Local medical news

The Ledger
·5 min read

WINTER HAVEN HOSPITAL

Surgical technician Mariah Hiner prepares for surgery with the Xi surgical robot in the background.
Surgical technician Mariah Hiner prepares for surgery with the Xi surgical robot in the background.

Winter Haven Hospital has added a second surgical robot to meet a growing demand. The hospital first began its robotics program in December 2010 with a da Vinci Si. The hospital upgraded to the state-of-the-art da Vinci Xi in 2019 and added a second Xi in January. Robotic surgeries performed at the hospital include general surgery, urology and gynecology. For patients, the benefits of robotic surgery include smaller incisions, which can alleviate blood loss and reduce risk of infection, among other things. https://baycare.org/services/surgery/robotic-surgery.

WATSON CLINIC

Jalen Banks
Jalen Banks

Watson Clinic has added chiropractic medicine services by adding Jalen Banks, D.C., to the Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine team. Banks treats patients from the Watson Clinic Center for Specialized Rehabilitation in south Lakeland. Banks received his Bachelor of Science in Exercise degree from Montclair State University in Montclair, New Jersey, and his Doctorate of Chiropractic Medicine from Keiser University in West Palm Beach. He is certified by the Florida Board of Chiropractic Medicine, is a member of the Florida Chiropractic Association, the National Strength & Conditioning Association and the American Chiropractic Association, and serves as the director of the Chiropractic Sports Network at the American Chiropractic Association Sports Council. His areas of expertise include the non-surgical treatment of spinal pain, spine manipulations, dry needling, cupping and sports medicine.

Gary Fennig
Gary Fennig

Gary Fennig, D.O., has joined the Watson Clinic team of anesthesiologists and serves patients from Lakeland Regional Medical Center in Lakeland, Lakeland Surgical & Diagnostic Center in Lakeland and Bartow Regional Medical Center in Bartow. Fennig received his Doctor of Osteopathic degree from Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Athens, Ohio, and performed his internship and residency in Anesthesiology at Cleveland Clinic (South Pointe Hospital) in Warrensville, Ohio. He is board certified by the American Osteopathic Board of Anesthesiology, and is a member of the American Osteopathic Association.

Sandeep Anreddy
Sandeep Anreddy
Joseph Coffman
Joseph Coffman

Board-certified cardiology specialists Sandeep Anreddy, M.D., FACC, MPH, and Joseph Coffman, M.D., in the Watson Clinic’s Cardiology department, are now accepting appointments at the Watson Clinic Highlands location at 2300 E. County Road 540A in south Lakeland. Their offices are located on the second floor of the facility. Both physicians will continue to see patients from their offices at Watson Clinic Main at 1600 Lakeland Hills Blvd. in Lakeland as well. Anreddy received his medical degree from Gandhi Medical College in Secunderabad, Telengana, India. He completed an internship and residency in Internal Medicine at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia. He served as a teaching hospitalist at Cogent Healthcare, Temple University, in Philadelphia and completed a fellowship in Cardiovascular Disease at Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh. He is board-certified in nuclear cardiology, echocardiography, cardiovascular medicine, and cardiovascular computed tomography. Coffman received his medical degree from the University of South Alabama College of Medicine in Mobile, Alabama. He completed an internal medicine residency and a cardiology fellowship at the University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine in Tampa. Coffman is board-certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine. His areas of expertise include preventive cardiology care and the treatment of coronary artery disease, chest pain, myocardial infarction, and valvular heart disease.

Pictured left to right are Stan Piotrowski, Watson Clinic chief administrative officer, and Steven Achinger, M.D., chairman of the board, Watson Clinic Foundation.
Pictured left to right are Stan Piotrowski, Watson Clinic chief administrative officer, and Steven Achinger, M.D., chairman of the board, Watson Clinic Foundation.

In a special ceremony April 13, past and present members of Watson Clinic’s administration and physicians gathered to dedicate the Watson Clinic Highlands location to retiring Chief Administrative Officer Stan Piotrowski. The unveiling of the dedication plaque, which hangs at the entrance of the Highlands facility located at 2300 E. County Road 540A in south Lakeland, followed a series of presentations from Watson Clinic Managing Partner Steven Achinger, M.D.; gynecology specialist John R. Ellington Jr., M.D.; and Chief Financial Officer Keith Pernicano. Piotrowski joined Watson Clinic in 1999. During his tenure, he shepherded the Clinic through periods of unprecedented growth and innovation, including the openings of the Cancer & Research Center, Women’s Center, Bella Vista Building, Highlands, XpressCare Highlands, Urgent Care offices at both Watson Clinic Main and Watson Clinic South facilities, and Dermatology locations in Sun City Center, Zephyrhills and Brandon. He also implemented a series of initiatives that proved vital to improving quality of care and operational efficiency, and which lead to multiple accreditations from the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care and other prestigious organizations.

PEACE RIVER CENTER

Peace River Center, a licensed and nationally accredited, non-profit regional provider of mental health, substance use, and integrated medical services is partnering with Polk Vision’s Behavioral Health Committee, to host Mental Health Matters. The series of panel discussions are aimed at educating and equipping the community with resources to address mental health issues. A moderator will lead subject-matter experts through key issues and then take audience questions. The sessions take place throughout May and include Mental Health and Youth on May 3, Trauma and the Pandemic on May 19, and Mental Health and the Workplace on May 24. All sessions begin promptly at 8:30 a.m. at The Well, 114 E. Parker St., Lakeland or via Zoom. Breakfast is provided for in-person attendees. Mental Health Matters is sponsored by Florida Blue Foundation and Sunshine Health. The first Mental Health and Youth session will cover Adverse Childhood Experiences, mental illness age of onset, and how behavioral health and mental health challenges compare. The panel will also address suicide prevention and intervention as well as mental health support resources. The panel of youth mental health experts includes Simon Chamakalayil, M.D., who specializes in child/adolescent psychiatry at Lakeland Regional Health; Tiffani Fritzsche, LMHC, CBHCMS, children’s services director at Peace River Center; and Christy Olson, Ed.D., LMHC, senior coordinator of mental health services for Polk County Public Schools. The Youth and Mental Health panelists will explore the most pressing challenges facing today’s children and teens, as well as ways to build resilience and coping skills. To learn more and register, visit www.PeaceRiverCenter.org/mhm2022.

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Appointments and recruits