips for keeping their family safe from unintentional poisoning. Put into action this handy set of “9 Rules of the House” suggested by the National Poison Prevention Week Council and enlist the help of older children and other adults in the house to follow suit.

1. Always leave items in their original containers to prevent any confusion later.
2. Do not remove labels from product packaging to ensure you can identify the package’s contents.
3. Keep all chemicals and medicines in locked storage areas, and when they are out and in use, never leave young children alone or out of sight.
4. Keep small batteries (such as button batteries, often found in watches, calculators and cameras) out of the hands of small children to prevent swallowing. While much of the time, these batteries can pass through the system, there is a chance of poisoning and the batteries can cause internal burning in the esophagus or intestinal tract. If you determine that a battery has been swallowed, contact your physician or Poison Control Center.
5. When finished using a child-resistant bottle, secure the container’s cap tightly.
6. Try to avoid taking medicine in front of small children who may confuse small pills with candy.
7. Keep decorative lamps or candles that contain lamp oil out of children’s reach not only to avoid potential burns but because lamp oil is very toxic.
8. Schedule periodic times during the year to review your medicine cabinet’s contents to safely dispose of expired over-the-counter medication or old prescriptions. We suggest once or twice a year – maybe first day of spring for once a year or the day after the clocks change (twice annually).
9. In case of poisoning, call 911.

The addition of robotic surgery at Brandon Regional Hospital provides our skilled surgical team with anew minimally invasive alternative to laparascopic and conventional open surgery for a variety of gynecological and urological procedures. Through the use of robotics, surgeons can make significantly smaller incisions than traditional surgery, often resulting in shorter hospital stays, less pain, less scarring and a quicker recovery time.

Here at Brandon Regional, the da Vinci® robotic surgical program is the only robotic system in place in Eastern Hillsborough County. The technology enables surgeons to perform complex surgeries with great precision through the system’s replication of the surgeon’s movements in real-time using the surgeon’s own guidance and input. Seated just feet away from the patient, the surgeon operates viewing a three-dimensional image and working through tiny incisions made by guiding and controlling miniaturized instruments.

The da Vinci Surgical System is being used by our urologists as an alternative to traditional surgery, for delicate procedures including prostatectomy. With its ability to offer such precision and control, the robotic system provides surgeons with precision control using tiny instruments, which can contribute to a more positive recovery experience.

Our gynecology team has used the robot-assisted platform for such common procedures as hysterectomy (removal of uterus and/or other reproductive organs); myomectomy (removal of uterine fibroids); and sacrocolpopexy (surgery for uterine or vaginal vault prolapse). Because the system allows for much smaller incisions (1-2 cm in length), the patient potentially experiences less pain and minimal scarring.

Our experienced medical team is always seeking non-surgical treatments or medications to relieve symptoms for our patients. In those cases where surgery is the best option, it’s good to know that the latest minimally invasive alternatives, including laparascopic surgery and robotic-assisted surgery, provide alternatives for our surgeons and their teams to deliver the best possible care to our patients at Brandon Regional Hospital.

At Brandon Regional Hospital, we always have a seminar, support group or class providing our patients and the community with great learning opportunities for better health and wellness. It’s a new month and here are just a few of the things going on in March.

• Free physician seminars include Minimally Invasive Spine (MIS) Surgery by Neurosurgeon Philip Henkin, M.D., on March 10; Understanding Family Vaccination by Pediatrician Gerard Hough, M.D., on March 16 and Sleep Disorders and How They Affect Your Life by Ivan Ackerman, M.D., on March 18. All begin at 6:30 p.m. and for registration call (813) 653-1065.

• If you’re interested in learning more about weight loss surgery procedures, sign up for a free seminar and find out if you are a good candidate. A Lap Band Seminar is being held Tuesday, March 2, 6:30-7:30pm and a Surgical Weight Loss Seminar also is scheduled for Thursday, March 25 from 6:30-7:30pm. Registration is required at (813) 653-1065.

• Seeking a support group? We have a number of great opportunities for people to meet and exchange information and ideas with other individuals sharing the similar life experiences. Our American Cancer Society Man-to-Man Cancer Support group meets the first Tuesday of the month at 6:30pm. The Brandon Stroke Support group meets second Thursday of the month at 10:45am. A Cardiac Support Group also meets second Thursday of the month in the evening, from 6:30-7:30pm. A Surgical Weight Loss Support Group gathers the fourth Thursday of the month at 6:30pm. Most groups meet in Oakfield Medical Plaza and require registration at (813) 653-1065.

• Have you joined h2U, Health 2 You? Our members-only health and wellness club meets regularly for walking, crafts activities and other scheduled fitness events. For additional information, call (813) 684-3316.

• The Baby Suites program at Brandon Regional Hospital has a number of childbirth classes available this month including Prepared Childbirth, Preparing to Breastfeed, Gestational Diabetes, Intensive Childbirth and Newborn Care. Many classes are free but require registration. For info or to register, call (813) 653-1065.

• It’s never too late to learn something new about health and wellness.  The hospital offers a number of helpful, healthy lifestyle classes from topics ranging from healthy heart nutrition to outpatient diabetes self-management to nutrition for cancer prevention and treatment. Check out the hospital’s online calendar for dates, times and locations.

Brandon Regional Hospital’s Heart & Vascular Center is committed to excellence and always seeking new ways to improve the quality and efficiency of its cardiac care program and save lives: through its comprehensive cardiovascular services, minimally invasive surgical techniques and cutting-edge technology. When the hospital opened its new electrophysiology program in 2009, it now meant the opportunity for patients experiencing abnormal heart rates and rhythms to receive advanced medical assessment and treatment for their condition.

Last year’s establishment of a chest pain observation unit enabled the hospital to streamline the process of diagnosing and providing efficient care to patients arriving with complaint of chest pain, so much so that as of last December, patients arriving in the ER with chest pain averaged a total stay of just 17.3 total hours, a significant milestone for the hospital.

Brandon Hospital has also made tremendous strides in their care of heart attack patients, including those suffering from STEMI. According to the American Heart Association (AHA), each year about 400,000 American experience a STEMI heart attack which impacts a large are of the area and carries with it a high risk of mortality and disability. STEMI, which stands for ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction, is defined by the AHA as a severe attack brought about by a prolonged period of a blocked blood supply, calling for quick responsiveness.

When any heart attack is experienced, the sooner blood flow is re-established to the heart, the lesser potential tissue damage and the better the patient outcome. Nationally, the recommended benchmark for STEMI response time is 90 minutes (that is, the time between the patient’s arrival throughout treatment until the point of restoring blood flow). At Brandon Regional Hospital, the team has frequently been able to provide life-saving care well under the national STEMI response time benchmark.

For instance, take 55-year-old Kevin Johnson, a helicopter pilot by trade with a STEMI time of 55 minutes and a new perspective on life. “Being grounded after my heart attack has given me time to work on my physical health and spend additional time with my family,” Johnson says. Or cardiac patient Cristina Andrews with a STEMI time of 57 minutes. “I was on my riding lawn mower when my heart attack symptoms occurred. I knew to come in out of the heat and call 9-1-1. I had just enough time to let the dogs out before I was taken to Brandon Regional Hospital.,” Andrews says. “Thanks to the wonderful care provided by Dr. Saba and the hospital staff, I’m back enjoying the Florida outdoors!”

Eileen Tait had a slightly different perspective when she realized what was happening. The Registered Nurse soon found herself in the role of the patient herself with a STEMI time of 58 minutes. “I instinctively knew all the right steps to take when I experienced a heart attack at home. My husband called 911, while I took 4 baby aspirin. EMS passed through traffic lights saving my heart precious time,” she says.

For additional information about Brandon Regional Hospital’s cardiac care program, go to the hospital’s website www.brandonhospital.com or call (813) 571-5167.

Working across five labs and a state-of-the-art Heart & Vascular Center, the highly trained medical team at Brandon Regional Hospital of cardiologists, anesthesiologists, cardiac surgeons, critical care specialists and support staff is committed to the study, diagnosis and treatment of heart disease. Patients seeking a cardiologist can click here for our online directory to locate a specialist, but here’s a brief tour of the variety of cardiac services offered by the hospital including interventional cardiac procedures, cardiac surgery and cardiac rehabilitation.

For those who come through the hospital’s Accredited Chest Pain Center, it may be necessary to do some additional cardiac testing or monitoring. The team offers a number of non-invasive Cardiology Services to do just that, including holter monitoring, stress testing and  echocardiography, and 64-slice coronary CT scans. If it’s determined that the patient may have some arterial blockage, cardiac dysrhythmias, or valve issues, more invasive means may be required such as a diagnostic catheterization, coronary artery stents, cardiac electrophysiology or ablation.

For patients requiring more complex procedures, board-certified cardiothoracic surgeons are available to carry out a variety of surgical procedures through the hospital’s Cardiac Surgery Program, which is comprised of two specially equipped operating suites, an eight-bed Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit and a specialized Progressive Care Unit. Procedures available include coronary artery bypass, valve repair or replacement, minimally invasive heart surgery and insertion of left ventricular assist device implants or implantable defibrillators.

For those patients experiencing peripheral vascular disease, Brandon Regional Hospital offers the full spectrum of diagnosis and treatment for peripheral arterial disease. Board certified vascular surgeons, cardiologists, and radiologists work together to restore circulation to your legs, arms, or organs.

But our cardiac care program doesn’t stop after the procedure or even patient discharge. Our cardiac rehabilitation team supports patients throughout their hospital stay and after they return home through extensive education and exercise therapy. The staff focuses on teaching patients and their families effective ways to transition into heart-healthy lifestyles. The program is particularly useful for patients who have experienced such conditions as angina pectoris, previous heart attack, heart failure, coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction or open heart surgery.

For additional information about Brandon’s cardiac care program, contact the Brandon Regional Hospital Heart Center at (813) 681-5551. 

In honor of National Heart Month, we wanted to share with our readers some ways they can make even small differences in their diet to make more heart-healthy decisions. So whether you’re whipping up something in the kitchen or ordering off the menu, here are some basic things the American Heart Association has recommended you can do to incorporate more of the foods that support your cardiac health goals and fewer of the ingredients that may work against it.

• Eat 5 or more servings daily of a variety of fruits and vegetables.
• Limit red meats and processed meats and opt for fat-free or lower-fat protein options such as fish, beans, skinless poultry, reduced-fat dairy products and other lean meats (preferably white) wherever possible.
• When choosing fats, aim for two grams or less saturated fat per serving and stick with canola oil, olive oil and reduced-fat liquid and tub margarines.
• Limit number of foods with high saturated fat and cholesterol and aim to avoid foods with transfats wherever possible. Such foods may include fatty meats, partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, egg yolks and whole fat milk products.
• Keep sodium to 6 grams of salt (sodium chloride) or 2400 milligrams of sodium per day.
• Limit your alcohol to no more than one drink per day if you’re a woman and two drinks if you’re a man.
• Eat 6 or more servings daily of a variety of grain products, including whole grains.

By incorporating more heart-healthy habits into your lifestyle, you can reduce you and your family’s risk of high cholesterol and high blood pressure, and ultimately reduce the risk of heart attack.

For additional information about cardiac health, check with the Brandon Regional Hospital Heart Center at (813) 681-5551.

Each year on the first Friday of the month, women everywhere take part in National Go Red for Women Day by wearing red as a sign of their support for the campaign, initiated by the American Heart Association to raise awareness that heart disease is THE number one killer for women. Once again Brandon Regional Hospital will be taking part to support the campaign this Friday, Feb. 5 in an effort to encourage women to take control of their health and to continue providing heart health education to the community.

Throughout the year, Brandon Regional Hospital and our sister HCA West Florida hospitals work together with the American Heart Association to teach women about ways they can lower their risk of heart disease. The facts are simple. 

• Cardiovascular disease, including stroke, claims more women’s lives then the next seven causes of death combined – nearly 500,000 a year!
• The number of women who die each year from cardiovascular disease is greater than twice as many from all forms of cancer put together.
• Women account for more than 60% of all stroke deaths, and those who smoke, take birth control pills, are pregnant or have high blood pressure are at a greater risk for stroke.
• With just a few simple life behavioral changes, such as fitting a daily walk, bike ride or dance class into your schedule, adding more whole grains and fresh fruit to your diet and quitting smoking — you can begin to significantly reduce your risk of heart disease.
• Higher blood pressure increases your risk of heart attack, stroke or heart failure and you increase your chance of higher than normal blood pressure simply by being 20 pounds overweight, menopausal, having a family history of high blood pressure or by being pregnant, especially in the final trimester! By working to add more heart-healthy recipes into your menu, staying as active as possible and finding healthy, positive ways to manage stress, you can lower your blood pressure and help your heart work a little less strenuously.

To learn more about Go Red for Women, go to www.goredforwomen.org or call 1-888-MY-HEART. For a physician referral or more information on heart and vascular care at Brandon Regional Hospital, call 1-877-HCA-DOCS.

Remind your mom, your sisters, daughters, co-workers and best friends. And remember to wear your red this Friday as you take steps to better educate yourself and your family about leading a heart-healthy life.

Winter is in full-swing and with it comes the threat of flu and other viruses. Last summer and fall, families prepared to protect themselves for the transmission of both traditional and H1N1 flu viruses, yet now as we enter one of the most vulnerable times of year to catch viruses, news outlets are reporting that many people are no longer pursuing flu shots or taking H1N1 quite so seriously.

Flu prevention is essential now more than ever, so it’s important for you and your family not to let your guard down, especially in the wintertime. Remember these five key steps you can take to keep viruses and germs at bay this flu season:

• Keep your hands clean – REALLY clean.
  You’d be surprised at what leaving out one step can do to hurt your efforts to prevent the spread of germs. Use warm water and lather up soap by rubbing hands together for 15 seconds, including hard-to-reach spots like under nails and skin creases. Rinse your hands, dry them, and keep your hand sanitizer handy.
• Avoid excessive contact with your eyes, nose or mouth.
  Germs are easily transferred from one person to another through simple actions like handing other people files and paperwork, or simply sharing supplies or dishes at home or work.
• Cover your mouth!
  Remember when your mom used to tell you to do this? She does know a thing or two. Whenever you cough or sneeze, cover your nose AND mouth to prevent the spread of potential virus and discard any used tissues afterward.
• Don’t schedule appointments when you’re under the weather.
  Limit interaction with other people, especially when you are sick, feel that you may be getting sick or if you know your colleague who wants to meet is already sick. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) suggests limiting all activities for at least 24 hours after a fever’s broken, since you may still be contagious.
• Get the shot.
  Flu vaccines are becoming more available, and it’s your responsibility as a parent, family member or co-worker to protect yourself and those around you from catching either the seasonal flu or H1N1 virus. Go to your local pharmacy or physician and take advantage of these vaccinations as they become available to you. It’s the smart thing to do.

We’re excited to be entering a new year and continue our mission of providing excellence in healthcare to the Greater Brandon community and Eastern Hillsborough County. And while we may have a challenging road ahead with the uncertainty of healthcare reform and the impact of the current economic picture, we’d be remiss if we didn’t take this time also to reflect on those things we were able to achieve in 2009, so we might use these successes to help propel us forward even further in the new year.

• One of the best things we were able to do in 2009 was establish our chest pain observation unit. It has really helped us streamline the process of coordinating care for patients who arrive complaining of chest pain so we might diagnose them more efficiently, get them the care they need and get them out of the hospital in a much more efficient timeframe. When we were more decentralized it wasn’t uncommon for someone with chest pain to be in the hospital for 48 hours, because complaint of chest pain is not a definitive diagnosis. It may or may not be heart related, and therefore requires coordination of care between our emergency department physicians, cardiologists and primary care physicians. We have standardized protocol now that’s really helped streamline the whole experience for the patient. So as of this past December it was just 17.3 total hours on average for a patient coming into the ED with chest pains assuming everything became normal during treatment. That’s a huge thing because no one wants to be in the hospital any longer than they have to be.

• Our Emergency Department continued to excel, as our volumes in 2009 reached record levels and are going to end up at 85,000 ED visits, an all time high for any one year. Our overall efficiency metrics of wait times, such time to be seen by a doctor, time to be processed, and others have been dramatically reduced. We also achieved zero diversion hours, meaning at no time did we have to notify the county that we could no longer accept patients, which is a tremendous accomplishment.

• We opened up a new 40-bed inpatient unit on 4 South that increased our capacity on the inpatient side which also positively impacts what we’re doing in the emergency department. After all, if you don’t have beds in the inpatient side of your hospital, then you’ve got the potential for patients to get held up longer than necessary in the emergency department and so begins that whole challenge again.

• In March, we opened up our Cyberknife radiation therapy service, a wonderful technology as it relates to tumors with a specialized radiation beam using computerized planning that allows the beam to focus on the tumor itself and minimizes radiating good tissue. There aren’t many hospitals in the country that have that service. We now have a new medical director for this service, Janelle Park, M.D. , who joined us in middle of November and she’s been a great addition.

• We started the renovation of our Women’s Center in September, and it’s scheduled to be finished in the middle of February this year. So the physical layouts for our expectant moms both in the laboring area and the post-partum area have all been upgraded, and they are looking fantastic.

In 2010, our top ongoing priority is to keep evaluating ways to improve patient satisfaction and clinical outcome performance. It is a huge focus for us, and we certainly encourage feedback from our patients and their families about their experience in this hospital, because we value their input and want them to be repeat customers of ours.

But we’ve got a number of other things we’ll be looking at this year, too. We’re going to continue to seek out services and personnel that will allow us to continue to grow our key service lines of oncology, neuroscience, cardiovascular and women’s health. And that can be things like recruitment of certain specialists, new processes or new technology. We just started a tobacco-free initiative on our campus January 1, and so far we’ve had excellent compliance. So I think people are really respecting what we’re trying to do here.

And of course, there is still some uncertainty as to the impact of whatever the eventual healthcare reform legislation is going to be and what that’s going to do to us as a healthcare provider and how we deal with our community. But rest assured, we’re going to do our part to be a leader in the healthcare arena as it relates to this reform, and we hope you’ll continue to share your feedback with us, because we want to hear from you.

At Brandon Regional, we’re committed to living up to our role as a healthcare educator for the community in which much of our own staff lives, too. Through a number of onsite classes, community events and our online library of health-related information, we’re doing what we can to provide you helpful, easy-to-use medical resources, and we want to make sure that you’re aware of them.

• Community Seminars
  The hospital offers a variety of free, informative seminars on a broad range of topics including surgical weight loss, innovative robotic surgery , heart-healthy nutrition and  diabetes self-management . In fact, just this Wednesday, January 13, a class is being held on “Nutrition for Cancer Prevention and Nutrition during Cancer Treatment” from 2:30-3:30pm. Call (813) 653-1065 to register. Check out the monthly calendar of community education events here. (http://brandonhospital.com/CustomPage.asp?guidCustomContentID={6ADFDA62-47C1-4FCF-974E-724470C9AC09}#/?i=1)
• Baby Suites Classes.
  For those expecting, we have a continuous program of classes being offered at our Education Center located in Oakfield Medical Plaza, directly across the street from the hospital. In fact, a new Prepared Birth Class begins a 4-week run starting Monday, February 1 and is held every Monday through February 22. This class covers the signs and stages of labor, breathing and relaxation skills for expectant moms. It also reviews the importance of a labor coach, and one adult coach or main support person is invited to join the expectant mom in the class which runs from 6 to 8:30pm. Some classes are free while others have a nominal charge, but registration is required. For more information or to register, call (813) 653-1065. For a listing of all currently scheduled Baby Suites Classes including Newborn Care, Gestational Diabetes and others, visit its web page. (http://brandonhospital.com/CustomPage.asp?guidCustomContentID={761FB179-3297-4CEF-93C0-66754D89D232})
  
• h2U Events
  Our h2U program meets throughout the month for various exercise and social events, including its monthly meeting, Mall Walk meet-ups, Girls’ Night Out and other senior fitness outings. Check the chapter’s current calendar for further information on upcoming events or meetings. (http://brandonhospital.com/CustomPage.asp?guidCustomContentID={8440CC76-4272-45D1-AA8A-34C788D70558}#/?i=1). To learn more about h2u, go here. (http://brandonhospital.com/CustomPage.asp?guidCustomContentID={782465CD-3FA1-4813-8120-7E992AB19A6E})
  
• Online Health Library
  Have you visited our website lately? We’ve got a comprehensive library of information available including a look at conditions from A-Z, various treatments, procedures and medications and numerous health guides. There’s also access to the latest cancer date, interactive assessment tools, medical dictionaries, and a section of the library devoted to natural health and alternative medicine. Click here to check out our robust online health library. (http://brandonhospital.com/CustomPage.asp?guidCustomContentID=6778348D-7BD7-472A-8898-D3F115F881F9).

 Helpful information is just a few miles down the road or possibly even a click away, but we do remind you that it is provided as a reference. Be sure to schedule an appointment with your doctor for proper consultation and diagnosis.