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Health First Ball Raises $360,000
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Man’s Best Friend Stepsinto Running Buddy Role
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Curve Ball Delivers Surgical Career to Ex-Collegiate AthleteSee page 10
June/July 2017
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ARTICLE NAME 3 HEALTH INSURANCE n HOSPITALS n MEDICAL GROUP n OUTPATIENT SERVICES 3Health-First.orgJune/July 2017
More than 400 runners kicked off Health First’s most recent “Get Active! Brevard” event
May 6 at Viera Hospital, a morning that incorporated fitness, fun and lifesaving skills all rolled into one.
The free 5K was hosted by Health First Dermatology, part of a year-round series designed to teach people about the importance of exercise and nutrition. (David Dierstein, 41, of Virginia Beach snagged first place with a time of 18:35.7.) The overall event was open to the public, a finale to the successful Mayors’ Fitness Challenge and opportunity for more than 165 residents to take part in lifesaving CPR and “Stop the Bleed” training, taught by Health First instructors.
“What started as an idea by a small group of people over a year ago has cumulated into a movement within our community,” Drew Rector, Health First’s
Chief Strategy Officer and Health First Health Plans’ Chief Executive Officer, remarked during the fitness challenge’s awards ceremony. “For the past 13 weeks, we have seen our community leaders engaged with their citizens more than ever before, all in the name of health, wellness and fitness.”
CAPE CANAVERAL ‘MOST FIT CITY’
The Mayors’ Fitness Challenge had more than 1,400 participants from
nine communities, who logged more than 2.4 million minutes of exercise over that timeframe.
Cape Canaveral was crowned “Most Fit City 2017.” Mayor Bob Hoog and his municipality’s team members logged 558,156 total minutes of exercise.
The contest had participants competing at an individual level, too. James Everitt of Melbourne was named the winner of “The Great Weight Off,” losing 18.7 percent of his overall body weight (33 pounds), which came with a $500 cash prize. West Melbourne City Councilman John Tice was awarded $250 for losing the most weight – 42.5 pounds (17.6 percent of his body weight).
“Through events like this, Health First is committed to making the Space Coast a healthier place for all of us to live, work and play,” Rector said.
In 2016, Health First provided more than $158 million in community support.
To learn more about how the Integrated Delivery Network is giving back to our community, visit HFgivesback.org
Free ‘Get Active! Brevard’ 5K RunCelebrates Fitness Commitments
THE MAYORS’ FITNESS CHALLENGE had more than 1,400 participants from nine municipalities, who logged more than 2.4 million minutes of exercise over that timeframe. Cape Canaveral was crowned “Most Fit City 2017.” Health First’s Drew Rector, right, presented Mayor Bob Hoog, above second from right, and his municipality’s team members with the top prize.
Hundreds Mark Conclusion of Successful Mayors’ Fitness Challenge 2017
The Mayors’ Fitness Challenge featured an opportunity for more than 165 residents to take part in lifesaving CPR and “Stop the Bleed” training, taught by Health First instructors.
4 CENTRALFLORIDAMEDICINE.COM • OCT/NOV 20114 Health-First.org4 Health-First.org
A quick escape to “Spain” ushered in good times for more than 300 guests, along with some goodwill in funding
the local fight against breast cancer. “La Noche Blanca: An Evening of
Flamenco” was the theme for the 2017 Health First Foundation Benefit Ball, held Saturday, April 22, at the Charles and Ruth Clemente Center on the Florida Institute of Technology campus in Melbourne. The $360,000 raised will help bolster crucial resources at the Health First Breast Center.
“Our host committee did an amazing job of transporting our guests to a lovely evening in Spain,” said Michael Seeley, President of the Health First Foundation. “We are humbled and grateful for the generosity shown to our families, friends and neighbors who are dealing with cancer.”
The Health First Breast Center is a patient-centered, all-inclusive breast care facility dedicated to providing the most up-to-date technology in a supportive environment. Located at 1223 Gateway Drive in Melbourne, the Breast Center is staffed with an experienced team of medical professionals delivering compassionate, quality care. The team is dedicated to guiding patients during every step of their breast health journey. This
specialized care offers a full spectrum of services not available anywhere else in Brevard.
Raised More Than $5.8 Million For Health, Wellness Services in Brevard County
Over the past 35 years, the Health First Foundation Benefit Ball has
raised more than $5.8 million for health and wellness services in our community. Previous beneficiaries include Hospice of Health First (including the Bright Star program for grieving children), Telemedicine–Emergency/Trauma Department, the daVinci Robotic Surgical System, VitalWatch, Digital Mammography Equipment, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Health First’s Holmes Regional Medical Center, the Stroke Program and the Peripheral Vascular Laboratory. n
Health First Ball Raises $360,000
Annual Fundraiser Benefits Health First Breast Center
ABOVE: Part of the 2017 Health First Benefit Ball Committee
LEFT: Left to right – Ron and Debbie Goode with Carol and Bill Ellis
BELOW: Greg Pallone of News 13 acted as the Master of Ceremonies for the 2017 Health First Benefit Ball
ARTICLE NAME 5 5Health-First.org HEALTH INSURANCE n HOSPITALS n MEDICAL GROUP n OUTPATIENT SERVICESHealth-First.orgJune/July 2017
Bridget McNally and Rob Perers Danielle and Dr. Jeffrey Greenspoon Becky and Al Dukes
Elizabeth and Dr. Lee Scheinbart Leasha and Greg Watson Maribel and Richard Soper Ralph and Nancy Taylor
ABOVE: Left to right – Wes and Linda Ott with Laurel and Drew Rector.
ABOVE: “La Noche Blanca, An Evening of Flamenco” was the theme for the 2017 Health First Foundation Benefit Ball.
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If you’re a regular on Brevard’s racing circuit, then you know Ruby Tuesday.
The 15-pound, furry running fanatic often leads the way at local 5Ks for owner Shane Streufert, 45, of Viera. He and wife Brittany, 44, adopted the Boston terrier about three years ago, joining their other “Boston baby,” Laila Jane, 8.
The two may look alike, but 4-year-old Ruby’s the one who gets fired up for 5Ks.
“She howls,” Brittany said of Ruby’s reaction to the National Anthem at the start of a race. “Shane tries to keep her away from the start because, really, she’s so excited to run.”
Having a running buddy or group can certainly be the push to commit to a regular routine. Running with your dog can be “another huge motivator,” said Kim Hunger, 36, of Palm Bay. “They need exercise as well.”
They’ll also start expecting it. Hunger, a clinical pharmacy
specialist at Health First Family Pharmacy (who ran competitively at both Palm Bay High and Florida Atlantic University) sometimes brings her Vizsla, a Hungarian bird dog, along for her runs.
“They look at you every morning, and they’re ready to go,” Hunger said of canine fitness companions.
The sport can improve cardiovascular health, boost bone strength, lead to better sleep quality, mental clarity and weight loss, said Beth Mihlebach, 31, a personal trainer with Health First’s Pro-Health & Fitness. She sometimes brings her pit-boxer mix when she trains.
Man’s Best Friend Steps into Running Buddy Role
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Dogs need exercise, too; Incorporating them into your train-ing routine can help keep you both healthy – and accountable
Health-First.org
IF YOU’RE A REGULAR on Brevard’s racing circuit, then you know Ruby Tuesday, a 15-pound, furry running fanatic often leads the way at local 5Ks for owner Shane Streufert of Viera.
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“She controls me, I don’t control her,” she joked, admitting they’ve found a nice balance now. “You just kind of have to know your dog.”
SMOKED THE COMPETITION
For Ruby, running was something the Streuferts discovered by default.
When they adopted her, Ruby was six months old, skittish and high energy. Brittany took her out for a half-mile jaunt and realized that wasn’t enough.
“I want you to run her,” she recalls telling Shane.
It didn’t take him long to see she was a four-legged running prodigy.
Shane trained Ruby for the Bayfront 5 “K9” Run/Walk about four years ago, and they smoked the competition. More than 20 races later, Ruby’s best 5K time clocks in at 16:47. He and Ruby have also won the K9 race in 2017 and 2016, as well as Health First’s CPR Day 5K in 2016, 2015 and 2014 (among others).
“It’s really funny, just being at the finish,” Brittany said. “Just hearing people’s comments…‘That guy’s got that little dog?’ It goes to show that no matter your shape or size, if you’ve got running in your
blood, you’re going to go for it.” Ruby’s typical training schedule is
two to six miles, every other day. She wears her own special race harness and has even been spotted sporting her own “bib.”
Her hard work shows, too. “When we’ve taken her to the vet,
they’ve made comments, just how fit she is,” Brittany said.
Like people, sometimes Ruby’s just not feeling it.
“She’s got her little personality,” Brittany said. “Shane will say to her in the morning, ‘Do you want to run?’ and she’ll normally jump up on her little bench and get her run collar and everything. Some days, she doesn’t want to run.”
But when she does, look out. “She does not like people in front of
her,” Brittany noted. Ruby has never been outrun by
another dog, only another person – once.
“She didn’t like it,” Shane said.
SCARY CLOSE CALL
Both Shane and Ruby had a scary close call late last year. A day
after Shane took fourth in the 2016 Space Coast Half Marathon, he was hit by a car one morning while biking alongside running Ruby. While Shane hit the windshield and was tossed to the ground, he’d instinctively released Ruby’s leash. She was unscathed but ran off.
Shane was taken by ambulance to Health First’s Viera Hospital with injuries to his wrist, heel and knee. He was treated and released the same day and said he considers himself very fortunate.
“I ended up not having any broken bones,” Shane said.
Ruby was found hiding in the Streuferts’ garage, about a half-mile from the accident scene. Shane and Ruby were running about five weeks
later, but Ruby won’t go anywhere near a bike.
Despite that scary setback, the Streuferts, who belong to Space Coast Runners, remain steadfast about their love of the sport. Shane won the Space Coast Half Marathon three years ago and usually makes it to the top five in local races.
“The thing with running is it takes a long time, and it takes a long time to get there,” Shane said. “For the first six months, I was miserable.”
Personal trainer Mihlebach said it can be tough to adapt to, but the benefits can be lifelong.
“You have to slowly integrate yourself into doing it,” she said. “Be aware you can get injured and there can be hiccups. I think that’s why people don’t stick to it.” n
Health-First.org 7HEALTH INSURANCE n HOSPITALS n MEDICAL GROUP n OUTPATIENT SERVICESHealth-First.orgJune/July 2017
KIM HUNGER of Palm Bay is a clinical pharmacy specialist at Health First
Family Pharmacy who ran competitively at both Palm Bay High and Florida Atlantic University. She sometimes brings her Vizsla, a Hungarian bird
dog, along for her runs.
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Health First First Flight, Brevard County’s only air am-bulance, will be celebrating 30
years of service in September of 2018.First Flight is located at Orlando
Melbourne International Airport and is among the first responders in medi-cal emergencies and trauma events in Brevard, Indian River and East Osceola counties.
The experienced flight crew, which consists of seven nurses and seven paramedics, has extensive back-grounds in emergency medicine, criti-cal care, flight and pre-hospital trau-ma care. They have a team of four pilots and two mechanics, which are provided by Metro Aviation.
In addition to serving as vital transport for emergency and trauma situations, First Flight and its crew are involved in many community outreach initiatives, including ground safety courses for Emergency Medical Services in Brevard, drunk driving
prevention (Prom Promise) and “No Text and Drive” campaigns.
Jennifer Elrod, RN/Paramedic , has been with Health First for 11 years and has worked for First Flight over the last two and a half years.
“My favorite part of the job is working with my crew and learning new things,” Elrod said. “It doesn’t matter how long you have been doing something, there is always more to learn.” n
Taking Flight to Save Lives First Flight Air Ambulance Plays a Vital Role During Medical Emergencies
HEALTH FIRST FIRST FLIGHT, Brevard County’s only air ambulance, will be celebrating 30 years of service in September of 2018. The experienced flight crew, which consists of seven nurses and seven paramedics, has extensive backgrounds in emergency medicine, critical care, flight and pre-hospital trauma care. First Flight is located at Orlando Melbourne International Airport.
FIRST FLIGHT SET TO CELEBRATE 30TH ANNIVERSARY
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As a student athlete in college, Brent Stephens had hoped to become a professional baseball player after graduating. However, things did not go as planned.
“I was supposed to be drafted really high my senior year, (but then I) hurt my knee,” Dr. Stephens says, explaining how surgery followed. “That was kind of the beginning of the end.”
It may have dashed Stephens’ professional baseball dream, but it delivered his calling. During his treatment and recovery from his knee injury, he was introduced to orthopedic surgery.
“That’s when I saw the light, and I actually shadowed the person who did my surgery,” he recalled.
The former right fielder – who started his collegiate baseball career at the University of Kentucky and finished at Georgia Southern University – had excelled at studying pre-med and business.
“I got a scholarship to play at Kentucky and Georgia Southern, and I was captain of the team and student athlete of the year for the conference,” he says.
Looking back on his athletic career, Dr. Stephens is confident his time as a student athlete enabled him to become a better orthopedic surgeon. That experience helped to improved his communication skills, leadership skills, and work ethic.
“I had to deal with the press a lot as captain of the team, so I had to deal with a lot of press conferences, talking to fans…things like that,” he explains.
The leadership skills that Dr. Stephens culled as team captain also served him well.
“You have to lead your team,” he said. “You have to lead your staff in the (operating room).”
Above all, the work ethic and discipline required to succeed as a student athlete helped him prepare for medical school and his future career.
“You wake up at 6:00 in the morning, and you train till 9:00, go to school, study until 12:00 at night, and do it all over again for five years,” Dr. Stephens remembers. “There is no downtime. You have a plan. You execute your plan. You go
on to the next thing. It’s very similar to a surgeon. That level of discipline makes it easier to do surgeries.”
HELPING INJURED SHOULDERS
As one of the few shoulder specialists in the area, Dr. Stephens finds himself very busy at Health First.
“The two most common (procedures I perform) are rotator cuff repairs and shoulder replacements. Rotator cuff repairs are the most common shoulder injury, period. Shoulder replacements (are common) because of the environment we’re in with an aging population that is very active,” he explained.
Although not as common, the shoulder reversal procedure was one of the reasons that Dr. Stephens was recruited by Health First.
“The reverse shoulder is probably one of the newest procedures in orthopedics,” he states. “We take the ball
Being a pro baseball player wasn’t in the cards for Dr. Brent Stephens – but it turns out, the injury that sidelined him opened his eyes to orthopedics
Curve Ball Delivers Surgical Career to Ex-Collegiate Athlete
LOOKING BACK on his athletic career, Dr. Brent Stephens is confident his time as a student athlete enabled him to become a better orthopedic surgeon. That experience helped to improve his communication skills, leadership skills and work ethic. Above, Dr. Stephens at the plate for Georgia Southern University in 2005.
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and socket and reverse it. Where the socket used to be, we put a metal ball on. Where the ball used to be, we put in a socket. We really reverse the shoulder. It’s for patients that have chronic rotator cuff tears that cannot be fixed with really bad arthritis. Previously, there was no surgery for them. They just lost range of motion.”
The rotator cuff normally stabilizes the shoulder joint. By performing a shoulder reversal, the deltoid muscle compresses the shoulder joint, keeping it stable. With the specialized training he received during his fellowship, Dr. Stephens is able to bring this cutting-edge procedure to Health First.
“(It’s) becoming a more common procedure, but it’s very difficult,” he said. “It’s not something you learn in residency.”
Dr. Stephens is one of the few surgeons in the area who performs this procedure, and he also specializes in revisions (when a previous surgical procedure fails).
After surgery, Dr. Stephens recommends patients be disciplined in their approach to the recommended exercises. It is important to stick to a regimen to get the motion back.
“Stiffness is a big problem after shoulder surgery. It takes about a year to get full improvement after any surgery. The only way to really get (the shoulder) stronger is to do the exercises, and sometimes they are not exciting exercises.”
Drawing from his personal experience and professional training, Dr. Stephens has advice for others hoping to thwart athletic injuries.
“(As a baseball player,) I did a lot of weight training. I wish I had done more stretching and more interval training.”
Dr. Stephens emphasized varying the routine by combining weight lifting with jogging and stretching for individual workouts. Giving the body breaks and alternating sports activities, rather than doing the same activity all year round, are also beneficial for orthopedic health.
HEALTH FIRST IS PERFECT FIT
Dr. Stephens calls Atlanta, Georgia, his hometown and now
lives in Viera. He sees his relationship with Health First as the perfect fit – he was a surgeon wanting the beach and warmth, and Health First was seeking a shoulder specialist.
“I was in Florida for my fellowship, and I wanted to stay in Florida,” he said.
While working in Tampa, the institute for which he worked had approximately three shoulder replacements from Brevard County every two or three weeks. He noticed that there was a need for a shoulder specialist in the area, the nearest ones located in Orlando and West Palm Beach.
In addition to his work, Dr. Stephens has many other interests, including reading, exercise, cooking and travel. Having recently visited Panama and Colombia, he plans to visit Thailand next.
Dr. Stephens is an alumnus of Georgia Southern University, where he graduated with a major in Business Management and a minor in Chemistry. He earned his Doctor of Medicine from Howard University in Washington D.C. where he also finished his residency. He completed a fellowship at the Florida Orthopedic
Institute in Tampa. Of all his years of education, Dr.
Stephens says the year that was most helpful in preparing him for the work that he currently does was his first year of medical school. The high workload and large volume of material “forced me to really have a routine,” he says. “I’m studying this, this and this today. I’m going to make flash cards. I’m going to review those things, and I’m going to do it every day.”
“I struggled big time,” he says of those first few months of med school. “It was an eye-opener. Everybody in medical school is smart.”
To this day, Dr. Stephens says the continuous process of learning and relearning allows him to be thoroughly prepared and constantly improve as a surgeon.
His advice for those who are pursuing a career in surgery is to have perseverance.
“Don’t give up,” he urges. “I’ve seen a lot of people get frustrated.”
Thinking about his own experience he adds, “I’d never been challenged like that. Being out of your comfort zone is part of the process of becoming a surgeon.” n
HEALTH INSURANCE n HOSPITALS n MEDICAL GROUP n OUTPATIENT SERVICES 11Health-First.org HEALTH INSURANCE n HOSPITALS n MEDICAL GROUP n OUTPATIENT SERVICESHealth-First.org
AS ONE OF THE FEW SHOULDER SPECIALISTS in the area, Dr. Brent Stephens finds himself very busy at Health First. He is one of the few surgeons in the area who performs shoulder reversal procedures.
June/July 2017
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25+PERCENT
JOB GROWTH8.8K HEALTH FIRSTASSOCIATES
22.7PERCENT AVERAGE
WAGE INCREASE
QU
AL
ITY
CA
RE
ER
SC
OM
PA
NY
& C
OM
MU
NIT
Y
GIVEN BACKTO BREVARD
$637million
$366million$366millionINVESTED INTECHNOLOGYAND FACILITYIMPROVEMENTS
Investing in a Healthier BrevardPast 5 Years: By the Numbers
CAPITAL INVESTMENT CHARITABLE INVESTMENT
HEALTH FIRST NATIONALQUALITY OUTCOMES
IMPROVED BY: 65%IN THE PAST
5 YEARS
Health First performance includes Hospitals, Health Plans, Home Care, Hospice, Medical Group and Ambulatory Care, including registries; Utilized ALL available sources of publicly and externally reported measures.
