Business Briefcase

Oak Hill Hospital announces its Associates of the Month

BROOKSVILLE Oak Hill Hospital recently announced its Star Associates of the Month for September. Each month, hospital associates are chosen in a process that involves nominations and voting by their peers, patients, patient families and physicians. This month's Oak Hill Hospital "Stars" are Michelle Garvin, Jamie Oliver and Debbie Mattingly. Garvin joined Oak Hill's Cardiac Catheterization Recovery Unit in March 2007. She is a registered nurse and takes care of the patients before and after cardiac catheterization procedures. Oliver, is a patient care assistant and has been with Oak Hill since January. Mattingly is a phlebotomist and joined Oak Hill's laboratory in September 1996. Her primary duty is to draw blood and assist with a variety of administrative duties. Oak Hill Hospital has been serving the Nature Coast since 1984. It is the largest medical facility in Hernando and Citrus County (204 acute care beds) and offers Hernando County's only comprehensive heart program including open heart surgery.

Brooksville Regional announces award recipients

BROOKSVILLE Two team members recently have been recognized by Brooksville Regional Hospital for going above and beyond in serving patients, guests and other team members for the month of August. The Caught in the Act award recognizes a team member who has gone above and beyond the hospital's standards of excellence in service to a guest. The August recipient is Deana Hall in the radiology department. The HOPE (Helping Others While Pursuing Excellence) award recognizes a team member who has received accolades from patients and/or guests. The August recipient is Linda Luczak in the admitting department.

Gulf Coast Title changes name to Stewart Title

BROOKSVILLE Earlier this month, it was announced that Gulf Coast Title - which has been in business for 85 years - would change its name to Stewart Title. Stewart is an international company with more than a century of underwriting expertise, financial strength, innovative technology and a consistent track record for real estate closings, according to a media release. The name change went into effect Sept. 10. The office is located at 111 N. Main St. For more information, call 352-796-9416.

Ribbon cuttings are scheduled for this week

The Greater Hernando County Chamber of Commerce will have the following ribbon-cutting ceremonies this week:

Wireless Zone/Verizon Wireless - 11:30 a.m. Monday, Sept. 29, at 14312 Spring Hill Drive in Spring Hill. For more information, call Jamie Sheridan at 727-514-9702.

Pulte Homes - 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 30, at 429 Trillium Blvd. in Brooksville. For more information, call Christy Voelker at 797-8183.

Jenz Transcription Services - 11:30 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 2, at the Spring Hill chamber office, located at 4044 Commercial Way. For more information, call Jennifer Hensley at 630-548-9769.

Summit for Youth is scheduled for Tuesday

SPRING HILL The Greater Hernando County Chamber of Commerce Education Committee and other community service partners are sponsoring the first-ever Summit for Youth. The event will take place Tuesday, Sept. 30. This Summit is a think-tank opportunity for key community partners, social service agencies and the school district to come together to brainstorm solutions to improve key indicators for our youth in the areas of graduation rate, substance use/abuse, teen pregnancy and violence/abuse/neglect. Anyone interested in participating in one of the working committees is encouraged to contact Tracy Echols at success@theabundanceadvantage.com or 352-277-3322. There are $250 and $100 sponsorship opportunities available.

Presentation on managing medication will take place Tuesday

HUDSON Dr. Troy Jarvi will be the featured speaker for an upcoming lecture on "Understanding and Managing your Medication." Jarvi will talk briefly about knowing when and how to take your medication, the safest practices in drug storage and purchasing, learning how medications work and how to monitor their effectiveness, what to do with your medications after a hospital stay and what to do when your medications change. This presentation is sponsored by Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point and will take place at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 30, at CARES Hudson Bayonet Point Enrichment Center, located at 12417 Clock Tower Parkway. The event is free to the public. Due to limited seating, reservations are required and can be made by calling 727-869-5498 or 1-888-741-5119.

Easy Street will host wine and cheese reception Wednesday

BROOKSVILLE Easy Street Home Décor, located at 848 East Jefferson St., will host a wine and cheese reception for Laura Diehm from 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 1. Diehm studied figurative painting at the Stevenson Academy of Fine Art in Oyster Bay, N.Y., and obtained her bachelor's degree in Visual Communications from Farmingdale State University in New York. She was a freelance graphic designer and photographer for the Best of Long Island Magazine before moving to Spring Hill in 2007. She is currently a substitute with Hernando County and facilitator of Chocachatti's Micro Society's new venture, "The Best of Chocachatti Magazine." She recently became a member of Spring Hill Art League and publisher of their bi-annual newsletter. Her works are in charcoal, photography, graphics and poetry. Her preferred mediums are acrylics and oil. The display runs until the end of October. For more information, call 352-848-0177.

Physician will offer presentation on atrial fibrillation Thursday

HUDSON Heart surgeon N.S. Rattehalli is the featured speaker for an upcoming lecture on "Atrial Fibrillation -Treatment for Irregular Heart Rhythm." Atrial fibrillation (A-Fib) is the most common heart rhythm disturbance, affecting more than 2.3 million Americans. Rattehalli will be discussing minimally invasive options now available. This presentation is sponsored by The Heart Institute at Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point and will take place at 3 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 2, at Heritage Pines Country Club, located at 11524 Scenic Hills Blvd. The event is free to the public. Refreshments will be served. Due to limited seating, reservations are required and can be made by calling 727-869-5498 or 1-888-741-5119.

Beach Bash will take place Friday

HERNANDO BEACH Tickets are on sale for the Greater Hernando County Chamber of Commerce Annual Beach Bash. The event will take place at 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 3, at the Hernando Beach Club, located at 3145 Flamingo Blvd. Tickets are $15 per person. This year's theme is Surfin' FLA. For sponsorships and tickets, call 796-0697, Ext. 15.

Sky Powersports will host Skytoberfest Saturday

HUDSON Sky Powersports of Hudson will host the third annual Skytoberfest Event from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday Oct. 4. Skytoberfest is a warm-up for Biketoberfest, the annual Daytona Beach bike week. Sky Powersports is located at 16609 U.S. Highway 19. The event will feature live bands, bikini girls, free food, prizes, a helicopter and more. Slater a deejay from 102.5 The Bone will be on location broadcasting live from 10 a.m. to noon. The station also will be giving out prizes and T-shirts to people and contestants. Free Skytoberfest event T-shirts will be given out to the first 100 people who attend. The celebration will continue with a bikini bike wash and a prize drawing every half hour from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Free food and drinks will be available for most of the day and free Hooters wings from noon to 2 p.m. Sky Powersports of Hudson will be running free dyno testing, so bring your bike. Women from the greater Tampa Bay area will be competing in the Bikini Contest. The first-place prize is $750. A local band will be performing from 2 to 5 p.m. Customers of Sky Powersports, motorcyclists, power sports enthusiasts and the general public are invited to attend. For more information, call Sky Powersports of Hudson at 727-819-2007, or visit www.skypowersports.net for event schedules and details.

Credit 911 seminar will take place Saturday

SPRING HILL Residents interested in learning about the latest resources available for credit repair, debt settlement and debt consolidation, are encouraged to attend Credit 911, a seminar scheduled for 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Oct. 4, at the Holiday Inn Express, located at 3528 Commercial Way. Some of the lessons will include how to manipulate a credit score, how to permanently erase bad credit and replace it with good credit and how to eliminate credit card debt for pennies on the dollar. For more information, or to RSVP, call 352-688-5483 or visit www.CraigHelps.com. Seating is limited.

Prostate Cancer Support Group will meet Oct. 6

BROOKSVILLE The Florida Cancer Institute-New Hope will hold its regular "Man to Man" prostate cancer support group at 6 p.m. Monday, Oct. 6. Cosponsored by the American Cancer Society, "Man to Man" meets on the first Monday of every month at the Florida Cancer Institute-New Hope's Brooksville Center, located at 7154 Medical Center. Among the topics most frequently discussed are the importance of early detection, signs and symptoms of prostate cancer, prognosis, disease stages, incontinence, impotence, the various treatment options including hormone therapy and medications and the latest research and treatment modalities. Speakers include physicians, nurses, dietitians, pharmacists, social workers and others. For more information call Mary Capo at 352-596-1926.

Anderson to be guest speaker at Oct. 7 support group meeting

SPRING HILL The Florida Cancer Institute - New Hope recently announced Dr. Norman H. Anderson will be the guest speaker at its upcoming women's breast cancer support group meeting from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 7. The support group will meet at its center, located at 7154 Medical Center Drive. Anderson is chief executive officer of the Robert Boissoneault Oncology Institute in Ocala. He graduated from the University of Florida's College of Medicine in Gainesville, where he also completed his internship and residencies at the Division of Radiation Oncology. He also holds undergraduate degrees in chemistry and mechanical engineering from the University of Central Florida and a degree in clinical psychology from Emory University in Atlanta. Light refreshments will be served. For more information, call Tambra Randazzo at 592-8128. Florida Cancer Institute - New Hope is affiliated with US Oncology, the nation's largest health care services network dedicated exclusively to cancer treatment and research. It has six locations throughout Pasco and Hernando counties. For more information, call 1-888-206-0054 or visit www.FloridaCancerInstitute-NewHope.com.

Florida Farm Bureau annual meeting will be held Oct. 8-10

ORLANDO Hundreds of farmers and ranchers from across the state will convene Oct. 8-10 at the Peabody Hotel in Orlando for the Florida Farm Bureau Federation's 67th annual meeting. Organized around the theme "Growing for Tomorrow," the meeting will offer events centered on Florida Farm Bureau Women, Young Farmers and Ranchers and legislative action and education. Voting delegates will elect the president and vice president and adopt the policies that will guide the organization during the next 12 months. For more information on the annual meeting, contact Rachel Kudelko at 352-378-8100, Ext. 1030, or e-mail her at Rachel.kudelko@ffbf.org. Information may also be found at http://floridafarmbureau.org/annual_meeting. The Florida Farm Bureau Federation is the state's largest general-interest agricultural association with more than 140,000 member-families statewide. Headquartered in Gainesville, the federation is an independent, nonprofit agricultural organization.

Caregiver Support Group will meet Oct. 9

SPRING HILL Florida Cancer Institute-New Hope will hold its Caregiver Support Group at 4 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 9. The group meets the second Thursday of every month at the Florida Cancer Institute-New Hope's Spring Hill Center, located at 10441 Quality Drive, Suite 203 in the Medical Arts Building next to Spring Hill Regional Hospital. For more information call Dorothy Hiller at 352-688-7744.

HBA supports H.E.L.P., application deadline is Oct. 17

SPRING HILL The Hernando Builders Association would like to encourage the citizens of Hernando County to learn more about the Housing Enhancement Loan Program (H.E.L.P.). The Hernando County Housing Authority is now accepting applications for this program, which is designed to provide assistance to seniors and very low income residents who are experiencing conditions in their home that pose a threat to the health, safety, or welfare of the household occupants and may not meet current health, fire and building codes. The H.E.L.P. program will provide zero interest loans of up to $37,000 to help senior households with the cost of repairs. To qualify, applicants must meet certain age and income requirements and the residence must be a house and not a mobile home. Applications are being accepted until Friday, Oct. 17. For more information, call the Hernando County Housing Authority at 352-754-4160.

Sponsorships, booths still available for Oct. 18 Health Fair

BROOKSVILLE Sponsorships and booths are still available for the fourth Annual Hernando County Health Fair, which will be held Saturday, Oct. 18. The annual event has drawn as many as 2,000 visitors. Various sponsorship packages are available starting at $500. The Health Fair will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Brooksville Elks Lodge 2582, located at 14494 Cortez Blvd. More than 65 local health care businesses share information, give demonstrations and provide free health screenings for the community. Interior booths are available for $135 and a limited number of outside booths also will be available for $110. Complimentary samples from local food establishments will be available as well as live music and entertainment. Flu shots will be offered for $30 each (Medicare and most insurances will be accepted). Current presenting sponsors include Oak Hill Hospital, Brooksville and Spring Hill Regional Hospitals, the Nature Coast Community Health Center, Elks Brooksville Lodge 2582 and Hernando County Health Department. Media sponsors include Hernando Today, WWJB AM Radio, TBO.com and News Channel 8 On Your Side. Additional major sponsors include Florida Cancer Institute-New Hope, Gulf Coast Spine Institute, Hernando Gastroenterology Associates, Hernando Orthopedic and Spinal Surgery - Dr. Michael Higgins, Medicare Health Options, Spring Oaks/Forest Oaks The Grand, Stolte Eye Center, Summit Imaging, THE Bus and WellCare. For more information, call Denise Nohejl at 352-544-5206.

Food vendors have been announced for Oct. 18 Health Fair

BROOKSVILLE Food vendors for the 4th Annual Community Health Fair have been announced. The following local food establishments will offer complimentary samples of their signature items to those who attend the fair - Boston Cooker, Brooksville Natural Foods, Chick-fil-A, Coldstone, Honey Baked Ham, Marco's Pizza, Mediterranean Pita Grill, Panera Bread, Papa Joe's, Publix and Starbucks. The event will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 18, at the Brooksville Elks Lodge 2582, located at 14494 Cortez Blvd. There will be live music and entertainment and flu shots will be available for $30. (Medicare and most insurance will be accepted). For more information contact Denise Nohejl at 352-544-5206.

Endoscopy Center to hold probiotics seminar Oct. 22

BROOKSVILLE The Hernando Endoscopy and Surgery Center recently announced that it will continue its popular seminar series at 3 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 22, when Dr. Ramu Chalasani presents "All About Probiotics." Chalasani is board certified in internal medicine and is board eligible in gastroenterology. He was raised and educated in Baton Rouge, La. He first performed a residency at Baton Rouge General Medical Center in family medicine and then completed a residency in internal medicine at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in Shreveport, La. He has recently completed a fellowship in gastroenterology and hepatology at LSU. The seminar will be presented at the Hernando Medical Park Conference Center, located at 12208 Cortez Blvd. in Spring Hill. Refreshments will be served, but seating is limited and reservations are required. For reservations and information, call 352-596-4999. The Hernando Endoscopy & Surgery Center is the oldest independently owned out-patient surgery center in Hernando County and is fully accredited by the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO). For more information, call 352-596-4999, or visit www.MyHESC.com.

Look Good Feel Better Support Group will meet Oct. 22

SPRING HILL The Florida Cancer Institute-New Hope will hold its Look Good Feel Better Support Group at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 22. The group meets the third Wednesday of every month at the Florida Cancer Institute-New Hope's Spring Hill Center, located at 10441 Quality Drive, Suite 203 in the Medical Arts Building next to Spring Hill Regional Hospital. For more information, call Peggy Dome at 352-688-7744.

Jazzercise to take part in Miami Dolphins halftime show Oct. 26

SPRING HILL Local Jazzercisers will help energize the crowd at the Miami Dolphins halftime show at 1 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 26, when they present a dance routine to benefit Breast Cancer Research and Awareness. More than 150 Jazzercise instructors and students from all over Central and South Florida, including 15 from Hernando County, are currently practicing for the show before and after scheduled Jazzercise classes. Each participant also donated money to breast cancer as part of her participation in the show. Jazzercise, which is a fusion of jazz dance, resistance training, Pilates, yoga, and kickboxing movements, has positively affected millions of people worldwide. Benefits include increased cardiovascular endurance, strength, and flexibility, as well as an overall "feel-good" factor. For more information on Jazzercise, call Mooneyham at 352-442-8595. Classes are offered in Spring Hill and Brooksville. For worldwide class information, go to jazzercise.com or call 1-800-FIT-IS-IT.

New Residents Reception is scheduled for Oct. 30

WEEKI WACHEE The Greater Hernando County Chamber of Commerce will hold its New Residents Reception at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 30, at Weeki Wachee Springs Attraction. There are indoor and outdoor tables still available for chamber members. A $20 discount is being offered for those who book for both the October and March events. The deadline is Sept. 25. For more information, call 796-0697, Ext. 15.

AVON is fundraising for the Dawn Center throughout October

SPRING HILL AVON Representatives and owners of AVON Discount Store, located at 3513 Commercial Way in Spring Hill, are taking part in October Awareness Month, a month-long fundraiser for both breast cancer and domestic violence. AVON is the largest corporate supporter of the breast cancer cause. The AVON Breast Cancer Crusade has raised and donated nearly a half-billion dollars worldwide since 1992. AVON representatives help by selling pink-ribbon items and doing the AVON three-day walk (all proceeds go to the foundation). Plus, in 2004 AVON started the Speak Out Against Domestic Violence campaign, which has already raised more than $7 million for awareness and support. Local AVON representatives, Susan and John Dixon, sell these products all year long to bring awareness to both causes. They have partnered with the Dawn Center, a local women's shelter for domestic violence and sexual abuse. For each domestic violence item AVON sells, it will donate $2 directly to this local shelter as well as selling Purple Wooden roses for $1. The store is also a drop-off point for donations of toiletries, gas cards and non-perishables to go to the shelter. For more information on what AVON has for products for these causes, call the Dixons at 352-684-9299 or stop in their store, which is open week days from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Oak Hill's Nov. 7 golf tournament will benefit the United Way

SPRING HILL Oak Hill Hospital has announced it will once again hold its annual Oak Hill Hospital Golf Tournament, a four-person scramble to benefit the United Way of Hernando County. The tournament will begin at 8 a.m. Friday, Nov. 7 and will take place at Silverthorn Country Club, located at 4550 Golf Club Lane. A hole-in-one contest will be sponsored by Rick Matthews Buick, Pontiac, GMC. A hole-in-one during the tournament will win a player a new car. Individual players' fees are $60, which includes the individual registration, player gifts, cart, green fees and lunch. Team sponsorships are $300 and they include four-player registration, program recognition, a plaque with player gifts, a cart, green fees and lunch. A wide range of sponsorships also are available. The rain date is scheduled for Friday, Nov. 14 and the entry deadline is Oct. 24. The tournament is limited to 144 golfers. Those interested should contact Eddie Vandetti at 352-597-3053, or mail a check and entry form to Eddie Vandetti, Oak Hill Hospital, PO Box 5300, Spring Hill, FL 34611. All net proceeds will benefit the United Way of Hernando County.

Candlelite Fitness offers water aerobics

BROOKSVILLE Candlelite Fitness Center in Brooksville offers water aerobics classes in its heated pool from 10 to 11 a.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays; 11 a.m. to noon Tuesdays and Thursdays; and 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursday. The day classes are free for members and the evening classes are $2 for members. All classes for nonmembers are $5. Water aerobics promotes strength and cardiovascular fitness while reducing the risk of muscle or joint injury by supporting the body with the buoyancy of water. Candlelite Fitness is located at 955 Candlelight Blvd. For more information, call 799-1977.

Rotary Club of Spring Hill Central meets every Thursday

SPRING HILL The Rotary Club of Spring Hill Central meets every Thursday throughout the year at the Wellington Clubhouse, located at 400 Wexford Road. Past Rotarians always are welcome to visit. Those interested in becoming a member are encouraged to have lunch with group members at 11:45 a.m. every Thursday. For more information, call Brooks Edwards at 666-4107 or Josh Kelly at 666-0068. The Web site is located at www.shcrotary.com.

Chamber offers marketing opportunity

SPRING HILL The Greater Hernando County Chamber of Commerce is offering its members the opportunity to market their business with table top space at any of the upcoming monthly membership meetings. The cost for the table top is $50. For more information, call the chamber at 796-0697.

Dawn Center offers free speaker's bureau

SPRING HILL The Dawn Center, Hernando County's domestic and sexual violence shelter, has a free speaker's bureau available to organizations that are interested. Advocates at the center can offer seminars on domestic and sexual abuse and keys to prevention. For more information, call Morgan Moeller at 592-1288.

Local women's business network meets twice per month

SPRING HILL The Hernando County Home Business Women's Network group meets twice a month. The Spring Hill Chapter meets on the first and third Wednesday and the Brooksville Chapter meets on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month. This is a non-compete group for women who are home-based, own their own store or office and are entrepreneurs. The members network to help one another promote products and services as well as helping in the community. For more information on meeting times and locations, visit www.hchomebusinesswomensnetwork.com.

Dawn Center launches online store

BROOKSVILLE Supporting the Dawn Center is now as simple as shopping online. The Dawn Center recently launched its new online store featuring T-shirts, mugs, stationary and more. At www.cafepress.com/DawnCenter, people can buy items featuring original artwork created by students along with other items that promote the Dawn Center's cause. Proceeds go directly to supporting the vital services offered by Hernando County's domestic and sexual violence center. Those who cannot find what they are looking for at the center's online store, users also may shop for the cause at GoodSearch.com. The GoodShop feature allows users to shop at an online mall featuring hundreds of stores with up to 37 percent of the sale benefiting the Dawn Center. For more information, call 352-684-7191.

Business Briefcase, compiled by Tony Holt, is published each Monday. News releases must be received by the Wednesday before the desired publication date. Items of interest include employee promotions, company openings, closings, expansions and relocations, business celebrations, classes, lectures and special events. Send news to Hernando Today, 15299 Cortez Blvd., Brooksville, Fla. 34613, or e-mail them to wholt@hernandotoday.com.