Davis Islands Today

From our friends at Tampa General Hospital:

Healthcare consumers have identified Tampa General as one of the region’s top hospitals when it comes to quality and image.

Based on these findings, the National Research Corporation for the second consecutive year has awarded Tampa General its prestigious Consumer Choice Award for 2007-08. The award identifies hospitals that healthcare consumers have selected for having the highest quality and image in the U.S.

The National Research Corp. surveyed more than 200,000 households, representing 400,000 consumers, throughout the United States. TGH was one of 223 hospitals nationwide, and one of 17 in Florida, selected from among the 3,200 hospitals named by study participants.

TGH was the only hospital to receive this designation from the four-county metropolitan statistical area of Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas, and Hernando.

NRC Chief Executive Officer Michael D. Hays said winners are determined by consumer perceptions on multiple quality and image ratings collected in the company’s annual NRC Healthcare Market Guide® study.

“Consumers play an increasing role in selecting their healthcare facilities and services,” Hays said. “As more healthcare quality information is made publicly available, we expect this trend to increase. These organizations are selected for the Consumer Choice Awards by the community residents they serve. We are pleased to honor these facilities for their dedication to quality healthcare in the eyes of their patients.”

Ron Hytoff, president and CEO of Tampa General, said the distinction is a reflection of the hospital’s commitment to quality and to the teamwork and dedication of all employees.

“Our physicians and nurses are key components, but they do not work in a vacuum,” Hytoff said. “This effort includes everyone from the clinical techs who perform diagnostic tests on patients, to the people who clean the rooms, and the dietary staff that prepares the meals. Our patients and their families are keenly aware of all these elements when they come to the hospital.”

The 2007-08 Healthcare Market Guide is the nation’s largest and most comprehensive study of its kind. No other study used to measure hospital performance and preferences contain more consumer responses than NRC’s study. The study has a margin of error of plus or minus 0.2 percent at a national level. Co-winners are named when scores fall within the statistical margin of error for a given market.

By Mark Misner of Body By Design

As you are well aware, it does not take much to get me excited when it comes to health information that I can share with you. This month I will relay facts that you should consider as you make your daily and long-term health decisions.

First of all, let’s discuss a common symptom of the aging process; loss of the ability to do every day physical tasks. I believe we have become much too acceptant of this decline in physical independence. In your 30s, you and your spouse could move the couch as you rearranged your living room. In the later decades of 40-50-plus, you now have your teenager and their friends move that couch. We have all seen older adults who can’t open a jar of pickles or have to be assisted when getting up from a chair. Will that be you in 5 or 10 years?

So what happens to our muscles in the aging process? The medical term is sarcopenia. Sarcopenia is to muscles as osteoporosis is to bones. Sarcopenia is the loss of valuable muscle tissue from inactivity as much as it is from aging. You do not have to settle for the obvious resulting loss in physical ability and independence. Most of us don’t want to age in the same manner as our grandparents and parents.
The best news is you simply do not have to accept sarcopenia and the resulting loss of physical capacity. Extensive research has shown that adults can gain muscular strength at ages well beyond their 90s. The Fountain of Youth might be a myth (or wishful thinking), but the key to maintaining the health of your youth is consistent, challenging weight training. As the research has shown, age is not a limiting factor when it comes to developing enhanced muscular strength and the corresponding increase in physical ability and independence.

I strongly encourage two to three safely executed sessions of weight training activity each week. Surprisingly, extensive equipment is not required for positive results. Many of the exercises can be completed in a relatively small space in your home without any equipment. However, an investment in developing knowledge of the proper technique is time and money well spent. Seek out the professional direction of a highly experienced personal trainer. (Remember to check with your physician before beginning any exercise program.)

In the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidelines for Strength Training for Older Adults, they state that “people with health concerns—including heart disease or arthritis—often benefit the most from an exercise program that includes lifting weights a few times each week.” The CDC lists the following proven benefits of strength training regularly; arthritis relief, strengthening of bone, proper weight maintenance, improved glucose control, healthy state of mind, sleep improvement, healthy heart tissue, and restoration of balance and reduction of falls. One study in women 80 years of age and older showed a 40% reduction in falls with simple strength and balance training. That benefit alone translates into a large quality of life advantage over the issues associated with the normal aging process.

Start weight training and you will love the results. Regardless of your age, get started today. Have a very healthy day!

From the Young Islanders

Fall is here and our Young Islanders are back in school. They will be working on the Internet for school projects, homework, research and staying in touch with their friends. Our responsibility as parents is to make sure our children are safe while interacting with the Internet world.

The Young Islanders will host an Internet Safety Seminar to teach children about the Do’s and Don’ts of Internet Safety. This seminar will be targeted toward children ages 6-12, but at the same time will be valuable information for all. Stay tuned for date, time and location details of this upcoming Internet Safety Seminar.

From our friends at Tampa General Hospital:

Tampa General Hospital Executive Wins Statewide Honor

Deana Nelson, Tampa General Hospital’s Executive Vice President, Patient Care Services has been awarded the Florida Nurses Association Nurse Administrator Award for 2007. This award exemplifies outstanding leadership in nursing administration and is awarded to just one nurse administrator in the entire state of Florida.

Ms. Nelson has over 20 years of progressive clinical and operational management experience in complex health care organizations. Her career began as a staff nurse at Medical College of Ohio Hospital in Toledo and later came to TGH in 1983 as a staff nurse and where she has held a variety of positions. A Tampa resident, she received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing with honors from Bowling Green State University and her Masters of Health Care Administration from the Ohio State University.

She holds an Advanced ANCC Nursing Administration Certificate and serves on the Advisory Board for the University of Tampa College of Nursing. Her professional affiliations include the American Organization of Nurse Executives, Florida Organization of Nurse Executives, American College of Healthcare Executives and the Florida Nurses Association.

Congratulations, Deana!

Kuba Cigars is celebrating their first birthday on Davis Islands! Located at 243 E. Davis Blvd., Kuba Cigars will throw a party this weekend:

Join us Friday, September 14th from 7 - 10pm for our official one year anniversary.

We’ll also be kicking off the 2007 - 2008 Tampa Bay Lightning season (GO BOLTS!)

As always, there will be prizes, refreshments, and of course cigars. Best of all it’s FREE.

Bring your friends, smokers and non-smokers alike, and get ready to celebrate like we always do!

Thank you to everyone who has made this possible. It’s been a great first year, and we look forward to many more!

DavisIslandsToday.com wishes Kuba Cigars a happy birthday!

From the Young Islanders:

By now you have seen the white traffic safety stickers around Davis Islands. The Young Islanders have purchased these stickers with grant money from Hillsborough County. The goal is to remind D.I. residents and visitors so slow down to a safe speed when travelling around the islands. Many of you have inquired on how to get your own traffic safety stickers or how to obtain a yard sign. Please e-mail your request to youngislanders@yahoo.com. At this time, supplies are available for Davis Islands’ residents only on a first come first serve basis.

The Young Islanders wish to thank Hillsborough County Neighborhood Relations and the Hillsborough County Children’s Board for the grant monies used to fund this important initiative.

Kim Harnish tells us that the King High School Lionettes want to show your elementary and middle school kids how to dance, and give them an opportunity to perform on the field.

Join the King High School Lionettes for the 7th annual Jr. Lionettes Dance Workshop. Cost is $45 with proceeds benefiting the award-winning auxiliary team as they prepare for their 34th straight superior season. Anyone in grades 1st through 8th are invited to participate in the two-day workshop to be held on Saturday, Sept. 15 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Thursday, Sept. 20 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the King High School Gym, located at 6815 N. 56th St. All participating Jr. Lionettes will receive a commemorative t-shirt, instruction from team members, and will perform an age-appropriate routine with the band during their Pre-Game Performance on Friday, Sept. 21. Registration will be held on Saturday, Sept. 15 starting at 10 a.m. in the gym lobby.

For more information or to pre-register please contact Kim Harnish at Gatormom63217 [at] msn.com.

If you want to take your children to the dance workshop, mark your calendars for September 15, and you can find out a bit more at the KHS Marching Lions website.

By Mary Lou Jansen

Local Lens Crafter Honored as Florida’s Best

Photographers capture what the eye sees yet also manage to make an image more interesting, meaningful and memorable through the use of camera angles, lighting, context, contrast and even computer technology. The results can range from dreamy landscapes to the stunning structural design of a building.

Davis Islands resident Steve Widoff was initially inspired to look at life through a lens by his grandfather, whose profession – and personal passion – rarely found him without a camera close at hand. Over the years, what began as mild curiosity about cameras became a personal passion and profession.

As a college student, Widoff’s previous passing interest in photography came into better focus after he became photo editor for the campus newspaper, the University of South Florida’s Oracle and, later, while briefly working as a stringer for the St. Petersburg Times. Throughout his college career, and beyond, the Florida native gained practical experience working as an assistant to more experienced photographers until he gained enough confidence to open his own photo business in the early 1990s.

Initially working completely independently, he now runs Steven P. Widoff Photography (www.widoffphoto.com) in partnership with his wife Wendy, whose marketing background helps manage current projects as well as cultivate new clients.

Successfully specializing in two very diverse types of photography, Widoff has managed to craft a career combining editorial assignments with more stylized, artistic images. His architectural exteriors and interiors were recently nominated for a prestigious award by Randy Stribling, president of the Tampa Bay chapter of American Institute of Architects (AIA). The portfolio of architectural subjects submitted by Widoff resulted in his being recognized as Florida Photographer of the Year by AIA.

Widoff recently spoke about his career from the Davis Islands home that was formerly owned by his grandparents, where he and Wendy are now raising their son, Willy.

You’ve photographed business leaders for local magazine and received the award for photos created for architects. How do you approach two so different styles?

SW: “I love both the architecture and the people profiles. They are very different disciplines and it would be difficult to have to give up either one. The last two years I have been pushing my creative side, shooting more for myself than for others. My approach used to be do the job, get it done and get paid. I really think that, whatever you do, it should be a hobby first and a profession second. Photography now feels more like play than it used to. I need to satisfy the client needs but I also need to satisfy myself.”

How does an award like your recent honor help?

SW: “I hope this award grants me access to even better subject matter. I like to stick with a high end client base because that enables me to take the time I need to produce the kind of work that I want to create. I cater to a distinct client and like shooting unique locations.”

How has the use of digital photography and computer technology impacted your business?

SW: You really have to have a lot of different skills to survive. I do most of the photographic work myself – that means being both photographer and digital technician. When clients hire me, not only are they getting my artistic point of view, but also my skills as a technical retoucher, a pre-press person and all of the preparation that goes into creating the digital files. So if there is a weakness in any of those areas, it will ultimately show in the end product. I have to consistently deliver a good product under the auspices of a one man show.”

Mary Lou Janson is a Tampa-based freelance writer.

by Charner Reese, President of the Davis Islands Civic Association

Dear Fellow Islanders,

As we ease back into the fall season, with kids in school and summer vacations behind us, pleasant memories of the summer season remain.

One such pleasant experience for me was walking along our beautiful waterfront on the new Tampa General Hospital waterfront walkway, which was completed this year. It’s a thing of beauty that you will want to experience for yourself next time you’re visiting at the hospital, attending a meeting at the HCC campus, or playing tennis at the Sandra Freedman complex.

The views from the walkway are spectacular; and the amenities, such as benches, tables, shading, pedestrian scale lighting, hand railing and attractive landscaping, are lovely additions to the islands.

I can visualize the continuation of these design elements along Seddon Channel, from TGH to Barbados, to implement the waterfront linear park concept envisioned in the DI Community Plan, approved by 95% of residents who voted in June. The linear park from TGH to Seaplane Basin Park is taking shape!

Another part of that linear park vision - a multi-use paved trail from the intersection of Channel Drive and South Davis Boulevard to Peter O. Knight Airport running along South Davis - is scheduled to begin design later this year, funded by money TGH contributed to the DI Parks and Recreation Improvement Fund. Tampa Parks and Recreation Department staff told me recently that a public workshop in the community will be scheduled early in 2008 to seek input on design of the project. When they get closer to the workshop, the Civic Association will help advertise the meeting so residents with an interest in the project will be informed of the workshop date, time and place.

A different project, that also impacts residents in a positive way, is the on-going City Tree Planting program. The program’s goal is to replenish Tampa’s tree canopy by planting 1,000 trees annually on public property, including the right-of-way in front of your home. This is a great opportunity to enhance Davis Islands with more trees. Most trees will be planted in October and November, so now is the time to make your request.

Thirty-gallon shade and ornamental trees are available, with a maximum of two trees planted per address. DICA Parks and Green Space Chair, Rudy Fernandez, will submit a group application for Islands residents who would like to participate.

If you want to take part, please email Rudy before September 15th at rfernandez@rwbaird.com with your name, address, phone number, tree preference (Winged Elm, Live Oak, Dahoon Holly, Magnolia), where you want the tree(s) planted, and the cross street nearest you.

Sincerely,

Charner Reese, President

Davis Islands Civic Association

Environmental Award 2007.pdf (application/pdf Object)

The Tampa Port Authority (TPA) is proud to announce that one of its key, ongoing
environmental projects—“Fantasy Island”—has received a prestigious award in the
American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) 2007 Environmental Improvement Awards competition.

The Fantasy Island project has been recognized as the top entry in the Environmental Enhancement division of the awards program, which judges a wide range of port-led projects based on four major categories. Additional categories are: Stakeholder Awareness, Education and Involvement; Comprehensive Environmental Management; and Mitigation.

Fantasy Island is a four-acre island constructed of dredge material that was created in the late 1970s and early 1980s, during the Tampa Harbor Deepening Project (see map for location). The island, owned by the TPA, had remained untouched for nearly two decades, providing an island getaway for recreational boaters. Through the years, however, several species of a nonnative, invasive plant life provided a formidable source of intrusion on the island and, except for a small fringe of mangrove vegetation, the island became inhospitable to visitors.

In early 2000, a group of individuals representing port-related companies and various groups and agencies began to discuss restoring the island for use as both an educational outpost on Tampa Bay and as a vehicle to illustrate a pro-nature project. Since 2000, the Port Authority has partnered with The Florida Aquarium, Tampa Electric Company (TECO), and many others on restoration, conservation and educational outreach. In May 2006, the TPA and its partners celebrated the culmination of several years’ work as the Fantasy Island project officially opened.

Guided by a clear vision and determination to make the project into reality, the port paved its way by engaging in a comprehensive planning effort. Implementing the plan included grant acquisition, research, requests for assistance from a spectrum of port partners, the development of conceptual drawings and planting plans, and permitting processes to build a dock and pavilion at the island. Slowly the project evolved, and momentum began to build. More than three acres of non-native, invasive vegetation was removed and treated, with the support of the United States Coast Guard. More than 7,000 native plants were transported and planted on the island, with the support of port contractors, lots of equipment and many volunteers.

From the start, support for the project has come in the form of grants, in-kind services, staff resources, and countless volunteer hours. Other ports with disposal islands can use Fantasy Island as a model project for similar initiatives, said Bob Musser, the port’s acting environmental director. Musser submitted the winning application for the project, underscoring what the island offers from both educational and environmental standpoints. Visitors will see and experience a dock (disabilities-accessible), open-air education pavilion with seating, informational signs and kiosks, and a nature trail. In addition, an educational curriculum has been completed in conjunction with Hillsborough County Schools. To date, more than 1,000 teachers and students have benefited from the project through unique workshops and school field trips. Some 1,800 students and teachers are expected to visit the island during the coming school year.

“Fantasy Island is a win-win story for the port community and for the Tampa Bay area,” Richard Wainio, port director and CEO said. “This ongoing project and our partnerships with The Florida Aquarium and so many other entities is a real benefit and a tangible example of what can happen when vision and implementation meet with success. The port community and area citizens can be proud of this major environmental stewardship project, and the Port Authority is delighted that all these efforts have been recognized on the national level,” he said.

Winning entries will be on display at AAPA’s Annual Convention, which this year will be in Norfolk, Va. The Port of Tampa will receive its award at a special awards luncheon Wednesday, October 3.