From its opening in 1972, Orlando Orthopaedic Center remains committed to its mission of excellence in patient care. Celebrating its 40th Anniversary this January, Orlando Orthopaedic Center has expanded to a full-service practice with 17 physicians and many unique services. This year the practice launches its nonprofit organization, the Orlando Orthopaedic Center Foundation.
For the staff, the past 40 years have been an incredible journey. “We are all so thrilled and excited to be a part of this wonderful anniversary,” says Kevin Joyce, executive director of Orlando Orthopaedic Center.
As the practice began to grow, it aimed to put patients first. “Much of our success is thanks in part to this philosophy and it continues to guide us today,” says Joyce.
Since expanding to offices in Orlando, Winter Park, Sand Lake, Lake Mary and Oviedo, the practice has adapted to the growing technology and needs of patients through its in-house services. The practice’s specialties include Spine, Neck and Back, Joints, Hand and Upper Extremity, Foot and Ankle, Pediatrics, Sports Medicine, Oncology, Pain Management and Physical Therapy.
“We know that it’s imperative for patients to get the care they need in a convenient and cost-effective manner, and we do our best to lead the region in those categories, but we also know quality of care must be second to none,” says Joyce.
At Orlando Orthopaedic Center, each physician has a Physician Team working with their patients. That means whenever a patient needs anything, they call the Physician Team, which includes a Patient Care Coordinator and Patient Care Assistant, directly and speak to someone familiar with their case.
“The physician teams are something that is unique to our practice and really help us take that next step in patient satisfaction,” says Joyce. After the initial appointment is scheduled, Physician Teams handle all patient phone calls, emails and general inquires.
Recently, Orlando Orthopaedic Center opened an Orthopaedic Outpatient Surgery Center next to its downtown office. “Our doctors enjoy it because everything is set up exactly how they choose and that ultimately leads to a better patient experience in many cases,” says Joyce.
Voted the “Best Orthopaedic Practice” in Central Florida by Florida Medical Business in 2004, Orlando Orthopaedic Center aims to give back to the community. For the 40th Anniversary Celebration, Orlando Orthopaedic Center will start a nonprofit foundation to focus on patient education and youth injury prevention. The foundation will work with partners to provide sports screenings, outreach events and annual orthopaedic update seminars for healthcare professionals. The foundation aims to decrease the number of orthopaedic injuries in Central Florida.
In addition, Orlando Orthopaedic Center will launch its “40 Acts of Kindness” campaign in 2012 to thank the community for its support over the years. In this program, the practice will choose 40 ways to give back through philanthropic activities including volunteerism, donations to nonprofits and fundraisers.
“We firmly believe that adding a charitable component to the practice is one of the best ways we can help make the community a better, safer place to call home,” says Joyce.
The practice’s focus on philanthropy will continue to grow in the future, along with its commitment to patients. Despite its changes and developments in the past 40 years, Orlando Orthopaedic Center’s devotion to quality care and convenience has been consistent since the practice opened.
“Putting patients first is what got us to where we are today and it will continue to be our main focus for the next four decades and beyond,” says Joyce.
Article by Corey Gehrold
Robert E. Clayton II, MD, is pleased to be able to bring the Serotonin-Plus Medically Supervised Weight Loss Program (SP Program) to the residents of Lake Nona and surrounding communities. Dr. Clayton is a Board Certified Physician who has practiced in Brevard County for more than 30 years. Since adding the SP Weight Loss Program to his practice in Cocoa Beach a year ago, Dr. Clayton says his patients have experienced “great success with amazing results.” In fact, in just nine months, the participants in the program have lost over 2,000 combined pounds.
The SP Program is said to be safe, successful and sustainable - still, many patients have questions. Dr. Clayton recently answered some of these common questions below.
1. How is this program different than other weight loss programs?
Dr. Clayton
The SP Program uses an FDA approved natural serotonin supplement. A very important part of this program is that real food is used, not protein bars or shakes. There are three phases to the program with meal and snack suggestions for the 12 weeks that are simple and healthy. Patients are given a physical before they begin the program, as well as the necessary testing to rule out other causes of weight gain, such as thyroid disorders. We also use a very sophisticated scale that shows us each patient’s body mass index (BMI), water retention, muscle mass, and more. Each patient receives a copy of this report at each weekly visit so they can see their progress.
2. Is this program successful?
Yes, the program has a 99 percent success rate nationally. Many of our patients have tried other programs, and found the SP Program to be the program that works for them. We have couples who join together and support each other throughout the program, as well as mother/daughter and father/daughter teams. We have had patients from almost every age group. That said, the SP Program is designed for ages 10 and up. Many of our patients are middle-aged men and women who have found the SP Program to be just what they needed to win the “Battle of the Bulge” that often comes with this phase of life. Our senior citizens are losing those extra pounds to stay mobile and healthy. We even offer a 50 percent discount for our senior citizens. Best of all, many of our patients have been able to reduce or eliminate their medications for cholesterol, diabetes, blood pressure and other conditions once they reached their healthy weight.
3. Is the program sustainable so that I can keep my weight off?
Our patients have found that the program teaches them new, healthy eating habits which they can continue when they complete the program. By learning portion control and healthy food choices, patients are able to continue to maintain or lose weight after completion of the program. Our patients also have the choice of coming in once a month after they complete the program for a short visit to maintain their weight loss.
Other Choices for Healthy Living
Dr. Clayton offers several healthy eating habits that he suggests to his patients:
- Eat “Organic” foods when possible
- Eat “Gluten Free” when possible
- Take one probiotic supplement or yogurt with probiotics daily
- Avoid refined sugar
- Avoid artificial sweeteners
- Use real butter
June, 2011. Oviedo resident Lorrie Sibley, a devoted wife and mother of one, wakes up in severe pain. It has hurt like this for awhile, but today is different. Today is worse. Still, she has things to do so she attributes her aches to a lower back problem and struggles through her day. And another. And another. The days turned to weeks and soon the pain became debilitating. When she visited her general practitioner, a simple X-ray revealed shocking news: her back was fine, but her hip had begun to literally disintegrate. Ultimately, her physician referred her to Orlando Orthopaedic Center and thus began her road to recovery.
Lorrie Sibley can now enjoy activities she never thought she would be able to do again, such as golf or tennis with her daughter, prior to her life-changing anterior hip replacement surgery.
Sibley met with Eric G. Bonenberger, M.D., a board certified orthopaedic surgeon who specializes in joint replacement; knee, hip and shoulder surgery; sports medicine and arthroscopy. He told her the best treatment option for someone with a condition like hers was to undergo an anterior hip replacement surgery.
“I was obviously shocked, but after the initial shock wore off, they were able to tell me they would fix it, so that’s all I wanted to hear,” she says. “That’s all that mattered to me because it had gotten to where I wasn’t walking - I couldn’t move. I couldn’t do anything.”
On Surgery day, even before the operation began, Sibley says she felt a sense of relief just knowing the possibilities that waited when she would open her eyes after surgery.
After Bonenberger and his team performed the minimally invasive procedure, Sibley woke up without pain, with her husband and daughter by her side. Using a walker, she was immediately able to stand and put weight on her hip. A smile crept across her face. Because of the surgery’s success, she was able to return home two days later, where she received home care on a walker for a week, followed by a week with a cane. Two weeks after the surgery, she no longer needed pain medication, and three weeks after surgery, she was walking without the cane.
“You have to get your balance back and your muscles strong again; you haven’t used them in a while,” she cautions. “But the feeling of walking again without pain is indescribable. I was miserable before the surgery and now just walking around my block is so fulfilling.”
Bonenberger, who has taught this hip replacement technique to other physicians in the past, was pleased to hear that the surgery had such a positive impact on Sibley’s life.
“As a surgeon, I am always happy to hear from patients about how the procedure changed their lives,” says Bonenberger. “Helping a patient like Ms. Sibley recover from an incapacitating condition is one of the main reasons I became a doctor.”
Six months after the surgery, Sibley feels that her anterior approach hip replacement has reopened several possibilities in her life.
“I have my life, my family, back,” she says. “It sounds small but now that I can really hit a basket of tennis balls to my daughter, it’s a huge difference for me. I can serve to her over and over and volley in all different directions. I can drive. I can shop. I have my life back to do with it what I want.”
Because of the positive impact the surgery had on Sibley’s quality of life, she recommends the procedure to others who experience the same condition.
“They know what they’re doing at Orlando Orthopaedic Center,” she says. “The doctors here, these guys are awesome. They’ll take care of you and I recommend them to everyone. It’s been a life-changer for me and I couldn’t imagine where I’d be without them.”
See Lorrie’s tell her complete story by visiting www.YouTube.com/OrlandoOrtho today.
Article by Valerie Moses
As we move into fall and children return to school, it’s common that many of them will bring home more than just homework. When your child comes home with a sore throat, how can you tell if it’s something serious or just a typical sore throat?
Strep Throat Vs. Sore Throat
Izak H. Kielmovitch, M.D., F.A.C.S., F.A.A.P. is a fellowship trained pediatric otolaryngologist with The Ear, Nose, Throat and Plastic Surgery Associates, P.A.
Most episodes of sore throat, which are typically accompanied by a cough, hoarseness and a runny nose are caused by viruses and usually clear up on their own without any medical intervention. “A sore throat means pain in the throat which can be induced by a chemical irritant such as stomach acid, trauma such as a fishbone, for example, or an infection,” says Izak H. Kielmovitch, M.D., pediatric otolaryngologist with The Ear, Nose, Throat and Plastic Surgery Associates, P.A. “A throat infection, can be caused by a viral or bacterial infection such as streptococcus pyogenes or ’strep throat.’”
According to Dr. Kielmovitch, throat infections in a child older than five can be caused by streptococcus pyogenes. When a child has strep throat he or she will begin to develop symptoms within a few days which include difficulty swallowing; redness with white patches in the throat; tender and swollen glands in the neck; headache; fever; loss of appetite and sometimes a rash.
“Anyone can get strep throat, but it’s more common among children and teens in school,” says Dr. Kielmovitch. He stresses that is why it’s important to teach children the importance of good hygiene and hand washing as it can severely lessen the chances of contracting a contagious disease, such as strep throat.
Diagnosis
If your child is experiencing any of the symptoms listed above for strep throat, it’s recommended they take a trip to their pediatrician or family physician. “Any child with a fever is contagious and needs to stay at home and rest,” says Dr. Kielmovitch. If it doesn’t clear up or get any better within 24 hours, take them to the physician. When they get to their physician, a rapid strep test will be done most likely utilizing a cotton swab to take a sample of fluids found at the back of the throat. If the result is positive, the child has a strep throat.
Treatment
A general viral infection, or sore throat, will usually benefit from over the counter cold remedies and plenty of hydration, according to Dr. Kielmovitch. Strep infections on the other hand need to be treated with antibiotics. “If the condition worsens the pediatrician or family physician will determine when it’s best to refer the child to a specialist,” he says.
In most cases a physician will prescribe roughly 10 days of antibiotic medication to treat strep throat. If the medication works properly, within 24 hours the child should begin to feel a bit better, and most likely will no longer have a fever or be contagious. A general rule of thumb is that by the second or third day of the antibiotics all other symptoms should begin to lessen and disappear.
“Even if they’re feeling better, it’s important to make sure the child finishes out the antibiotic treatment,” says Dr. Kielmovitch. “If they quit too soon, bacteria may still be in the throat and it could return and force the child to start the entire process over again.”
Not treating the infection at all or stopping treatment early can lead to various complications. “A streptococcal infection can cause heart, kidney, joint or skin infections if left untreated,” says Dr. Kielmovitch. “If you follow what the physician says, however, things should be back to normal and the child should return to school in a few days.”
Article by Corey Gehrold
Dr. Brent Baldasare specializes in the use of low force, corrective chiropractic techniques at Affinity Health & Wellness Center. Here, he treats professional mixed martial arts fighter, Ben Saunders.
It was 1993, the last game of the season for senior sack leader and private college All-American Brent Baldasare. He knew it was going to be his last game as a college football player, but he didn’t know it might be the last time he ever used his legs. A paralyzing lower back injury that left him unable to walk for months. At the request of his trainer, he sought help from a chiropractor, and after eight months of intense treatment he began to regain full use of his legs. It was at that moment he knew he was going to be a chiropractor.
Today, Dr. Brent Baldasare owns and operates Affinity Health & Wellness Center in Waterford Lakes Town Center. “My practice was born out of a lifelong passion to help people,” says Baldasare. “Because of my injury I know the importance of having a compassionate doctor and team to assist in getting back to top physical, chemical and emotional health.”
Affinity, the premiere community-based, all natural health and wellness center in the area, specializes in low force, corrective chiropractic techniques. But that’s not nearly all. The practice recently expanded to a full service spa, which uses 100 percent natural products, devoid of any and all chemicals. “One of the largest requests we’ve had recently is information about losing weight and eating healthier,” says Baldasare. “It actually inspired me to write a book coming out in May called The Nutrition Cure, which is basically a nuts and bolts walkthrough of things to avoid and to add into your daily routine.”
It’s all part of being the total health and wellness center. From massages to skin rejuvenation with their full-time esthetician and even weight loss, the goal of every staff member at Affinity, including fellow chiropractor Dr. Michael Rudoni, is simple: utilize a team approach between patient and doctor to reach the best results possible as quickly as possible.
It’s a philosophy Baldasare learned while rehabbing his legs with a specialized team of experts and it’s a concept he uses every day, whether he is treating auto accident victims, a young child or even a professional mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter.
As part of their full service spa on premises, Affinity has a licensed esthetician to help clients reach a new level of skincare health. Affinity uses only 100% all natural products, so there are no chemicals in any product, ever.
In fact, treating MMA fighters helps Baldasare and his team treat other patients that much better. “They come in here with some things you wouldn’t believe; that really helps me treat everyone else that walks through the door because I’ve seen that injury and I don’t panic. There’s a certainty that patients can pick up on there,” he says.
From high school cheerleaders to UCF football players, they all have a place at Affinity as the staff works to try assist them in reaching their peak in physical functioning. But some of the worst injuries the team has helped patients recover from come from the MMA arena, like Affinity sponsored fighter, Ben “Killa B” Saunders. You may recognize Saunders from Spike TV’s Ultimate Fighter Season 6, or one of his three years fighting for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Now fighting for Bellator Fighting Championships, he is a frequent visitor to the Affinity office, especially during training camps.
Affinity has four signature massages and a personal trainer on staff to assist clients in reaching their goals in a relaxed, healing environment.
“I come a minimum of three times a week in camp,” Saunders says. “The whole point of what we do is to manipulate vertebras and necks and joints to put them into wrong spots and get someone to tap out. I get manipulated like that daily and then come here to get manipulated back into place.” And, for him at least, the process really works. “There’s no doubt in my mind that with Affinity I’m able to train harder, for longer and recover faster,” he says. “Dr. B knows what it’s like to deal with sports injuries and he has that athletic background and that really made me feel comfortable with him working on me.”
At the end of any day for any patient, one thing is clear at Affinity. “We will do everything we can for almost any condition to improve that person’s overall health,” says Baldasare. “No matter what this is a safe place to go where people of any age and activity level can get the help they need.”
To learn more about how Affinity Health & Wellness Center can help you, contact their office today. They accept walk-ins and various insurance policies.
Affinity Health & Wellness Center
875 N. Alafaya Trail
Orlando, FL 32828
407.381.4040 - www.FamilyChiropractor.com
Article by Corey Gehrold
