12.03.20 Health Matters

Observer

Health Matters DECEMBER 2020

BREAKTHROUGH

PARTNERSHIP AdventHealth has partnered with Moffitt Cancer Center to launch a clinical trial of a new combination therapy to treat lung cancer. The trial is underway at their clinical research unit at AdventHealth Celebration.

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DECEMBER 2020

Perfect

match

AdventHealth Transplant Institute recently completed a paired kidney transplant between two families at the same hospital.

AMY QUESINBERRY COMMUNITY EDITOR

A series of kidney transplants has cemented a lifetime bond between two families.

Winter Garden resident Richard Thomas had struggled with kidney disease his entire life, but it still was a shock when he learned a few years ago he would need a new kidney. Emery Bock was born prematurely with multiple cysts in her kidneys and, at age 4, was on the verge of dialysis.

Both received successful kidney transplants Aug. 19 at the AdventHealth Transplant Institute — Thomas from Emery’s mother and Emery from Thomas’ wife. Dr. Michael Angelis assisted in all four surgeries.

The two families came faceto-face for the first time Monday, Nov. 23. Tom Johnson, of AdventHealth TV, explained the paired transplant, which is when two or more living organ donors swap to make a compatible match.

“Sometimes, these matches are done nationally or regionally, and while we’ve done paired

Courtesy photo

Hallie Thomas, Richard’s wife who donated her kidney to Emery; Richard Thomas, kidney transplant recipient, and their son; Dr. Michael Angelis, center, transplant surgeon, surgical director of kidney transplant, and his team; Jamie McKenzie, Emery’s mother and a nurse who donated her kidney to Richard; her son and daughter, 4-yearold transplant recipient Emery Bock; and Robert Bock, Emery’s dad.

transplants before here at AdventHealth … this one is special because it involves a child, 4-yearold Emery,” he said.

AdventHealth also was celebrating the fact that it was the first time all parties have been patients at the hospital.

“To have it in one hospital where all the patients are being taken care of, it’s pretty exciting for us,” Angelis said.

Hallie Thomas was disappointed to learn she wasn’t a match and couldn’t donate an organ to her husband.

“I obviously wanted to jump in and come to his rescue,” she said.

“For me, that was my way of trying to get involved and help — and I think it really worked out.”

Richard Thomas said it was

tough to put into words his emotions following the transplant.

“I’m always ready to go to her rescue and do all that I can, and for her to do that — my wife loves to work out, and she loves to play soccer, but she can’t really do that anymore,” he said. “So, for her to make that kind of ultimate sacrifice really says a lot.

“On the other side, it doesn’t happen if their family isn’t willing to give, as well,” Richard Thomas said. “I’m eternally grateful for all they have done.”

Although Hallie Thomas wasn’t a match, she was ready to sign up for the paired exchange once they found out the other patient was a child. Hallie and Richard Thomas have a son the same age as Emery.

“It didn’t matter what was

involved,” she said. “It was a process, and thankfully the process panned out exactly how we wanted it to be. In turn, it helped Richard and it helped another family, too, so we got best-case scenario.”

All four patients are recovering and healthy.

“My heart goes out to this little girl who’s had to go through so much … but (I’m) so happy that this is one step for her to live a happy, healthy life, as all 4-year-olds should,” Richard Thomas said.

“It’s done just so much for our family, not getting up at 5 o’clock in the morning to go to dialysis.

Pre-COVID, my son was going to play soccer, and I wasn’t going to be able to go to his soccer matches, so those little things like that.

“I don’t really have to worry about them anymore because of her willingness to give,” he said of Emery’s mother, Jamie McKenzie.

McKenzie signed up for the paired transplant after discovering she and Emery’s father, Robert Bock, weren’t compatible.

“I would have donated directly to my daughter, no questions asked, but the fact that I get to help out another family (who) at the same time is helping my daughter — thank you guys so much,” McKenzie said.

Dr. Angelis said the biggest challenge in a paired transplant involving a child is finding the right match. He also used the meeting as a chance to urge people to sign up to be organ donors.

“Whenever you can help someone — that’s the best thing you could ever do in your life,” he said.

“Whether it’s signing your organ donor card … or being active about that you want to donate to someone.”

On Thanksgiving Day, these are two families who are grateful for the second chance at life.

“I’m thankful that we get this opportunity to meet them, to shed some light on organ donation, having our story heard,” Hallie Thomas said.

The families are planning a bigger get-together when COVID-19 is less prevalent.

“We have so much in common,” Richard Thomas said. “We have a 4-year-old, they have a 4-yearold. … A piece of Hallie is part of their family, and a piece of their family is in our family. It really means a lot.

“For as long as I have this kidney, for as long as I’m alive, that family and that gesture is going to mean a lot to us,” he said.

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INDEPENDENT LIVING, ASSISTED LIVING AND MEMORY SUPPORT

Courtesy photo

Dr. Breck Brewer hands a patient an oversized check to represent the orthodontic scholarship he received.

An orthodontic office in Ocoee is partnering with a foundation that provides scholarships to children in need of braces.

AMY QUESINBERRY COMMUNITY EDITOR

Sometimes, a person’s self-confidence is hindered by the condition of his or her teeth. Dr. William Fravel and Dr. Breck Brewer are out to change that, one patient at a time, through their partnership with a charitable foundation that offers scholarships to children who need orthodontic treatment but whose families cannot afford the expense.

Smile for a Lifetime partners with orthodontists in the United States and Canada — including Fravel Brewer Orthodontics — to provide braces for patients who meet the qualifications.

“It is our way of giving back to the community for those families who are not able to afford orthodontic treatment,” Fravel said.

“The boost in self-confidence can be seen in the smiles of these children and gives me great satisfaction.”

The practice relies on nurses and other school personnel to recommend a student for the scholarship.

“It really boils down to identifying someone who has the need but also may not have the means to seek treatment,” said Jaclyn Whiddon, who volunteers her services as director of the Fravel Brewer board. “The school identifies someone with a smile issue – sometimes it’s the dentist, sometimes it’s patients who come in for treatment and they say, ‘It’s just out of the budget’ – and we tell them about the program.

“We have seen children’s whole personalities transform,” she said.

“They come in, and they’re shy, or they’re self-conscious, or they won’t smile. It’s just a boost for

“We have seen children’s whole personalities transform. They come in, and they’re shy, or they’re self-conscious, or they won’t smile. It’s just a boost for them to have a smile that they’re confident with.”

— Jaclyn Whiddon, Fravel Brewer board

them to have a smile that they’re confident with.”

Whiddon said the board enjoys reading the applications and seeing children verbalize what they hope to see change with their teeth.

“Some kids will say, like, ‘I have a dream of going on and doing this in college or this in my career, and I feel like my smile is holding me back,’” she said. “It’s all rooted in self-confidence.”

Founded in 2009, Smile for a Lifetime aims to reach individuals with financial challenges, special situations and orthodontic needs. The foundation sponsors the orthodontic care of hundreds of patients each year. Smile for a Lifetime does not charge a fee for the orthodontic treatment; participating orthodontists and orthodontic manufacturing companies donate their services.

The Fravel Brewer Orthodontics Smile for a Lifetime — West Orange Chapter began in February 2012. In the past eight years, the practice has provided more than $200,000 in orthodontic scholarships to children in West Orange County. In exchange, the doctors ask children to “pay it forward” by volunteering their time in the community.

The goal is to provide scholarships six times annually.

There are dozens of examples of recipients whose lives were changed through this program.

The Fravel-Brewer team helped a girl who needed orthognathic surgery to correct a discrepancy with her jaw. Without it, her teeth and jaw would have never aligned properly. A brother and sister being raised by their grandparents also received the orthodontic scholarships. Together, the siblings provided more than 120 community service hours.

To apply for a scholarship, visit FravelBrewer.com or bit. ly/33evHwR. To qualify for the program, patients must live in the West Orange County area, be under 18, be able to demonstrate a financial need and be willing to pay it forward with community service.

The deadline to apply is Dec. 10.

“Every child deserves to have a smile that they are proud of, but the simple fact is, not everyone can afford treatment,” Brewer said. “I love what I do as an orthodontist, but I truly love when we can bring a smile to a child and a family who didn’t think it would have ever been possible.”

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Reason to smile

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DECEMBER 2020

Collaborating against cancer AdventHealth and Moffitt Cancer Center are furthering cancer research and bringing hope to Central Florida patients through their first collaborative clinical trial.

DANIELLE HENDRIX ASSOCIATE EDITOR

W

ith the launch of their collaborative clinical trial in Central Florida, AdventHealth and Moffitt Cancer Center are bringing a double-dose of expertise and research abilities to local patients.

In early September, the two organizations announced their Phase I trial testing the efficacy of a new combination therapy for lung cancer — one that could mean a world of difference for patients with non-small cell lung cancer, in particular. The trial is accruing patients at AdventHealth Celebration, where the Moffitt — AdventHealth clinical research unit is underway.

“The opening of this trial is the first visible benefit for patients to come out of our relationship with Moffitt Cancer Center,” said Dr. Steven R. Smith, associate center director of the AdventHealth — Moffitt Cancer Center partnership and chief scientific officer of the AdventHealth Research Institute Orlando. “This initiative is just the beginning of what we’ll

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accomplish together in advancing cancer care and research here in Central Florida.”

BLOSSOMING PARTNERSHIP

Before the collaboration on the clinical trial began, AdventHealth and Moffitt’s partnership had been a topic of discussion since 2016. It was finalized and formally announced in September 2019.

With the two joining forces, they are able to provide world-class cancer treatment as well as better access to cancer prevention, education, screenings and early-phase clinical trials. The announcement also launched the establishment of a clinical research facility and chemotherapy/immunotherapy infusion program at AdventHealth Celebration.

Not only did the partnership bring a clinical research facility and access to vital cancer care to Central Florida, it also brought new hope to local cancer patients.

“AdventHealth and Moffitt created our special partnership with the unified goal of improving access to leading-edge clinical trials to the residents of Central Florida at the Moffitt — AdventHealth Clinical Research Unit at AdventHealth Celebration,” said Dr. Louis Harrison, Moffitt vice president and chief partnership officer. “Bringing Moffitt’s clinical research expertise to the existing strengths of the Advent Health

WHAT IS NON-SMALL CELL LUNG CANCER? One of two main types of lung cancer, non-small cell lung cancer is the most common.

According to the American Cancer Society, about 80% to 85% of lung cancers are NSCLC. The main subtypes are adenocarcinoma, squamous call carcinoma and large-cell carcinoma.

Adenocarcinoma: Occurs mainly in current and former smokers but is also the most common type of lung cancer seen in non-smokers. It is more common in women than men and is more likely to occur in younger people. Adenocarcinoma is usually found in the outer parts of the lung.

Large-cell carcinoma: This can appear in any part of the lung and tends to both grow and spread quickly, which can make it tougher to treat.

Squamous cell carcinoma: This starts in squamous cells, or flat cells that line the inside of the airways in the lungs.

They often are linked to a history of smoking and tend to be found in the central part of the lungs, near a main airway.

Source: American Cancer Society

team creates a world-class opportunity to bring novel therapies to this community.”

Dr. Nikhil Khushalani — assistant center director of clinical research review and partnerships, and senior member of the Department of Cutaneous Oncology at Moffitt — said the partnership with AdventHealth is a natural fit.

“AdventHealth has really taken the lead there in ensuring those resources get put into the Celebration unit so we have an absolutely

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“This combination was elected specifically because there was promise that these drugs worked in synergy with each other in preclinical research.”

— Dr. Andreas Saltos

top-notch infusion facility where patients can come and get their treatment closer to home but with equal input from the Moffitt team, as well,” Khushalani said. “It was quite natural that this is a study that could be easily done within the AdventHealth campus. You want to choose studies initially that don’t have too many quirks in the conduct of the study … things that are pretty straightforward so that you make sure that it’s easy to do at a site that’s outside ‘the mothership.’ This was the perfect fit.”

COLLABORATION IN ACTION

Bringing an innovative, earlystage investigational therapy from Tampa to Central Florida is considered a major milestone for both organizations.

In AdventHealth and Moffitt’s collaborative trial, researchers are

Our goal is simple - to create beautiful smiles for a lifetime! We do this by combining the needs of our patients with the expertise of our staff’s years of experience and the latest Orthodontic technology. We offer a wide variety of treatment options including Invisalign, Invisalign Teen, and clear braces.

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MEET THE ORGANIZATIONS ADVENTHEALTH AdventHealth’s Central Florida Division comprises 23 hospitals and emergency rooms in the seven counties in and surrounding metro Orlando.

Collectively, they provide care for more than 2,000,000 patient visits per year. The Central Florida Division’s care network also includes more than 30 CentraCare urgentcare centers; dozens of sportsrehab and imaging centers; and hundreds of physicians, ranging from primary care to a full spectrum of specialties.

The system provides a wide range of health services such as cardiology, cancer, women’s medicine, neuroscience, diabetes, orthopedics, pediatrics, transplant and advanced surgical programs.

MOFFITT CANCER CENTER Based in Tampa, Moffitt is dedicated to specifically to contributing to the prevention and cure of cancer. It is one of only 51 National Cancer Institutedesignated comprehensive cancer centers. Moffitt’s accomplishments are merited by its history of scientific excellence, multidisciplinary research, and robust training and education. It is the No. 11 cancer hospital and has been

In AdventHealth and Moffitt’s collaborative trial, researchers are focused on discovering the effects of the drug ceritinib (Zykadia) used in combination with docetaxel (Taxotere) on participants with a specific type of non-small cell lung cancer. Both drugs are FDA-

nationally ranked by U.S. News & World Report since 1999.

THE COMBINATION In AdventHealth and Moffitt Cancer Center’s collaborative clinical-research trial, researchers are overseeing the combination of two drugs — ceritinib (Zykadia) and docetaxel (Taxotere) — to gauge the efficacy of treatment when administered simultaneously.

Ceritinib — Known by brand name Zykadia, ceritinib is a prescription-only drug used for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer. It was developed

by Novartis and received FDA approval for use in April 2014.

Ceritinib is a pill that patients take orally on a daily basis. It is primarily used to treat breast cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, advanced stomach cancer, head and neck cancer, and metastatic prostate cancer.

Docetaxel — Known by brand name Taxotere, docetaxel is a form of chemotherapy that works by destroying quickly dividing cells, such as cancer cells. It is given intravenously through a drip in the arm or a central line. Each treatment takes up to an hour and is administered once every three weeks.

approved cancer treatments but had not previously been given simultaneously.

Dr. Andreas Saltos, principal investigator for the lung cancer trial, said the idea stemmed from Moffitt scientists, specifically Dr. Uwe Rix. A researcher with a back-

ground in chemistry and engineering, Rix has been conducting experimental screenings that consist of repurposing existing FDAapproved drugs for treatment of lung cancer.

“This combination was elected specifically because there was promise that these drugs worked in synergy with each other in preclinical research,” Saltos said.

“The primary goal of the study is to find out if this combination of two drugs … is safe, tolerable and feasible to give … together. The secondary goal is to find out if this combination is more effective than just giving the docetaxel chemotherapy, which is the standard approach.”

Docetaxel is the “cornerstone drug” for patients with non-small cell lung cancer but is not always very effective, said Dr. George Simon, executive director of the Moffitt — AdventHealth Clinical Research Unit at AdventHealth Celebration.

“There is some benefit, but it doesn’t have a huge benefit,” Simon said. “So what we’ve been trying to do is augment the benefit of docetaxel. … What Andreas and his group did was say, ‘Let’s try to take a drug that is already available, FDA approved and used for another indication … and why don’t we see whether we can repurpose an existing drug and see whether we can augment the efficacy of docetaxel?”

There are a number of qualifications needed to participate in the trial. Saltos and his team specifically look for patients who have Stage 4 lung cancer that either has progressed or stopped responding to initial treatment.

Patients who are deemed potential candidates consult with their doctor and the team at AdventHealth and Moffitt to further

determine their eligibility. Once approved for participation, they receive the medications either at Moffitt or at the AdventHealth Celebration research site.

Ceritinib is an oral pill that patients take daily at home, while docetaxel is a form of intravenous chemotherapy that patients receive every three weeks. Participants also receive a safety assessment every three weeks, and an assessment of their cancer via scans every six weeks to see if the treatment is effective.

“Because this is the first time these drugs are given in combination, we actually started out by giving a lower dose of the drugs to the first participants,” Saltos said.

“Once it was demonstrated that there were no safety concerns, we are able to escalate the dose sequentially. … The doses have been escalated a couple of times to where we are currently.

“The goal of this is to determine what the best recommended dose is for the combination of drugs, and thus far, we haven’t yet finally determined what that best combination dosage is,” Saltos said. “But there hasn’t been any indication that we’ve reached a dose that is intolerable at this point.”

The trial remains underway and is open for eligible participants.

For both entities, the goal is to further cancer research and invest in the future of treatment options.

“One of our aims is the prevention and cure of cancer — that’s essentially our mission,” Khushalani said. “So it’s not only seeing patients and treating them with current standards of care, but in fact defining what the future standards of care could be and trying to … carve that path out for the future.”

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“AdventHealth has really taken the lead there in ensuring those resources get put into the Celebration unit so we have an absolutely top-notch infusion facility where patients can come and get their treatment closer to home but with equal input from the Moffitt team, as well.”

— Dr. Nikhil Khushalani

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CHC earns recognition For the third consecutive year, Community Health Centers is among the 2020 Best and the Brightest Companies to Work For by National Association for Business Resources.

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For a few decades, Community Health Centers has helped provide quality primary health care services to those in need in the Winter Garden and beyond, but it’s the relationship with their employees that is now being praised — again.

This month, the organization was named among the fall 2020 Best and the Brightest Companies to Work For by the National Association for Business Resources for the third consecutive year.

The accomplishment shows just how important the organization’s employees are in every way, said Cheryl Viadero, vice president and chief human resources officer for CHC. “It is truly an honor to be chosen as a Best and Brightest winner for the third consecutive year,” Viadero said. “This award is nationally recognized and includes employers from across the nation and all industries. We value each of our team members and strive to provide quality programs to support them so they can focus on our mission.”

The Best and Brightest program honored 151 national winning organizations from across the country out of 1,100 nominations. The winning companies were assessed by an independent research firm that reviewed a number of measures relative to other nationally recognized winners.

“The survey not only focused our human resources practices but requested information on how we supported team members during COVID-19, which included communication, safety and benefit programs to support our team members,” Viadero said. “I believe the many COVID-19 programs that were implemented set us apart from many other organizations.”

Along with the COVID-19 programs put into place, there are other means that have been undertaken to make sure the organization’s employees are being heard — allowing them to be a part of the overall process in CHC, said John Riordan, director of marketing and community relations.

CHC has a number of committees and councils — such as the Care

Council, which comprises members from multiple disciplines across the organization — that offer employees a voice.

“We’ve actually done a really good job over the past couple of years adapting to what the survey results show,” Riordan said. “Right now, we’ve started a group of team members for equity, diversity and inclusion, so we’re getting together and listening to our team members — seeing what we can do.

“We’ve really adapted over the past couple years in including our team members in everything that we do,” he said “For instance, when we do National Health Center Week, we put together a committee … from all levels of the organization, so it has some executives on it and some other team members that might even be at the centers — that could be medical assistants or a center coordinator — to get a diverse group to try and come up with a plan for fun activities to do during the month. It’s usually in August.”

Along with having these councils to hear every voice, they — and the award itself — can also be used to help market the organization and bring in new employees.

“For us … we’re trying to be an employer of choice in Central Florida,” Riordan said. “So these kinds of awards are all sorts of things that we’re looking for so that job applicants will start to consider us as a place that they want to work.”

The national winners — including CHC — will be honored during the virtual Illuminate Business Summit week in spring 2021. There, the highest-winning companies also will be given the Elite awards, which go to companies demonstrating “exceptional innovative human resource practices and setting high standards for all businesses.”

For an organization such as CHC — which provides health care services for mostly underprivileged and uninsured clients — the award means a lot, said Dr. Debra Andree, CHC president and CEO. And the hope is to earn it again in 2021.

“We will continue to focus on joyful, purpose-filled team members while delivering quality and compassionate primary health care services to Central Florida’s diverse communities,” Andree said.

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ALL ABOARD! OneBlood’s Big Red Bus has become a staple in the community, and it’s helping save lives with the services it offers on board.

TROY HERRING SPORTS EDITOR

You’ve seen it in the parking lots of shopping centers, schools and anywhere you can park a vehicle its size.

It’s OneBlood’s Big Red Bus, and its signature look — hard to miss because of its brightly colored frame — helps it stand out on the road. It has become the ultimate marketing tool for the organization because of the familiarity people have with it.

“People are very accustomed to seeing the Big Red Bus driving around our communities,” said Susan Forbes, senior vice president of corporate communications and public relations. “It really is something that is a staple in the community, and it is an easy opportunity for people to get on the Big Red Bus and help save lives in our communities.”

While many people see the outside of the bus, not nearly as many people are taking in the activities going on inside — especially since the arrival of COVID-19.

But just because the pandemic has slowed things down doesn’t mean that the Big Red Bus isn’t

still out serving the greater good, Forbes said. However, things are a bit different on board.

After a donor schedules an appointment, his or her temperature is checked before he or she is taken into the back section of the bus, where a few touch screens line the wall to allow for digital check-in. There are also two private screening rooms where one of the organization’s phlebotomists checks blood pressure and other vitals.

There are four donor seats, but right now, only two donors are allowed at a time. There are two phlebotomists on hand — sometimes three, depending on donor flow.

With everything the phlebotomists need on board, the process is all streamlined and takes about 10 minutes total to do the actual donation, Forbes said.

“Right before you donate, the phlebotomist will take several test tubes of blood prior to your actual donation, and those test tubes are actually what’s going to be tested,” Forbes said. “We test every unit of blood to ensure it’s safe. It’s the test tubes that move on to our testing facility, and your actual blood donation is going to go to one of our biologics facilities.”

The test tubes and donated blood, platelets and plasma are all labeled accordingly, packaged and placed into storage on the bus for only a short time before a courier — of which the organization has several hundred — swings by to grab

The Big Red Bus continues to operate despite the ongoing pandemic.

Courtesy photos

it and take it to the testing facility in Saint Petersburg or the biologics facility in Orlando, Forbes said.

“From the moment your blood is drawn, the clock starts ticking, because everything has to be processed and tested within a certain amount of time,” Forbes said.

With more than 200 Big Red Buses in its fleet and the need to get blood tested and donated as quickly as possible to the many hospitals that OneBlood helps, those labs work 24/7 to get things done.

When it comes to the 250-plus hospitals it serves, OneBlood also has another lab that helps get the right blood to the right place.

“On top of those labs, we still have reference labs that are still open 24/7, where there are people there doing special cross-matching with hospitals in the middle of the night,” Forbes said. “They need very specific blood for very specific patients who may have a difficult blood type to match.”

A single donation can save up to three people, Forbes said.

“Once you’re inside of it — I know what donors say many times is — there is this sense of real pride that you’ve done something so remarkable to help another person live,” Forbes said. “You walk off that bus knowing you made a huge

contribution to the community in helping a patient. You may never ever know who that patient is, but you can leave there knowing that you are most certainly making a huge impact in giving somebody a second chance to live.”

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