Dr. George Markovich has “good news for bad joints” at Lee Memorial Health System’s March 24 Well Informed seminar.

Dr. George Markovich, an orthopedic surgeon on the medical staff of Lee Memorial Health System, will discuss new technologies, debunk common myths regarding joint implants and answer questions as a part of the Well Informed Lecture Series on March 24 between 5-6:30 p.m. at the Hyatt Place Coconut Point in Estero.

“If you are suffering from joint pain that impacts your quality of life, whether it is keeping you up at night or limiting your physical abilities, get help,” Dr. Markovich says. “The benefit of relieving symptoms through surgery can make a significant difference in the lives of those with joint and bone pain.”

Markovich advises people to seek help as soon as possible, because early detection and treatment lead to better results.  Joint pain should not just be a job for the Tylenol bottle; to improve their quality of life, sufferers must seek medical advice.   About 773,000 Americans have a hip or knee replaced each year, according to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Disease, and with less risk than ever this number is sure to increase.

Markovich will discuss new technologies, common myths about implants and other joint replacement details at Lee Memorial Health System’s upcoming Well Informed Lecture.

Date:                     Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Time:                     5-6:30 p.m.

Location:              Hyatt Place Coconut Point, located at Coconut Point mall

23120 Via Villagio, Estero, FL 33928

Reservations:    239-433-8505 or www.HealthyBonitaEstero.org

About Dr. George Markovich

Dr. George Markovich, one of America’s Top Doctors as determined by Castle-Connolly’s physician-led team of researchers, has specialized in joint implant and reconstructive surgery in Fort Myers since 1998, and is certified by the American Board of Orthopedic Surgery.  After earning his medical degree from the University of Miami School of Medicine in 1988, he earned a degree in mechanical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He completed his medical internship and residency at the University Of Southern California School Of Medicine as well as total joint replacement fellowship. Concurrently, he spent 14 years in the U.S. Navy Medical Corps Reserves and in active duty, including time spent as an orthopedic specialist for the Navy SEALs and as director of joint implant and reconstructive surgery at the Naval Medical Center in Portsmouth, Va. He received Patient Choice awards in 2008 and 2009 and is a member of several prestigious orthopedic societies and organizations. Dr. Markovich has offices in Fort Myers and at the Estero Medical Center at 10201 Arcos Avenue, Suite 206. For information or appointments, call 239-3117.

About Lee Memorial Health System

Open since 1916, Lee Memorial Health System is the fifth largest public health system in the United States and the largest community-owned system in Southwest Florida.  With more than 9,300 employees, the system is made up of four acute care hospitals and two specialty hospitals, as well as outpatient centers, walk-in medical centers and primary care physical offices.  An award-winning health care system, it provides regional programs, such as our Trauma Center and Children’s Hospital, which serve our community members from Tampa to Miami.  Visit www.LeeMemorial.org for more information.

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(Fort Myers, Fla. – March 8, 2010)

The ability to focus radiation treatment on a tumor enables doctors to effectively kill cancerous cells, while minimizing damage to the surrounding, healthy tissue. New radiation treatments like RapidArc and Calypso can also work more quickly, reducing the number of treatments patients may need to undergo to treat their tumors.

It’s not just radiation treatment that’s getting specific. 21st Century Oncology also offers High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) and cryosurgical treatments that kill cancer cells by rapidly turning up or down the temperature, respectively.

There are so many advances being made in cancer treatment, and 21st Century Oncology has a number of options to ‘remove’ cancerous tumors without making a single cut, and for patients who do need surgery; we also have more robotic, minimally invasive procedures that speed recovery and healing time. Advanced treatment systems include:

• RapidArc: Powerful, highly precise radiation treatment to kill cancer cells and destroy tumors faster than traditional radiation.
• TomoTherapy®: A system combining advanced imaging and radiation to deliver precise treatment, while reducing radiation’s exposure and impact on tissue surrounding tumors.
• Calypso: A literal “GPS for the Body®,” this system implants transponders in cancer patients’ prostate to aid clinicians in targeting treatment and provide continuous monitoring to ensure treatment remains targeted.
• Brachytherapy: Internal radiation therapy granule placed in the body next to small tumors suitable for many cancer types.
• Robotic surgery: Minimally invasive surgical option that minimizes healing and recovery time.
• CyberKnife Robotic Surgery: A non-invasive surgery system that uses beams of high-dose radiation to “cut out” tumors anywhere in the body – without a single cut.
• High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU): Destroys cancerous tissue in the prostate by rapidly turning up the heat, or “cooking,” it, without damaging surrounding tissue.
• Cryosurgery: A technique to kill cancer or precancerous cells through freezing with liquid nitrogen or argon gas.

Patients and others interested in learning more about these and other treatments should plan to attend 21^st Century Oncology’s lecture on advances in cancer treatment. Reservations are required.  

About 21st Century Oncology

21st Century Oncology, Inc. is a leading developer and operator of radiation therapy centers in the U.S. For more than 20 years, 21st Century Oncology has been committed to providing premier, quality, cost-effective radiation therapy services that are responsive to the needs of its patients through continuous improvement and innovation. The company operates in 17 states and has more than 20 offices in Southwest Florida.

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(Fort Myers, Fla. – March 8, 2010) – Home-Tech, Southwest Florida’s leader in air conditioning service and installation, major appliance sales and service, and home-service agreements has launched a new Web site, www.Home-Tech.com, designed with customers in mind.

“We listened to our customers and heard that they wanted more flexibility in searching our offerings, particularly the appliances and packages we sell,” says President and Founder Steve Marino. 

Home-Tech’s new Web site offers customers ability to browse and purchase or renew service agreements and browse its appliance catalog online.

Home-Tech responded by creating a clean, easy to navigate site that gives customers options to choose from in browsing information. For example, customers can search for a specific style of appliance like a side-by-side refrigerator in the E-Catalog. Or, they can view the company’s full range of refrigerator offerings by type in an Interactive version of its printed catalog. Customers can even view video product demonstrations filmed by Home-Tech’s sales staff.

“We have the interactive version of both our appliance catalog and service agreement brochure online,” Marino says. “The interface is very easy to use – you just click on arrows to turn pages like you would the actual paper brochure. You can also point and click to zoom in and out on pages to get a closer look or enlarge the size of the text.”

Customers also have multiple ways to learn about, sign up for or renew their service agreements with the company. They can even schedule service calls and sign up for e-updates with a quick few keystrokes.

“As our customers know, we want to make things easy whenever they deal with us” Marino says. “We now have a Web site that fits our model, letting customers browse information in the way that suits them and giving them another easy way to contact us.”

Home-Tech.com also includes tips for customers who prefer to try to help themselves with minor appliance issues and problems. Written by Techster, the company’s mascot, “Tech Tips” includes some fast easy fixes for common problems Home-Tech’s expert technicians have learned over the years.

“We’re always happy to visit our customers to fix problems, but we know there are some customers that would prefer to try a few simple things themselves before calling us,” Marino says. “That’s who Tech Tips are for.”

Home-Tech will continue to enhance its Web site to meet customers’ needs. The site can be accessed at www.Home-Tech.com.

About Home-Tech

Based in Fort Myers, employee-owned Home-Tech has been an industry leader and trendsetter in the fields of air conditioning service and installation, major appliance sales and service, home-service agreements for nearly three decades.  Founded in 1981 by Steve Marino, who continues as President and Chairman of the Board, the privately held Home-Tech employs over 115 people and provides services in Lee, Charlotte, Collier, Sarasota and Manatee counties in Southwest Florida. Home-Tech operates from two principal locations.  Its headquarters, tech training facility and appliance showroom are located at 6400 Techster Boulevard in Fort Myers and a second office at 720 Commerce Drive in Venice which services Manatee and Sarasota counties. For more information about Home-Tech, visit www.Home-Tech.com or call (239) 433-3344.

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Urologist Dr. Meir Daller will discuss prostate health and other men’s health concerns.

“As men age, factors like changing hormones, cell growth and genetics come into play and often causes changes in the prostate,” says Dr. Daller, a Fort Myers urologist. “These can range from an enlarged prostate, erectile dysfunction and incontinence, which are fairly common and easy to treat, to more serious problems like cancer.”

The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services estimates that enlarged prostate will impact more than half of men over age 60, and increase to about 80 percent of men by age 80. And while prostate cancer mortality rates have improved over the past 50 years, more than 28,000 men still die of the disease each year.

“Even though prostate problems are common, it’s still important for aging men to know the warning signs and understand what their treatment options are,” Dr. Daller says. He will discuss these, and health concerns like other cancers and kidney stones at Lee Memorial Health System’s upcoming Well Informed lecture.

About Dr. Meir Daller

Dr. Meir Daller specializes in minimally-invasive surgery, laparoscopic surgery, urological oncology, surgery for incontinence, erectile dysfunction, kidney stones, and benign prostatic hyperplasia, also known as enlarged prostate. He earned his medical degree with honors from Boston University School of Medicine, received general surgery training at Boston Medical Center and gained experience in urology at several prestigious Boston-area medical facilities. He trained with world-renowned surgeons and published and presented numerous papers at various urological conferences. In addition to his active practice, Dr. Daller is an assistant professor at Nova Southeastern University and has trained many urologists and gynecologists in new surgical techniques.

About Lee Memorial Health System

Open since 1916, Lee Memorial Health System is the fifth largest public health system in the United States and the largest community-owned health system in Southwest Florida. With more than 9,300 employees, the system is made up of four acute care hospitals and two specialty hospitals, as well as outpatient centers, walk-in medical centers and primary care physician offices.  An award-winning health care system, it provides regional programs, such as our Trauma Center and Children’s Hospital, which serve our community members from Tampa to Miami. Visit www.LeeMemorial.org for more information.

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(Fort Myers, Fla. – March 4, 2010) – The committee behind the Greater Fort Myers Chamber of Commerce ABC Auction for Education was taken aback a bit when local jewelry designer and business owner Mark Loren announced his and chocolatier Norman Love’s donation: the duo’s Firelight® box of chocolate, which includes a 1-carat Firelight diamond set into a ring handmade by Mark Loren and 14 pieces of the exclusive chocolate it inspired. The box will be part of the annual auction to raise financial support for Lee County Schools at the Chamber’s event to be held Thursday, March 11, at 5:30 p.m., Harborside Event Center.

The World’s Most Exclusive Box of Chocolates, featuring Mark Loren Designs’ Firelight Diamond and the chocolate it inspired by Norman Love Confections.

“Norman and I both enjoy giving back to the community, especially when it’s for kids,” Loren says. “This is the only auction this season that will have a box of Firelight chocolates, so it’s a very exclusive item.” The boxes are only sold with a Firelight diamond purchase at Mark Loren Designs’ studio and Norman Love Confections Chocolate Salon, both in Fort Myers. With retail value of $10,000, the Firelight chocolate and diamond ring box is likely the most valuable lot at this auction.

The Firelight diamond is a Mark Loren Designs exclusive. The patent-pending gem cut includes 81 facets, or sides, versus the 57 facets found in the traditional round cut. In February, Love introduced the Firelight chocolate inspired by Loren’s cut, which is only available with a Firelight diamond purchase.

“We hope it raises even more than its retail price for this worthy cause, education for our community’s children,” Love says.

Separate from the ABC donation, Loren and Love are donating a portion of the profit from all Firelight diamonds and chocolate boxes sold to Dr. Emad Salman, medical director of the cancer center at The Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida, making it a true gem with heart.

The Greater Fort Myers Chamber of Commerce’s ABC Auction for Education is one of the chamber’s largest fundraisers. Proceeds from events like this auction, along with 10 percent of chamber members’ dues fund grants to schools in Lee County for educational programs. To date, the chamber has awarded close to $500,000 in grants. More information on the event can be found on the Greater Fort Myers Chamber of Commerce Web site at www.fortmyers.org.

About Mark Loren Designs

Fort Myers jewelry designer Mark Loren

Mark Loren Designs is a jeweler and has been offering custom designed jewelry, repairs and recreations of sentimental heirlooms for 25 years in Southwest Florida.  His efforts have earned high praise by leaders in the jewelry industry. Loren was named one of 39 of the world’s top jewelry artists in the recently published book, Gemstones Masters: Major Works by Leading Artists. The artists in this juried collection were selected by jewelry curator, designer and president of the American Jewelry Design Council, Alan Revere.

His other recognitions include the International Spectrum Design awards, bestowed by the American Gem Trade Association (AGTA), are considered the “Oscars” of the jewelry-design industry—and Loren and his design team have won several over the years for “outstanding jewelry design incorporated colored gemstones.” They’ve earned two AGTA Manufacturing Honors, awarded for combining elegant use of natural colored gemstones with techniques that can be used by mainstream manufacturers. They’ve also taken home two Platinum Honors prizes and won the International Pearl Design contest. Examples of his work can be found online at www.marklorendesigns.com.

About Norman Love Confections

Fort Myers chocolatier Norman Love

Founded in 2001 by Norman and Mary Love, Norman Love Confections creates and distributes ultra-premium, handcrafted artisanal chocolates. Based in Fort Myers, Fla., the corporate headquarters encompasses both the production and retail operations. The Chocolate Salon is a stylish retail shop with an intimate ambience in which customers may purchase chocolates or linger over house-made pastries, gourmet coffees, lattes and smoothies. For more information about the Gourmet Chocolate Company, Norman Love Confections, visit the Chocolate Salon located at 11380 Lindbergh Boulevard, off Daniels Parkway, in Fort Myers, call toll free 866-515-2121 or visit www.normanloveconfections.com.

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Kimberly Riching is Home-Tech’s new outside service agreement sales representative.

Riching has a long history in sales and real estate. Prior to joining Home-Tech, she was a Realtor® with Keller Williams for six years.  She says the newly-created position will give her the opportunity to continue working with Realtors and property managers, representing a company with a very good reputation.

“Kimberly’s background in the real estate industry and knowledge of the business will prove valuable in this role,” says Home-Tech’s Regional Sales Manager Mike Hendershott. “She has good contacts and sales skills, which will help us get the word out about how our service can benefit home owners.”

Riching has lived in Fort Myers since 1972. Aside from her sales experience, she also worked for local business publications.

About Home-Tech

Based in Fort Myers, employee-owned Home-Tech has been an industry leader and trendsetter in the fields of air conditioning service and installation, major appliance sales and service, home-service agreements for nearly three decades.  Founded in 1981 by Steve Marino, who continues as President and Chairman of the Board, the privately held Home-Tech employs over 115 people and provides services in Lee, Charlotte, Collier, Sarasota and Manatee counties in Southwest Florida. Home-Tech operates from two principal locations.  Its headquarters, tech training facility and appliance showroom are located at 6400 Techster Boulevard in Fort Myers and a second office at 720 Commerce Drive in Venice which services Manatee and Sarasota counties. For more information about Home-Tech, visit www.Home-Tech.com or call (239) 433-3344.

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(Lehigh Acres – Feb. 25, 2010) – What do potatoes and tourists have in common? During the months of February through April, they’re both plentiful in Southwest Florida as their “seasons” are underway. For proof, look no further than the Troyer Brothers’ potato fields in Lehigh Acres.  Over the next few months, the Troyer Brothers, with the help of approximately 100 workers, expect to harvest, sort and ship nearly 50 million pounds of potatoes from the three locations they farm in Southwest Florida. That’s the same weight as 14 Boeing 747s

A potato’s trip from the field to your table isn’t quite as simple as you may think. Only the most perfect potatoes make it to market, according to Aaron Troyer, who oversees his family farm’s day-to-day operations.

• Troyer potatoes, fresh from the field, are washed and sorted.

“We use an optical scanner in our sorting process,” Troyer says. “After potatoes have been off-loaded from our trucks and washed, then the scanner examines each one to grade and sort it, based on pre-programmed criteria.” Those that pass the grade will be sold to potato distributors or under the Troyer’s private Sun King label. Some nearby residents even come to buy potatoes directly from the Troyer’s packing house when they see the machines out harvesting. 

The Troyers harvest their crop mechanically, instead of sending workers out to pick potatoes. Computers track each potato to the field it came from. Troyer says using technology like the scanner and harvesting machinery makes them more productive and shortens  the trip of the potatoes from field to table.

The Troyer harvest will likely last through the end of April. Workers will then begin preparing fields for next year’s crop.

About Troyer Brothers

• After sorting, potatoes will be packed and sold to distributors or under Troyer’s private Sun King label.

Troyer Brothers is one of the most successful potato farm companies in the U.S., with approximately 3,500 acres under management in Lee County, Florida.  The Troyers raise white, red and yellow potatoes which are sold locally, nationally and in Canada. They have been farming in Pennsylvania since 1943 and in Florida since 1983. It is a family operation, owned by brothers Don, Vern and David Troyer. Aaron is the son of David. The company is respected throughout the industry for the quality of its product and its efficient operations utilizing high-tech techniques to manage its fields. The company employs 22 full-time and 75 seasonal employees. Harvesting begins in February and continues to April.

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“Incretins are hormones that are typically released by your gut when you eat,” Mather explains. “It stimulates the production of insulin, which regulates blood sugar levels. In diabetics, insulin either isn’t being created or doesn’t work well, so understanding patients’ incretin levels is very important.

“We first learned about incretins in the mid-1990s and there are now drugs designed to make the pancreas more receptive of incretins, so it produces insulin more regularly,” Mather continues. “However, there is still a lot of research going on involving incretin hormones, and we’re learning more about them and how they work every day. We’re also finding other hormones that ‘mimic’ their effects.”

One example: In 2005, researchers presented a drug containing a hormone found in the saliva of the Gila monster, a lizard that eats just four times per year. The isolated hormone is only secreted when it eats to stimulate insulin production; its pancreas remains unused at other times. In humans, researchers found this hormone aids incretin absorption, which helps diabetics make more insulin.

“As we understand more about incretins, it will open the door to a lot of additional treatment options for diabetics,” Mather says.

Mather will discuss incretins and other advances in diabetes therapies at Lee Memorial Health System’s upcoming Well Informed lecture.

About Dr. Sergio Mather

Dr. Sergio Mather has practiced internal medicine in Fort Myers for 27 years. He is certified in endocrinology and metabolism by the American Board of Internal Medicine. Dr. Mather earned his medical degree from Peruvian University Cayetano Heredia in Lima, Peru, completed internships in Peru and with the University of Miami, served his residency at the University of Miami, and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in endocrinology at Baylor College of Medicine.

About Lee Memorial Health System

Open since 1916, Lee Memorial Health System is the fifth largest public health system in the United States and the largest community-owned health system in Southwest Florida. With more than 9,300 employees, the system is made up of four acute care hospitals and two specialty hospitals, as well as outpatient centers, walk-in medical centers and primary care physician offices.  An award-winning health care system, it provides regional programs, such as our Trauma Center and Children’s Hospital, which serve our community members from Tampa to Miami. Visit www.LeeMemorial.org for more information.

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Tressa Cioffi has been named Sales Representative at Home-Tech’s Fort Myers appliance showroom.

Cioffi joined Home-Tech in July 2008 in its Service Agreements department, where she assisted customers in selecting the right options for their air-conditioning and major appliance service needs and handled renewals. Prior to joining Home-Tech, she worked in construction, where she gained experience in helping customers select appliances for new homes and remodels and developed her interest in the appliance industry.

Regional Appliance Sales Manager Mike Hendershott says Cioffi’s previous performance and strong customer service skills were key reasons she was selected for her new role.

“Tressa has been a great performer and has proven leadership ability,” Hendershott said. “She will be a good fit in our retail environment, having direct contact with our customers.” Cioffi is looking forward to applying her knowledge of the company’s service agreements in her new role and learning more about the sales side of the business.

Originally from Ft. Myers area, residents may also recognize Cioffi from the time she spent as a television personality on the CW6 station.

About Home-Tech

Based in Fort Myers, employee-owned Home-Tech has been an industry leader and trendsetter in the fields of air conditioning service and installation, major appliance sales and service, home-service agreements for nearly three decades.  Founded in 1981 by Steve Marino, who continues as President and Chairman of the Board, the privately held Home-Tech employs over 115 people and provides services in Lee, Charlotte, Collier, Sarasota and Manatee counties in Southwest Florida. Home-Tech operates from two principal locations.  Its headquarters, tech training facility and appliance showroom are located at 6400 Techster Boulevard in Fort Myers and a second office at 720 Commerce Drive in Venice which services Manatee and Sarasota counties. For more information about Home-Tech, visit www.Home-Tech.com or call (239) 433-3344.

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“I had kind of slipped into some bad memory habits,” Jimmerson says. “Everyone develops some lazy memory habits over time, but the classes taught me some tools and tips to help me remember things better.”

The Healthy Brain Initiative was started by Lee Memorial Health System’s Lee Memory Care division to provide ways for residents of Southwest Florida to boost brain power and fight the onset of memory disorders. It’s based on a program by the UCLA Center for Aging. Participants follow activities in “The Memory Bible: An Innovative Strategy for Keeping Your Brain Young,” a book by Gary Small, PhD, Director of the UCLA Center.

However, Jimmerson feels people of all ages can benefit from the memory classes and computer-based modules. The class series begins by exploring individuals’ learning styles and as it progresses, participants are asked to share the techniques they used to remember information. Jimmerson says every person in her class had different methods for remembering, which she found interesting. She learned that simply being aware and paying more attention to people and things could help power her memory. The computer-based modules are also self-paced and adjust to participants’ strengths and pace, so there’s no competition or comparing with others in the class.

“One of the other most helpful tips I learned was to associate numbers and letters when I’m trying to remember things like names or phone and license plate numbers,” Jimmerson says. “For example, if the first four digits of someone’s number are 224, I think, ‘two plus two equals four.’ Some numbers also look like letters, and vice versa, so you can make a game out of remembering.”

While the system’s program is the only one of its kind in Southwest Florida, memory classes and spas are catching on across the country. Programs in seven states use “The Memory Bible” including California, Texas, Illinois and Florida. Jimmerson says she’s noticed memory classes being advertised more and more in literature she receives from elder care programs up north.

Memory classes are starting up on various days all around Lee County. A six-week session of two-hour classes once per week costs $90. For more information about the Healthy Brain Initiative or current class schedule, visit www.healthybrainfl.org or call the SHARE Club at 239-772-6765.

About Lee Memorial Health System
Open since 1916, Lee Memorial Health System is the fifth largest public health system in the United States and the largest community-owned health system in Southwest Florida. With more than 9,000 employees, the system is made up of four acute care hospitals and two specialty hospitals, as well as outpatient centers, walk-in medical centers and primary care physician offices.  An award-winning health care system, it provides regional programs, such as our Trauma Center and Children’s Hospital, which serve our community members from Tampa to Miami. Visit www.LeeMemorial.org for more information.
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