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Hospital Commits $1.2 Million In Donated Goods And Services To USF
In an effort to further strengthen ties between the two institutions, Florida Hos- pital Tampa recently commit- ted $1.2 million in donated goods and services to the Uni- versity of South Florida. The donations are to help expand community-centered care through the USF Health BRIDGE Healthcare Clinic.
The BRIDGE clinic, a na- tionally recognized, student- run free community clinic, provides primary medical care to more than 800 underserved patients a year, one night a week inside the USF Health Morsani Center for Advanced Healthcare.
Paired with USF physi- cians, USF medical students
along with students from col- leges and schools of pharmacy, physical therapy, public health and social work donate their time as volunteers to care for uninsured University Area Community residents. The ex- panded BRIDGE clinic at Florida Hospital Tampa is lo- cated inside the Florida Hospi- tal Pepin Heart Institute on Fletcher Avenue, just north of USF and will initially operate one night each month.
“Florida Hospital’s dona- tion of goods, services, office space and personnel will help significantly increase the num- ber of patients seen through the BRIDGE clinic, expand specialty care and procedures in areas of radiology, gynecol-
ogy, orthopedics and surgery, and cut weeks off the appoint- ment waiting times for new and established patients,” Michelle Blanco, a USF fourth-year medical student and Executive Student Direc- tor at the clinic said.
The expanded BRIDGE clinic, like the current one, continues to team medical and other health professions stu- dents with physicians. In addi- tion to the USF Health doctors who volunteer at the Morsani Center site, the new site will bring in physician volunteers from Florida Hospital Tampa to supervise the student volun- teers.
As the numbers of partici- pating hospital physicians
grow, the clinic at the hospital may increase its capacity from one Thursday night each month to as many as four nights monthly.
Officials from both institu- tions say the partnership adds to their ongoing research and patient care collaborations be- tween the two institutions- which share a common mis- sion to care for all patients in need across the Tampa Bay re- gion.
“We’re incredibly grateful. This is a clear indication that our missions are completely aligned. We are here for the patients,” Dr. Charles Lock- wood, Senior Vice President, USF Health and Dean of the Morsani College of Medicine
said.
Dr. Peter Bath, vice
president of mission for Florida Hospital West Florida Region, echoed Dr. Lock- wood’s sentiments and said partnering with the hospital’s next-door neighbor to provide health care for struggling fam- ilies was a continuation of the hospital’s mission. “This is a natural extension of what our mission is all about, caring for people and giving back to our community,” Dr. Bath said. “We know the needs are signif- icant for the underserved and we will continue to look for ways to help the community throughout all of our nine Florida Hospitals in the West Florida Region.”
Soteria Foundation Hosts 4th Annual Tea Fundraiser
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
In 2009, Ms. Valansar Key launched an organization to help women and girls cope with everyday life. The next step was to create an annual fundraiser to provide assis- tance to those who were in need of help.
Ms. Key said when she
launched Soteria Foundation, Inc., “it was to reach out into the community to those who were struggling, especially sin- gle mothers who seemed to have nowhere to turn.”
Being a single mother of 3, she could identify with the everyday struggles and the need for outside support. But, she felt the best way to accom- plish this goal was to first in-
Ms. Valansiar Key, CEO and Founder of Soteria Foun- dation, left, is shown with Dr. Alicia Riggins, who delivered the keynote address at the tea.
troduce the women to them- selves.
“There were some women who wouldn’t even look into a mirror. I wanted to teach them to love themselves.”
Then, her efforts advanced to helping the ladies structure resumes. The next step was to help them complete applica- tions for the military and other avenues of life.
In addition, the group meets monthly to discuss is- sues pertaining to everyday
Ms. Debra Montgomery McCalla served as the musi- cian for the event.
life. Ms. Key said she also meets with them privately if they prefer because she under- stands that some people don’t want to discuss their issues in a group setting.
As the foundation devel- oped, Ms. Key obtained a 501c(3) non-profit status and plans a Tea as a yearly fundraiser. This year, the 4th Annual Mother Daughter Tea was held on April 11th. The theme was “A Mother’s Day in Paris.”
The keynote speaker was noted author, Dr. Alicia Rig- gins. The funds raised at the
Praise Dancers, Hope Key, left, and Brishauna Malcom participated in the event.
tea will help provide the serv- ices of career development, ed- ucation, health, fitness, and beauty. The funds will also be used to help with clothing and food.
“Our programs come with personal testimonies of those who have overcome some of life’s adversities. There are no charges for the services, but we do ask the women in the program to pay it forward and help someone else.”
The organization’s website can be found at www.soteri- afound1.org.
Tampa General Hospital Ranked One Of 100 Great Hospitals In America
A national healthcare publication has named Tampa General Hospital (TGH) one of the “100 Great Hospitals in America” for 2015. TGH is the only hospital on Florida’s west coast – and one of only four in the state – to be listed by Becker’s Hospital Review. TGH also made the list last year.
Selected hospitals have a strong foundation of high-quality care, stellar credentials and a focus on doing what is right for patients in their communities. These hospitals are home to many medical and scientific breakthroughs, provide best-in-class patient care and are stalwarts of their communities, serving as research hubs or local anchors of wellness.
Becker’s noted Tampa General serves as the primary teaching hospital for the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, and that it is one of the largest hospitals in Florida that serves a dozen counties with a population in excess of 4 million people.
The publication also cited Tampa General’s ranking as the best hospital in the Tampa-St. Peters- burg metro area for 2014-2015 by U.S. News & World Report. It also listed the hospital’s Magnet sta- tus, the highest recognition a hospital can receive for nursing, from the American Nurses Credentialing Center and its Joint Commission accreditation in 16-disease specific areas.
PAGE 10 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY TUESDAY, MAY 5, 2015