AdventHealth celebrating hospital’s ten years in Wesley Chapel. See

By JOHN C. COTEY John@NTNeighborhoodNews.com

When the plans were unveiled for AdventHealth (then Florida Hospital) Wesley Chapel a decade ago, there was no question that Wesley Chapel’s first hospital was much needed in the growing community.

But, Dr. Robert Rosequist, the Chief Medical Officer at AHWC, said he didn’t expect the response the hospital received when it opened its door for tours a week ahead of its Oct. 1, 2012, official opening.

“We thought maybe 1,000 people might come, but 8,000 showed up,” says Dr. Rosequist. To accommodate everyone, partly due to an elevator that could only take up 20 people at a time, the tours lasted from 7:30 a.m. until 8:30 p.m. Some people waited in line for more than an hour.

Dr. Rosequist thought he’d be home in time for the Tampa Bay Bucs Monday Night Football game against the St, Louis Rams that night. But, when his wife called asking where he was, he told her he was pretty sure he wasn’t going to make it.

Ten years later, Dr. Rosequist, who is still the hospital’s chief medical officer, says that day was just the beginning of something special.

“It has been a wonderful experience,” Dr. Rosequist says. “The 10 years have just flown by.”

AHWC may not have been the first large business in Wesley Chapel, but you could argue that, to date, it has made the most impact.

Although the Porter family also has developed a college, a major indoor athletic complex and a mall in its Wiregrass Ranch Development of Regional Impact, developer JD Porter always points to the hospital when asked what his family’s greatest contribution to the area has been. Built on the very land Porter grew up on, with contributions from Tom Dempsey at Saddlebrook Resort and many others, AHWC gave the local community a place to go for medical (including emergency medical) services and has proven to be an anchor for the community.

“I think we were really the catalyst for the growth here in Wesley Chapel,” says Connie Bladon, the director of community outreach for AHWC. “When you think back to when we built the hospital, there wasn’t much around us. When the hospital went in, everyone felt more comfortable moving into the area. You always want a good hospital, (as well as) good schools, safety and security, things like that. Having the hospital here cata-

AdventHealth Wesley Chapel (above left) has offered state-of-the-art technology (above right) and a caring staff since the hospital first opened (below) as Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel at a packed opening day in Oct. 2011. pulted the growth of Wesley Chapel. Everything (else has) sprung up around us.”

Dr. Rosequist feels that the hospital has achieved many of its goals, especially those established when it changed over from Florida Hospital to AdventHealth Wesley Chapel on Jan. 2, 2019. He says that when the change was made, AHWC’s management came up with four main things that people wanted in their medical care: to feel safe, to feel loved, that doctors were accountable for their care and for it to be as easy as possible to get that care.

“If you can do those four things,” Rosequist says, “everybody is going to love you.”

In 10 years, the hospital definitely has made its mark, not just by marketing its name on facilities like the Center Ice skating rink complex and the indoor basketball arena at the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus of Pasco County (both off of S.R. 56), but with medical services that have been lauded nationwide. Since opening, the hospital has invested more than a total of $400 million in expansion and additional services to provide its award-winning care to more than 800,000 patients. To name a few, AHWC doctors have performed more than 56,000 surgeries and delivered more than 5,000 babies. A few months after opening, the doors swung open in early 2013 to the hospital’s popular 100,000-sq.-ft. health & wellness center, which is now called the AdventHealth Wellness Plaza Wesley Chapel. There’s more to come, too. AHWC was designed for growth to accompany the incoming (and still ongoing) Wesley Chapel housing boom. Rosenquist, who was on the planning board, said its familiar U-shape was designed to look like the open arms of Jesus, with the intention of having six stories on each of the three wings — north, central and south. Originally, it opened with just three stories and 83 total beds, because AdventHealth management wasn’t sure how fast the hospital would grow. It turned out to be very fast, indeed. Including a major expansion in 2016, AHWC has grown from 83 beds to 169, from four operating rooms to 12, and from 20 emergency room beds to 35. There is still room for the hospital to expand to 300 total beds. AdventHealth also has added the Central Pasco Free Standing Emergency Department into the Lutz community and two medical office buildings adjacent to the hospital, the Wellness Plaza and, in 2021, when AHWC teamed up with the Moffitt Cancer Center on a new three-story, 100,000-sq.-ft. outpatient cancer and research center. AHWC was named as one of Newsweek’s Best Maternity Hospitals and the team delivered more than 100 babies in August 2022 alone, a new record for the facility. The hospital has also achieved 14 consecutive Leapfrog ‘A’ grades, the only rating system focused exclusively on hospital safety. And, when it comes to community partnerships, AHWC is all in, having provided more than $307 million in community benefit services. The hospital helped usher the community through the Covid-19 pandemic, and the community responded by providing meals for overworked doctors and nurses during the most desperate months of the pandemic. “Being the first hospital out here was just gratifying, being a part of that,” Dr. Rosequist says. “I’m just so glad the community dug in with us and helped and watched us grow.” For more information about AdventHealth Wesley Chapel (2600 BBD Blvd.), call (813) 929-5000, visit AdventHealth.com or see the ad on pg. 7 of this issue.

By JOHN C. COTEY John@NTNeighborhoodNews.com

Sonny’s BBQ owner Jim Hoff has seen his fair share of accidents on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. in front of his restaurant, mostly from cars trying to cut across the busy road to get through an opening in the BBD median (see map) so they can head south.

That opening, however, is in the process of being closed, and Hoff says he is happy to see it.

“It’s going to be better,” Hoff says. “Without that traffic trying to go back and forth across that median, it’s got to be better.”

The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) has finally started work near arguably Wesley Chapel’s most dangerous intersection at S.R. 54 and BBD.

The project centers around the northbound and southbound median just south of the actual BBD/54 intersection. Work on the project, which will cost just over $2 million, was scheduled to begin prep work on Sept. 22.

The median currently has an opening allowing motorists to cross from exits between the Sonny’s BBQ and Truist Bank (on what is called Paradise Tree Dr.) adjacent to the Publix-anchored Hollybrook Plaza to southbound BBD or straight across to the west, to Advance Auto Parts, Twistee Treat and the Wesley Chapel Village Market shopping center.

Drivers also frequently drive through the median leaving the Village Market to northbound BBD or straight across both directions on BBD to the Hollybrook Plaza.

The median should be blocked soon (if it’s not already as you’re reading this).

“The median will be closed…with traffic control devices — such as drums and closure signs — to allow the permanent traffic separator to be constructed,” said FDOT spokesperson John McShaffrey in an email to the Neighborhood News.

According to FDOT, the median

Eagleston Blvd.

Improvements coming to Bruce B. Downs Blvd. (red line) between S.R. 54 & Eagleston Blvd. will close off the dangerous median opening between Sonny’s

BBQ & Truist Bank on the east side of BBD and the new Advance Auto Parts & Twistee Treat on the west side of BBD. (NN map by Charmaine George) project was initiated by an intersection study that showed 233 “crashes” had been reported in that area from 2011-15.

In a 2015-19 District 7 crash summary report, there were 90 total crashes reported at the intersection of BBD and S.R. 54, eight with serious injuries and one fatality. At the Village Market and BBD intersection, 15 crashes were reported, three of them with serious injuries.

It is not an uncommon sight to see an accident at the northbound side in front of the Sonny’s BBQ or Taco Bell, where traffic is much heavier than on the Village Market side.

A Neighborhood News Reader Survey in 2017 voted the BBD/54 intersection as the second-worst in Wesley Chapel, behind the I-75 and S.R. 56 intersection (which now has a much safer and smoothly running Diverging Diamond Interchange).

The plan to make the location safer centers around closing the split median and constructing one long median from Eagleston Blvd. to the south all the way north to S.R. 54.

Under the current set up, the northbound far left turn lane, when filled during busy traffic hours, extends beyond the median opening and blocks those trying to cross BBD. That makes getting across from the Hollybrook Plaza exit to southbound BBD akin to a game of Frogger for area commuters. The median closure will mean that drivers leaving the Sonny’s/Truist exit will only be able to turn right, and drivers leaving the Village Market will only be able to head south. There will be a number of ways those who need to go south after leaving Sonny’s can do so, but it will take planning by drivers, Hoff says. “You’re going to have to reeducate your guests on how to access (and leave) the complex (Hollybrook Plaza),” Hoff says. The single, longer median also will create an extended left turn lane onto S.R. 54, which will accommodate more vehicles, which also is expected to reduce congestion. There also will be a new traffic signal installed at Eagleston Blvd., and new roadway lighting added to the northbound lanes, as well as some resurfacing. At the southbound end of the new median, where a new traffic signal will be installed at Eagleston Blvd., a dedicated U-turn lane will be built for motorists wanting to go north out of Village Market. Hoff still has questions about northbound drivers doing U-turns at S.R. 54 and BBD. No additional work, like adding a “No U-Turn” sign, is scheduled for BBD and S.R. 54. “The project plans do not include any changes to the existing signs or signals at the intersection of Bruce B. Downs Blvd. and SR 54,” said McShaffrey in his email to the Neighborhood News. “Northbound U-Turns at the S.R. 54 signal will still be permitted. There is no intent to restrict that movement, as U-Turns at traffic signals are generally part of the access management plans.” Hoff is hoping most drivers will just take the longer way, turning right onto 54 and then U-turning at Wiregrass Ranch Blvd. and turning left at BBD. “People who drive are going to have to figure this out,” Hoff says. “Talk to me once they get that median blocked. You’ll be able to tell how this is going to work then.”

El Dorado Furniture store, which opened the weekend of Sept. 24, has taken the furniture store concept and glamorized it.

At a VIP event on Sept. 22, flutes of champagne and strawberries were handed to guests entering the massive 70,000-sq.-ft. store, which was alive with bright lights, a live band and a number of spreads of food. Even so, it was impossible to miss the sprawling rooms of elegant furniture throughout Wesley Chapel’s newest business, located at 25171 S.R. 54 (technically in Land O’Lakes), across from Miller’s Ale House.

The weekend of its opening, the first 200 families that arrived received $200 gift cards; the first 100 on Sunday received a free comforter set.

Weekend visitors to the two-story showroom were treated to an experience, something that is not offered by other furniture stores. Instead of walking aimlessly between living and dining room set-ups, you are taken down El Dorado Blvd., a strip resembling an old-fashioned city street, right down to the benches and street lamps. Stained glass and Egyptian hieroglyphics dot the facades. The “boulevard” winds around the showroom, opening up to what feels like individually themed furniture shops, more than 20 in all, offering a stunning array of high-end offerings.

El Dorado, which offers same-day delivery service to a fairly wide area, carries its signature Carlo Perazzi collection, its top seller, as well as others. It is truly a showroom that you need to see to believe. And, every business needs a good story, and here’s El Dorado’s: In 1966, Manuel Capó, the son of Simon Capó, who started Casa Capó in Cuba in the 1920s, fled Cuba after the Castro regime rose to power. He and two of his sons, Luis and Carlos, escaped on a small sailboat named “El Dorado.”

Just seven months after arriving in the U.S., Manuel and his sons opened their first furniture in the heart of the Little Havana neighborhood in Miami and named it after the boat on which they sailed to freedom — El Dorado.

El Dorado Furniture has grown

At the Sept. 22 VIP pre-opening event of the new El Dorado furniture store on S.R. 54 at Wesley Chapel Blvd., (above left) the ribbon-cutting was celebrated with a shower of streamers, and (below left) Hope Children’s Home program director Isaac Foster accepted a $5,500 check from El Dorado COO Pedro Capó . We wish we had more space to show more of the showrooms (above & below right)! into the largest Hispanic-owned furniture retail enterprise in the U.S. The Wesley Chapel location is the second in the Tampa Bay area, and El Dorado has 18 showrooms across Florida. The store’s hours are Mon.-Sun., 11 a.m.-7 p.m. For more information, visit ElDoradoFurniture.com or call (813) 440-6999. — John C. Cotey; photos by Charmaine George

HomeSense Headed To Wesley Chapel!

By JOHN C. COTEY John@NTNeighborhoodNews.com

According to Pasco County permitting records, a HomeSense discount home furnishings store is coming to the Publix (and Ross)-anchored Shoppes at New Tampa shopping center on the southeast corner of S.R. 56 and Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd.

Permits filed with the county indicate a 26,277-sq.-ft. store will be built next to the Ross Dress for Less store in the same plaza.

If you haven’t previously heard of HomeSense, don’t be surprised — according to its website, this will be the first location in Florida, although there are more than 40 locations in a 10 other states, mostly in the Northeast.

HomeSense is a Canadian chain owned by TJX Companies, which also owns HomeGoods, TJ Maxx and Marshalls.

That makes HomeSense something of a sister store to HomeGoods, but with a larger selection of furniture, art and lighting. HomeSense stores also sell rugs, kitchen items and a wide variety of home décor items.

Work hasn’t begun yet, but expect to see the new HomeSense store open sometime in 2023.

For additional information, visit US.HomeSense.com.

Florida Cancer Specialists Breaks Ground

Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute (FCS) has big plans to expand its cancer services, breaking ground on Sept. 20 on a new facility at the southwest corner of Hueland Pond Blvd. and S.R. 56, just east of Beach House Assisted Living.

Currently located in a 5,000-sq.ft. building on Tanic Dr. (off Cypress Ridge Blvd.), FCS’s new center will be two stories and 45,000 square feet. That is even larger than the 28,000-sq.-ft. Moffitt Cancer Center at AdventHealth Wesley Chapel, which opened in May 2021.

The new FCS building will offer expanded cancer care patient access of the first floor, plus 27 exam rooms and more than 65 treatment chairs, with both semi-private and private infusion suites for those receiving chemo treatments.

The latest clinical trials also will be available at the new FCS center once it is established.

“We have a rich history in Florida, with almost 38 years of caring for cancer patients, and we are really proud of our mission of world class care close to home,” said chief operating officer Jason Coe (far left in photo). “This is what we do — we bring care close to home so patients don’t have to travel.”

The FCS building is expected to be completed by early 2024. — JCC

Fresh off winning the Pasco Economic Developmental Council (EDC)’s SmartStart Entrepreneur of the Year award at the EDC’s annual awards banquet on Sept. 8, Life Essentials (Re) Fillery owner Sheila Haque (at right in the top left photo) hosted a hugely successful Toddler Storytime event, where dozens of toddlers and their parents got a special visit from some furry friends on Sept. 22.

Toddler Storytime, held Thursdays from 10 a.m.-11 a.m., in front of Life Essentials at the KRATE container park at The Grove, featured a visit from Mercy Full Project, a local animal rescue, at its Sept. 22 event.

Heydi Acuna, founder of Mercy Full Project, read Tails Are Not for Pulling with an 8-week-old rescue puppy in her lap, the puppy’s sibling in a nearby crate, and two 8-week old kittens in a carrier. The kids (and parents) who attended got to pet the animals, sing songs, and do a special puppy craft. Toddler Storytime is free and sponsored each week by

Life Essentials (Re)Fillery, located at 5804 Grand Oro Dr. (Suite 104). “I’m grateful that we are able to give back to our community by providing fun, engaging, no-cost activities to our local families,” Haque said. For more info about the snacks, household products and more at Life

Essentials, call (813) 642-6402 or visit

LifeEssentialsRefillery.com. — JCC

By CELESTE McLAUGHLIN

Correspondent

In the year since it opened on Sept. 14 of last year, the AdventHealth Care Pavilion at Hunter’s Green has served many people looking for a modern, convenient way to meet their primary health care needs.

Located on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. just south of Cross Creek Blvd. in front of Hunter’s Green, the Care Pavilion offers a reimagined experience to make going to the doctor easier, with a lot less hassle.

The 50,000-sq.-ft. building houses primary care, on-site labs and imaging, and an expanding list of specialties. Patients sign in one time at the concierge Welcome Center and don’t need to go anywhere else. An in-house pharmacy means patients can leave with their prescriptions already in hand.

“Our strategy was two years in the making to really think through what people want,” says John Johannessen, senior executive officer of non-acute care in AdventHealth’s West Florida division. “People don’t like going to doctors. You go because you’re sick and you want to be healthy. But, if people went more often for regular checkups and physicals, things could be addressed early and not become (more) serious conditions.”

So, AdventHealth tried to take away many of the frustrations that are typical of a visit to the doctor’s office, such as scheduling way in advance, crowded waiting rooms with a long wait for the doctor, and filling out pages and pages of forms.

The Care Pavilion is open for early morning appointments, evening hours, and even all day Saturday, for flexibility and convenience.

Johannessen says AdventHealth is

Not only is the doctor experience designed to be easier at the AdventHealth Care Pavilion in front of Hunter’s Green, it also is more comfortable, thanks to roomy exam rooms and outdoor seating overlooking a pond. (Photos provided by AdventHealth)

adding advanced practitioners and physicians to the location, in order to be sure they can accommodate the number of people who visit.

While appointments are available for patients who prefer them, you can walk right in and expect to be seen in a reasonable amount of time. You may not get to see your favorite doctor — whose schedule might be already filled for the day — but there will be someone available to see you in a timely manner.

“Walk-in doesn’t mean extended wait,” Johannessen explains. “We are monitoring demand and want people to understand that ‘just walk in’ doesn’t mean I’m going to sit and wait three hours.”

Johannessen adds that another perk of the Care Pavilion is that patients won’t be asked to fill out forms over and over again. Online registration and communication through a patient portal and app mean communication when the office and its services are available at your fingertips.

“My personal experience is that I

went into the Care Pavilion for lab work and had the results that night,” he says. “Six hours later, I could access all my results in the patient portal.”

He says technology continues to evolve, but the at-your-fingertips convenience of lab results, prescription refills, and other services are appreciated by the Care Pavilion’s patients. Entering The ‘Kid Zone’

For parents, another inconvenience of going to the doctor can be having to bring children along and keep them entertained. But, the AdventHealth Care Pavilion has a solution for that, too.

The office offers an on-site “Kids Club,” where up to eight children at a time are cared for, while their parent is seeing a doctor in the building.

“We call it our ‘Kid Zone,’” Johannessen says. “It’s not a daycare center, but is equipped with trained staff while people are getting services at the building. You can drop your child off and go get your medical care taken care of.”

He says that the Care Pavilion does not charge any fee for the Kid Zone, which follows strict safety measures, such as procedures for registering and releasing children, and doors are kept locked for security.

“The feedback I’ve gotten is that kids want to come back,” Johannessen says. “It’s a convenience tool that we have, to try to make it a little easier when (a parent needs) care.”

And, while Johannessen says the Care Pavilion is not an urgent care center, it is structured in a way that patients can receive all of the care they would get in an urgent care facility.

Since opening a year ago, the AdventHealth Care Pavilion at Hunter’s Green already has expanded to add dermatology to its available services.

“It’s a challenging need,” Johannessen says. “You live in Florida — the Sunshine State — and it can take such a long time to get in and see a dermatologist.”

Being that it’s a new specialty in the building, the Care Pavilion currently has capacity for people to see a dermatologist fairly quickly. See the contact information at the end of this article to schedule a specialty appointment.

The Care Pavilion still has room to grow, and Johannessen says further expansion is being considered, especially centered around primary care needs.

“We’re having conversations with a dental practice, ophthalmology, and audiology,” he explains, “and (we’re) also considering physical therapy services.”

He says the company’s focus will continue to be on convenience, as well as patient experience and satisfaction.

“We hope that people would start to accept the Care Pavilion as a first choice for primary needs,” he says. “If you have any primary care need, this center has all of the tools to get everything you need in one place.”

The AdventHealth Care Pavilion at Hunter’s Green is located at 8702 Hunter’s Lake Dr. It’s open MondayFriday, 7 a.m.-7 p.m., and 8 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday. For more information, call (813) 467-4700, visit AdventHealthCarePavilion.com, or see the ad on page 2 of this issue.

The AdventHealth Care Pavilion at Hunter’s Green offers one-stop primary care, labs, imaging, pharmacy and specialty services in a 50,000-square-foot building just south of Cross Creek Blvd. on Bruce B. Downs Blvd.

By CELESTE McLAUGHLIN

Correspondent

While Spark Church is just a little more than a year old and is still relatively small, Pastor Garrett Hamblen says the church is already making an impactful difference in the community.

Members gather weekly for worship on Sunday mornings at 10 a.m. at the B&B Theatres at The Grove movie theater (located north of S.R. 54, just west of I-75). But, they actually do much more than just that.

The church members have chosen to focus on four community needs they see in Wesley Chapel and surrounding Pasco County, including foster care, human trafficking, schools and pregnancy care centers.

“We are moving forward in a lot of big ways,” Pastor Garrett says, “and doing things that have never been done in our area, that I’m aware of.”

For example, Pastor Garrett says they are working to create a foster care support network, with a goal of bringing other churches on board to support the efforts.

“We had 15 people go through training from a national-level organization that teaches churches how to do this,” he says. “We want to rally around foster families in the area – even though currently there are none in our church — and meet their physical needs, such as buying new clothes or a bed for a kid who gets dropped off at 2 a.m., or even have our children’s ministry do babysitting for foster families.”

He says church members also are working with Bridging Freedom, a local organization that supports minor victims of human trafficking, offering a therapeutic safe home campus community for girls, ages 12-17, who have been rescued

Pastor Garrett Hamblen and his wife Katterine are celebrating the one-year anniversary of

Spark Church, which holds its services at B&B Theatres at The Grove at Wesley Chapel. from forced prostitution. Spark Church has formed a partnership to provide support that includes painting, landscaping, helping with the property and working on building a new home, as Bridging Freedom is expanding. Pastor Garrett says his messages on Sunday mornings currently are focusing on the same theme. “Each week, we pick a new problem in the community, look at what the Bible says about it, and talk about what the church should do about it,” he says. “Then, we go out and work towards that.”

While Spark Church is growing in the number of people who attend, Pastor Garrett says it’s also growing in “depth,” with 90 percent of its members serving the church at least once a month. The people who find the church tend to be those who are passionate about making a difference.

“They’ve been to churches that don’t do a ton of outreach, but they want to go deeper,” he says. “They want their lives to be more meaningful. They want to go out and fight for our community.”

He says they also want to do life together — and not just on Sunday mornings. Garrett says an astounding 95 percent of church members are involved in weekly “core groups” of people who meet together to study the Bible, support each other and develop friendships. The church also has interest groups, where people go out to dinner together, or get together to do crafts, play disc golf, or pursue some other hobby.

This sense of connectivity may be formed because so many people experienced the isolation of the Covid pandemic, and are now ready to get back into community and make friends. And, Pastor Garrett says the church is ready to respond.

Garrett says he moved to the area See “Spark” on pg. 18

several years ago, when he took a job at Loving Hands Ministries, a drug rehabilitation program in Dade City. He also served as the young adult pastor, then executive pastor, for Calvary Assembly of God in Dade City.

He is licensed as a minister through the Assemblies of God and also has a Bachelor’s degree in Business and an Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree, both from Indiana State University in Terre Haute.

Garrett and his wife Katterine now live in Wesley Chapel, just a few minutes away from the movie theater where the church meets.

On Sunday mornings, Spark Church takes over one wing of the theater, offering worship in a large theater, kids’ church in a smaller theater, and a nursery in a birthday party room. He describes the kids’ areas as “locked down” for safety, in a corner of the building where no public traffic passes by.

Miriam Ventilato lives in the Watergrass community off Curley Rd. and joined Spark Church with her family a little over a year ago.

She, her husband, Tony and their teenage kids — ages 18, 15, and 13 — are all involved in the ministries of the church, from singing with the worship team to putting out advertising flags to draw attention to the church’s meeting location.

“It’s not just a one-and-done on Sunday,” Miriam says. “It’s doing small groups, working in ministry together, and volunteering together. You really become like a family, and people notice when you’re not there.”

That great sense of connectivity and willingness to work together leads to the outreach that she and others who participate in the church think is so important.

“We’re basically showing people the love of God through tangible ways however we can,” she says, “whether that’s through partnering in work days or looking for opportunities to serve wherever there’s a need.”

Spark Church has been bringing people together over the past year for fun events (left), music performances and worship services

that inspire and “spark” the love of God. (All photos for this story were provided by Spark Church) Miriam adds that it’s easy to get on board with the idea that her church can make a difference in big community problems, just by touching one life at a time. It starts with her pastor and is encapsulated in the name of the church. “I think that Pastor Garrett is contagious,” says Miriam. “He says, ‘What fills, spills.’ So, we want to fill ourselves up with things that make a difference so we can spill it out into the community, just sparking each other to bring change.” Spark Church meets at the B&B Theatres Wesley Chapel–The Grove 16, at 6333 Wesley Grove Blvd.) every Sunday at 10 a.m. For more information, visit SparkPasco.com or see the ad on page 23.

By CELESTE McLAUGHLIN

Correspondent

Braces used to be a somewhat embarrassing, somewhat uncomfortable rite of passage for pre-teens, but it doesn’t have to be that way anymore.

The field of orthodontics continues to evolve and grow, with simpler ways to solve complex problems that relate to the straightening of the teeth and jaw — and not just for those in middle school.

While technology now offers many improvements, Dr. Sam Jureyda says he won’t allow it to replace his favorite thing about practicing orthodontics — developing relationships with people and working closely with them to achieve their perfect smile.

“Dr. J,” as his patients call him, opened his Radiance Orthodontics more than six years ago in the Tampa Palms Professional Center off of Commerce Park Blvd., near the New Tampa Rec Center.

His patients say they appreciate his warm, friendly demeanor, paired with his expertise and attention to detail.

Radiance Orthodontics is not a corporate practice where patients are shuffled through as quickly as possible. Instead, all aspects of the practice are marked with Dr. J’s generous style, where he personally

Dr. Sam Jureyda, also known as “Dr. J,” of Radiance Orthodontics in the Tampa Palms Professional Center, says that it’s still important for him to have hands-on contact with his orthodontic patients to achieve the best results. (Photos by Charmaine George) ensures that each patient gets the treatment they need, along with the respect and kindness he feels everyone deserves.

“The staff is friendly, the prices are reasonable, and I love that they all pay close attention to details,” says Rawan, a Wesley Chapel mom whose 16-year-old twins just got their braces off. In fact, the girls were beyond thrilled with the results. They love how straight their teeth are, but Dr. J told Rawan he wasn’t quite satisfied. “He’s a perfectionist,” Rawan says. “He’s amazing. He likes to make sure everything is perfect to their liking — and to his — so he decided to use Invisalign® for little finishing touches.”

Rawan says that once her girls started their treatment with Dr. Jureyda, she decided to get Invisalign for herself, as well.

“I never had a problem with my teeth, but over time, I started to get overcrowding,” Rawan explains. “My teeth weren’t terrible, but it was starting to bother me.”

Rawan says that when compared with other orthodontists in the area, the prices at Radiance were the most reasonable, which made it affordable for her to start treatment, too.

Affordability is one reason Karyn Kraf, a West Meadows mom, chose Radiance Orthodontics for her teenage daughters, Karis and Lydia, too.

“He’s got great payment plans and options, which is a big concern with two kids,” Karyn says. “Having flexibility in setting up payments was very helpful.”

She says she also chose the practice because, as treasurer of the Freedom High PTSA, she sees how invested Dr. Jureyda is in the community.

“He supports the local schools,” she says. “It means a lot to the community that he gives back in that way, and I want to make sure he knows he’s appreciated.” See “Dr. J” on pg. 22

Continued from pg. 20

Not only is the practice a business partner at all of New Tampa’s public schools, but for the past four years, Radiance Orthodontics has awarded a scholarship each spring to a Wharton High senior who has demonstrated a commitment to serve the community through volunteering. This year, he also will offer a scholarship to a senior at Freedom.

More Options Than Ever Before

“Orthodontics is a rapidly-changing, dynamic specialty that offers more options than ever before,” Dr. Jureyda explains. “But, that also makes it confusing for patients.”

He offers a unique, personalized treatment plan to every patient, taking into consideration medical needs, budget, and lifestyle. The office staff works with patients to determine orthodontic benefits through dental insurance and provide affordable payment options.

Dr. Jureyda has practiced orthodontics for more than 25 years. Before moving into private practice in 2006 — and subsequently opening Radiance in 2016 — he taught graduate-level students at the University of Buffalo, NY.

He offers a completely free, noobligation consultation, whether or not you’ve been referred to him by your dentist. Dr. J provides a thorough examination and makes recommendations as to whether or not treatment would be beneficial. Radiance Orthodontics offers both traditional braces and Invisalign®, and Dr. J will help you understand the pros and cons of each type of treatment.

Even traditional braces continue to evolve and use better technologies, and are typically available in either metal or clear ceramic.

Dr. J says that Invisalign®, which uses a series of invisible, removable, comfortable aligners to straighten teeth, is a constantly improving method that is now so effective, it often works more quickly than traditional braces.

Fancy television commercials may say that “do-it-yourself” options can work just as well, but Dr. J emphasizes that having treatment in person with an orthodontist allows you access to an expert who will check your progress every step of the way to keep you on track and watch to ensure no problems develop or worsen.

When it’s time to start treatment, Radiance Orthodontics uses a compact, hand-held wand and optical digital technology to create 3D images of a patient’s mouth. This technology is much easier and more comfortable than taking impressions by hand with a goopy material. It also streamlines the process of moving from diagnosis to treatment. Patients can view their “before” images immediately on the screen during the appointment, and a proposed “after” image comes via email shortly thereafter.

In between, Dr. J takes time to carefully review exactly how the technology recommends the teeth be moved in to position, using his decades of experience to be sure that each of his patients receives a treatment plan that is perfect for them. While the technology adds some degree of automation, he says it doesn’t replace his careful eye and expertise throughout the process.

That’s exactly why Karyn says she’s glad she chose Radiance Orthodontics.

“We’ve had such a great experience,” she says. “He’s so attentive and personable and very professional.”

And, while she says she never feels rushed, her time is respected and she’s able to get in and out much faster than when her son was in braces in another office, and she was often kept waiting for more than an hour before appointments.

“When we first met Dr. J, we immediately felt comfortable with him and his staff,” Karyn says. “He spends so much time with the girls, he pays attention to details, and makes every patient feel special.”

To schedule a free consultation, text or call Radiance Orthodontics at (813) 972-1100. For more information about the practice, located at 17427 Bridge Hill Ct., Suite A, in the Tampa Palms Professional Center, search for Radiance Orthodontics on Facebook, visit MyRadianceBraces.com or see the ad on page 9.

Dr. J’s personable, caring demeanor with his patients and their families is one major reason why Radiance Orthodontics has been so

successful. (Photo by Charmaine George)