What’s Happening: Winter Haven Hospital Merger and Other Medical News
Winter Haven Hospital officially merged with BayCare Health System on August 30, with Steve Nierman at the helm. Nierman previously served as president of Florida Baptist Hospital in Plant City.
Lance Anastasio, Winter Haven Hospital’s immediate past president and chief executive officer, is retiring after 44 years of service. He is expected to assist Nierman in the transition.
The merger is expected to reduce health care expenses through improved buying power. There is a three-year integration plan, with the goal of reducing staff size through attrition whenever possible.
In other medical news:
* Bond Clinic
New at Bond Clinic is Julia Trainor, a nurse practitioner in cardiovascular and thoracic surgery.
Bond Clinic’s Pediatrics Department also has extended its hours. It is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Thursday and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, with other appointment times as needed. To schedule, call (863) 293-1191 extension 3633.
* Clark and Daughtrey
Clark and Daughtrey Medical Group, a division of Lakeland Regional Health Systems, has added some new physicians including Dr. Alexis Ferguson, Dr. Amarilis Perez, Dr. Kelly King, Dr. Pablo Maldonado, and Dr. Tabraue-Nunez, all hospitalists, who will be seeing hospital patients only at Lakeland Regional Medical Center. Another hospitalist seeing patients only at Lakeland Regional is Dr. Ralph Tauran, who also is part of the Infectious Disease staff. Dr. Diana Burgueno-Vega has joined the Surgery staff and will be seeing patients at Clark and Daughtrey’s Main Campus at 130 Pablo Street, Lakeland. Other additions include Dr. Zahid I. Choudary, neurology, main campus; Dr. Pranav Patel, pulmonary/critical, Southgate campus, 2625 South Florida Ave., Lakeland; and Dr. Eduardo Andre, pulmonary, Southgate campus.
* Heart of Florida Regional Medical Center
Ann Barnhart is serving as chief executive officer of Heart of Florida Regional Medical Center and Market Chief Executive Officer for Polk and Osceola counties. She has more than 30 years of healthcare experience and most recently served as Division Chief Executive Officer and Senior Vice President for the Western Division of Health Management Services. She was instrumental in overseeing the construction and opening of the new Heart of Florida hospital facility in Haines City, where she served as chief executive officer.
Former Heart of Florida Chief Executive Officer Don Breeding is returning to his previous job as the hospital’s Chief Nursing Executive. Twice named Chief Nursing Officer of the Year by Health Management Associates, Breeding says this role personifies his desire for nursing excellence.
Heart of Florida also has added several new physicians to its staff, including Dr. David Chams, an anesthesiologist who earned his medical degree from Universidad Del Norte, Barranquilla, Columbia; Dr. David Marcantel, an obstetrician/gynecologist (OB-GYN) who studied medicine at Louisiana State University School of Medicine in Shreveport; Dr. Nestor Dans, a vascular and thoracic surgeon who completed his medical degree at Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans; and three pulmonary disease specialists. They are Dr. Fortune Alabi, who earned his medical degree from University of Llorin, Kwara; Dr. Maximo Lama, who received his medical degree at Universidad Tecnologica de Santiago (UTESA), Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic; and Dr. Fred Umeh, who studied medicine at the University of Nigeria.
* Lake Wales Medical Center
In late July Community Health Systems, the Lake Wales Medical Center owner, made the announcement of its planned purchase of Health Management Associates, which is the current owner of two other Polk hospitals: Heart of Florida and Bartow Regional Medical Centers. HMA shareholders will be voting on the pending acquisition, and 70 percent of the vote is needed to proceed. An update will be published as details unfold.
LWMC is teaching moms and dads all about sports injuries student athletes may experience at 6 p.m., September 17 at Lake Wales High School Auditorium. Pizza will be served at 5 p.m. in the cafeteria. The event is free, but registration is required. To register, visit www.lakewalesmedicalcenter.com, click on Healthy Woman, and then the “Sign up for events” button.
On October 12, the 6th Annual Breast Cancer Awareness Walk will be held from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. at Kiwanis Park. You can register is at www.lakewalesmedicalcenter.com, after clicking on Healthy Woman.
* Watson Clinic
Patients under the care of Watson Clinic now can access an online portal, NextMD, which is a secure, confidential and easy-to-use website to request appointments, access personal health information, update insurance information and addresses, and receive instructional materials. Patients can find it at www.WatsonClinic.com after clicking on a portal button on the homepage’s left side.
The clinic’s Urgent Care department will be relocating to a brand new space at the west end of the Main Clinic building in early October. It will be accessed at the West Entrance at 1600 Lakeland Hills Boulevard, Lakeland. Urgent care is open seven days a week and handles a variety of walk-in care needs.
The clinic’s OB-GYN Department will be hosting its second annual “We’re Expecting” Mommy and Baby Expo from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., October 26 at the First Presbyterian Church on Lake Hollingsworth in Lakeland. Learn more by calling 863-904-4658 or visiting www.WatsonClinic.com/events.
New physicians include Dr. Lilliam Chiques, internal medicine, Main Clinic in Lakeland; Dr. Freddy G. De Cordova, family medicine, Main Clinic, Lakeland; Dr. Jarrett Gregory, urgent care, Main Clinic, Lakeland; Dr. Robert Mendez and Dr. Deepak Singh, primary care hospitalists, Lakeland Regional Medical Center; and Dr. Osereimen Omoike, anesthesiology, Lakeland Regional Medical Center.
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by CHERYL ROGERS