On The Pulse

New Faces and Accolades Abound as Medical Professionals Wrap Up the Year

- Erika Aldrich

FALL IS UPON us, so the weather in Florida is starting to take a turn to the cooler side. However, things aren’t slowing down at our region’s hospitals, clinics, and doctor’s offices! The hardworking men and women of Central Florida’s healthcare industry are continuing to provide excellent care to Florida’s residents, and they’re earning accolades, adding services, opening new buildings, and more along the way. See what’s been going on at with other healthcare providers near you!

BAYCARE: BARTOW REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER, WINTER HAVEN HOSPITAL, WINTER HAVEN WOMEN’S HOSPITAL

In employee recognition news, Bartow Regional Medical Center announced its Daisy Award winners. The DAISY Awards “were created to show gratitude to nurses who provide extraordinary care.” The May DAISY Award winner was Cristan Rios, an RN in the Acute Care Unit; June’s DAISY Award winner was Lucio Medina, an RN in the Intensive Care Unit; the July DAISY Award winner was Rhonda Hawley, an RN in the Intensive Care Unit; and August’s DAISY Award was Lynda Wilkinson, an RN in the Emergency Department.

In healthcare center recognition news, Bartow Regional Medical Center has earned accreditation as a Center of Excellence in Robotic Surgery from The Surgical Review Corporation, an internationally recognized patient safety organization that is considered the “leading administrator of quality improvement and accreditation programs for surgeons and hospitals worldwide,” according to a BayCare press release. The extensive accreditation process included BayCare Medical Group general surgeon Amy Curry, MD; Watson Clinic gynecologist Tarek Garas, MD; and Watson Clinic general surgeon Anthony Zappia, MD.