Gerasymchuk joins Physicians’ Primary Care of Southwest Florida

Dr. Liliya Gerasymchuk has joined Physicians’ Primary Care of Southwest Florida as a pediatrician.

Gerasymchuk earned her doctor of osteopathy degree from Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences in Kansas City, MO.  She served her residency in pediatrics at Children’s Hospital of Michigan in Detroit, Mich.

Gerasymchuk is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Osteopathic Association and the American College of Osteopathic Pediatricians.

She will see patients at the Cape Coral pediatrics office of Physicians’ Primary Care at 1261 Viscaya Parkway, 239-573-7337; and at the Lehigh Acres office at 5700 Lee Blvd., 239-481-5437.

Physicians’ Primary Care of Southwest Florida, a physician-owned and operated medical practice, was formed in 1996 by many local physicians and has grown to become the largest physician-owned primary care practice in Southwest Florida.

Medical specialties include family practice, internal medicine and pediatrics. Offices are conveniently located throughout Lee County.  For more information, visit www.ppcswfl.com.

MD NOW expands to Southwest Florida

MD NOW® Urgent Care, a provider of urgent care medicine in Florida, has opened two new state-of-the-art facilities in Fort Myers, its first clinics in Lee County. Based in West Palm Beach, the urgent care provider plans on opening two more clinics in Southwest Florida in October bringing its total number of locations to 55.

The Fort Myers locations are now serving patients at 15165 McGregor Road and 12748 S. Cleveland Ave. Over the next 30 days, MD Now will open a third clinic in Lee County at 2609 Santa Barbara Blvd., Cape Coral, and its first clinic in the Bradenton, Fla., area at 4332 Cortez Road W.

All MD Now clinics are open 365 days a year and patients are typically treated in an hour or less. MD Now’s physician-led services include COVID-19 testing; care for common illnesses and injuries; treatment for sprains, strains, and broken bones; injury care for cuts, scrapes, wounds, and abrasions; lab testing; digital X-rays and EKGs; preventative health screenings; physicals for school, sports, camp, and work; and vaccinations

MD Now accepts most major insurances, but for those who don’t have insurance or have a very high deductible, it is now offering a membership-based DirectCare plan to create easier access to affordable health care services.

For information on MD Now and its various services, visit www.MDNow.com or call 888-MDNow-911.

Hope Hospice to hold Celebration of Life

To honor the memory of loved ones in the community, Hope Hospice is hosting a Celebration of Life Memorial Service on Facebook Live Sunday, Dec. 6, at 2 p.m. Friends and families are invited to participate in this virtual gathering that is appropriate for all faith traditions.

To RSVP, visit Donate.Hope HCS.org/Celebration before Monday, Nov. 23. When you have completed your registration, you will receive instructions on how to join the online event. For more information, please contact Director of Community Engagement Bob Sheehan at 239-489-9188.

As a local, not-for-profit, community-based, safety net organization, Hope Hospice has served Lee, Hendry and Glades counties since 1979. Help is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for people facing issues related to serious illness. Hope Hospice is one of many programs and services provided by Hope Healthcare. For more information, call 239-482-4673 or visit www.HopeHCS.org.

Lee Health announces several promotions

Lee Health recently announced several promotions within the organization to allow for more integration of clinical operations and improve collaboration across the system. These changes are a reflection of the health system’s strategic approach to fully operationalize and continue to work towards its vision to become a more effective and efficient, nationally recognized, high-value, integrated delivery network.

In dyad leadership with Dr. Eric Appelgren, Darcy Allen, RN, BSN, MBA, has moved from Lee Memorial Hospital to HealthPark Medical Center to serve as the vice president of operations/chief nurse executive, a position she has held at Lee Memorial Hospital since 2019. With nearly 20 years of experience, Allen has held various leadership positions at large health systems including Inova Medical Center in Fairfax, Va., and Kaiser Permanente in California. She will also oversee the medical center’s nursing cardiovascular operations.

Alyssa Bostwick MSN, MBA, RN, CPN has been promoted to the role of vice president of operations and chief nurse executive for Golisano Children’s Services. In this role, she will continue to focus on strategic planning, regional growth and exceptional outcomes for children in dyad partnership with Dr. Emad Salman. Most recently, Bostwick served as the program development coordinator, working closely with the administrative and clinical teams to bring new programs to the hospital, including urology and video urodynamics, pectus malformation program, post-stabilization trauma program, burn service, inpatient dialysis, and the eye institute.

Julia Liebscher, MS, BSN, RNC, has been promoted to vice president of operations/chief nurse executive at Lee Memorial Hospital. Most recently, Liebscher served as system director of integration and planning. Prior to that, she was the interim VP/CNE at Gulf Coast Medical Center. In her new role, Liebscher will work in dyad leadership with Dr. James Kasiewicz, interim chief physician executive, to transform Lee Memorial Hospital for the future of health care as the health system strengthens the overall health and well-being of residents and visitors of Southwest Florida.

Founded in 1916, Lee Health is the largest employer in Lee County and has nearly 13,000 employees.  For more information about Lee Health, visit LeeHealth.org.

Lighthouse staffers earn vision rehabilitation therapist certifications

Lighthouse of S.W. Florida has announced that staff members Aria Lobl and Roselyn Hoffman recently earned the professional credential of certified vision rehabilitation therapist from the Academy for Certification of Vision Rehabilitation & Education Professionals.

Certified vision rehabilitation therapists make up a highly trained cadre of rehabilitation experts who specialize in working with individuals who are blind, visually impaired or who have functional visual limitations. CVRTs are instrumental in empowering individuals to achieve their maximum life goals for education, employment, personal safety, and independence.

Vision rehabilitation therapists work in areas that enhance vocational opportunities, independent living, and the educational development of persons with vision loss. 

To qualify for the certification exam, you must have a minimum of a bachelor’s degree with an emphasis in vision rehabilitation therapy from an accredited school. You also must provide proof of a minimum of 350 hours of supervised practice, accompanied by a clinical competency evaluation form signed by the supervisor.

Hoffman and Lobl join Lighthouse of S.W. Florida colleagues Diane “DC” Colburn, Mildred Eads, and Kya Cain who also hold the designation of CVRT.   

Lighthouse of SWFL is a local United Way partner agency serving individuals with blindness and vision impairment in Lee, Glades, and Hendry counties. The mission of the Lighthouse of SWFL is to enable people of all ages living with a visual impairment or blindness to remain independent, active and productive in society.  Lighthouse of SWFL is funded by the Division of Blind Services, United Way of Lee, Hendry, Glades and Okeechobee, Lee County Board of County Commissioners Partnering for Results, and civic, corporate, and individual donors.

For more information, visit www.lighthouseswfl.org, or call 239-997-7797.

Beckwith named to National PACE Association board

Hope Healthcare President and CEO Samira K. Beckwith has been elected to the 2021 National PACE Association Board of Directors. An NPA member since 2009, she previously served on its board from 2013 to 2019.

Beckwith was a pioneer for bringing PACE — the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly — to Florida as founding president of state’s PACE Providers Association in 2010. Under Beckwith’s leadership, Hope Healthcare offers five PACE Centers to serve Lee, Collier and Charlotte county seniors at risk for nursing home placement by keeping them healthy, comfortable and independent in their own homes for as long as possible.

Hope Healthcare, which includes Hope Hospice and Hope Kids Care programs, is a not-for-profit health care organization dedicated to providing care and comfort to every individual and their loved ones as they fulfill life’s journey. For more information, call 239-482-4673 or visit www.HopeHCS.org.