Free autism screenings set for young children

Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida, in partnership with Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southwest Florida, offers a free monthly autism spectrum disorder screening for toddlers 18 months to 5 years of age.

The next screening will be held Friday, June 17, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Pediatric Specialist Office, 15901 Bass Road, Suite 102, Fort Myers.

It is estimated that one in every 44 children is diagnosed with some form of Autism Spectrum Disorder, making it more common than childhood cancer, juvenile diabetes and pediatric AIDS combined.

Medical consultants for the project stress that an early diagnosis can make a vast difference for toddlers and their families. They say early intensive behavioral intervention can make an immense difference not just in the development of the child, but in their families as well.

The ASD screening is conducted by the Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida. The screenings are administered by an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse, who has extensive training and experience in typical child development and developmental disorders.

A physician referral is not required. To schedule a screening, please call 239-343-6838.

Crowe new family nurse practitioner for Physicians’ Primary Care

Morgan Crowe has joined Physicians’ Primary Care of Southwest Florida as a family nurse practitioner.

Crowe earned her bachelor of science degree in nursing from Saint Louis University in St. Louis, Mo., followed by her family nurse practitioner degree from Georgetown University School of Nursing in Washington, D.C.

A family nurse practitioner is an advanced registered nurse practitioner who provides a wide range of family-focused health care services to patients of all ages.

She has worked in hospital settings for the past five years, including as a cardiothoracic surgical stepdown nurse at Duke University Hospital, where she earned the Good Catch Award for catching dangerous IV medication administration during shift report. She also was a charge nurse on the floor of Duke University Hospital leading 10-13 staff members per shift and worked on bed flow management throughout the hospital.

She will assist physicians at the Fort Myers Family and Internal Medicine office at 7381 College Parkway.

Physicians’ Primary Care of Southwest Florida, a physician-owned and operated medical practice, was formed in 1996 by many long practicing local physicians and has grown to become the largest physician-owned primary care practice in Southwest Florida with family medicine, internal medicine and pediatrics. Offices are conveniently located in Fort Myers, Cape Coral, and Lehigh Acres. For more information, visit www.ppcswfl.com.

HealthPark Medical Center straight ‘A’ streak continues,

This week, The Leapfrog Group released its Spring 2022 Hospital Safety Grades.

HealthPark Medical Center earned an “A” grade for the sixth straight reporting period, and Gulf Coast Medical Center advanced to an “A” from the last reporting period. Lee Memorial Hospital retained its “B” grade but increased its numeric score from the last reporting period, and Cape Coral Hospital retained its “B” grade.

The Safety Grade assigns letter grades of “A,” “B,” “C,” “D,” and “F” to hospitals across the country based on their performance in preventing medical errors, infections, and other harms. Every Lee Health hospital earned a raw score over 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, and the hospitals that earned a “B” grade were within only 6 percent of the 3.202 threshold of earning an “A” grade.

Developed under the guidance of a national expert panel, the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade uses 22 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to assign grades to more than 2,700 U.S. acute-care hospitals twice per year. The Leapfrog Group’s grading system is peer-reviewed, fully transparent, and free to the public.

Children’s hospitals are not included in The Leapfrog Group’s Spring grades, but Golisano Children’s Hospital has been named as a Top Children’s Hospital by The Leapfrog Group four times.

To learn more about Leapfrog’s Spring 2022 Hospital Safety Grades, please visit http://www.hospitalsafetygrade.org/

Aspen Dental to offer free dental care for veterans June 11

Aspen Dental locations nationwide will open its doors to provide free care to military veterans across the country.

Now in its 8th year, the Day of Service provides much-needed dental care for veterans at no cost to honor their service and break down barriers to health care.

Aspen Dental’s Day of Service is Saturday, June 11, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Veterans can call 1-844-277-3646 (1-844-ASPENHMM) to find a location and schedule an appointment. Advance appointments are required.

There are 10 participating offices in the Cape Coral/Fort Myers market:

• 305 S.W. Pine Island Road, Unit 1, Cape Coral, FL 33991

• 2609 Santa Barbara Blvd., Suite 101, Cape Coral, FL 33914

• 9330 Ben Pratt/6 Mile Cypress, #4, Fort Myers, FL 33966

• 11741 S. Cleveland Ave., Ste 30, Fort Myers, FL 33907

For additional information, please visit www.HealthyMouthMovement.com to learn more.

Lee Health Foundation receives Association for Healthcare Philanthropy’s 2021 ‘Overall High Performer’ status

Association for Healthcare Philanthropy has awarded Lee Health Foundation “Overall High Performer” status among respondents in its 2021 Report on Giving. Overall high performers represent AHP’s traditional criteria of the top 25% in net production returns across all respondents. Based on fundraising during the 2020 fiscal year, these high performers raised more than $19 million in the U.S. and more than $22.7 million in Canada.

AHP, a leading authority on healthcare philanthropy in the United States and Canada, recognizes high performance based on organizations that fall within the top 75th percentile in net fundraising, calculated by subtracting total fundraising expenses from total amount raised. Each year, participating hospital foundations complete a survey that collects detailed information on organizational performance, including fundraising revenue, expenses, and details on specific fundraising programs and staff involvement. This year, only 60 organizations were recognized including Lee Health Foundation along with Orlando Health, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Foundation, and Penn State Health. See a full list at https://www.ahp.org/resources-and-tools/report-on-giving-benchmarking/high-performers-2021.

With the community’s support, Lee Health Foundation’s fiscal impact for 2020 included more than 4,000 generous donors raising more than $27.8 million as well as Lee Health employees donating more than $150,000 to support quality care. With these funds, Lee Health has most recently helped women struggling with breast cancer, recruited top doctors to the area, supported staff during a global pandemic, brought pediatric neurosurgery to Southwest Florida, opened a new pediatric eye institute, and continues to increase access to care for a large, diverse community with a wide range of healthcare needs.

Since 1995, the foundation has supported Lee Health’s programs that bring leading-edge healthcare services to the community, including providing lifesaving care to underinsured and uninsured community members. At the same time, philanthropy has supported Lee Health’s efforts to enhance wellness and prevention programs to keep people healthy and out of the hospital. The foundation has raised more than $300 million since October 1995.

The Lee Health Foundation raises philanthropic dollars on behalf of Lee Health including Cape Coral Hospital, Gulf Coast Medical Center, HealthPark Medical Center, Lee Memorial Hospital, and Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida. The foundation provides financial support for many service areas including the Lee Health Regional Cancer Center, Lee Health – Coconut Point, The Rehabilitation Hospital, Shipley Cardiothoracic Center, Community Health Clinics and Golisano Children’s Hospital Specialty Clinics in both Port Charlotte and Naples. Please visit LeeHealthFoundation.org or call 239-343-6950 for more information about the role of Lee Health philanthropy in Southwest Florida.

Yee joins Azul Cosmetic Surgery & Medical Spa

Azul Cosmetic Surgery & Medical Spa has welcomed Dr. Allison Yee to the team as an oculofacial plastic surgeon. In her role, she specializes in facial, eyelid and neck rejuvenation.

Working closely with the Azul team to reach clients’ aesthetic goals, she will be putting her 15+ years of experience to use in both surgical and non-surgical rejuvenation. She is board-certified with the American Academy of Ophthalmology and a Fellow in the American College of Surgeons.

As a fourth-generation ophthalmic surgeon, Yee realized her passion in 2001 during her college career at Indiana University. With an undergraduate degree in fine arts and art history, she graduated with Summa Cum Laude honors. After her residency, Yee completed a two-year fellowship in oculofacial plastic surgery where she worked in a high-volume trauma setting and perfected her skills in facial reconstruction using the latest techniques for surgical facial rejuvenation.

Azul Cosmetic Surgery and Medical Spa has been serving the needs of skincare and cosmetic surgery patients across Southwest Florida for more than 20 years. Dr. Patrick Flaharty and his staff are dedicated to making the patient’s vision a reality as they strive for excellence in facial cosmetic surgery. The practice provides comprehensive solutions in both the surgical and nonsurgical realm of facial aesthetics. For more information, visit azulbeauty.com.