New website lists local resources for cancer patients and caregivers

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (July 10, 2012)— Are you or someone you care about in need of a cancer support group, transportation for medical treatments or financial assistance with prescription drugs? Locate resources for these needs and more on the recently launched website www.CancerResourceGuideNCF.org. The Cancer Resource Guide of North Central Florida is a public service of North Central Florida Cancer Control Collaborative (NCFCCC), WellFlorida Council and the Florida Department of Health Cancer Control Program.

The Cancer Resource Guide of North Central Florida, compiled by WellFlorida and […]

Special to the Gainesville Sun, February 29, 2012 by Vivian Filer
African-American women my age (three score and 10 and beyond) can probably relate as I do to Fannie Lou Hamer’s famous saying, “I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired.”

Hamer, who spent many years working in the fields in Mississippi, was ready to take action to eliminate the disparities of segregation. Today, I challenge all of my sisters to use Hamer’s energy to tackle the disease of breast cancer.

Research has proven that early […]

WellFlorida News Release
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (Feb. 29, 2012)—Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths among men. The presence of risk factors in men should guide screening and treatment options, according to Dr. Johannes Vieweg, MD, of the University of Florida Department of Urology and Prostate Disease Center.

As guest speaker at The North Central Florida Cancer Control Collaborative (NCFCCC) 2012 Kickoff, Vieweg presented current screening recommendations and advocated for a risk‐based treatment approach for patients diagnosed with the disease. The NCFCCC 2012 Kickoff […]

Gainesville Sun, February 28, 2012
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recently downgraded the effectiveness of the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test in preventing prostate cancer deaths, but that has been met with some protest.

The North Central Florida Cancer Control Collaborative 2012 Kickoff plans a fuller discussion of that finding Wednesday with guest speaker Dr. Johannes Vieweg of the University of Florida Department of Urology and Prostate Disease Center.

The talk, “Prostate Cancer: Current Screening Policy Debates and Recommendations,” will be held from 10 a.m. to noon […]

WellFlorida News Release
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (Feb. 22, 2012)—The North Central Florida Cancer Control Collaborative (NCFCCC) will be hosting its 2012 Kickoff on Wednesday, February 29. Guest speaker, Dr. Johannes Vieweg, MD, will present on “Prostate Cancer: Current Screening Policy Debates and Recommendations.” The event will be from 10 a.m. to noon at Haven Hospice E.T. York Care Center, 4200 NW 90th Blvd., Gainesville. CEUs are available for participation.

Dr. Vieweg of the University of Florida Department of Urology and Prostate Disease Center, will provide an overview […]

Special to The Gainesville Sun, February 21, 2012
Imagine you learned last year that you had a life-threatening allergy to a common medication. This year you arrive in an emergency room, unconscious, and the medication you’re allergic to is a common treatment option.

If the doctors treating you do not have access to your medical records, then they might give you the drug you’re allergic to. If your doctors do have access, they could make an informed choice—preventing harm to you.

That’s the point of allowing health […]

Gainesville Sun, February 2, 2012
With a goal to reduce the number of African American women getting breast cancer, WellFlorida is looking to partner with African-American churches to educate parishioners about breast cancer prevention.

Kim Gokhale, associate planner of Community Initiatives for WellFlorida, said African American women are disproportionately affected by breast cancer and their cancer is more aggressive than in white women.

WellFlorida was formerly known as the North Central Florida Health Planning Council.

Gokhale said WellFlorida is reaching out to churches to participate in “Believe! Breast […]

Citrus County Chronicle Online, January 29, 2012
No one grows up hoping to get on Medicaid.

The program pays for medical care for the poor and disabled and those who are barely scraping by.

It’s the place to go when there is no place else to go. Without Medicaid, most couldn’t afford a simple medical checkup or trip to the dentist.

But it’s also for children of struggling parents to give them the opportunity to grow up healthy, and mothers-to-be for pre-natal care.

And, it is for the poor […]

Gainesville Sun, January 27, 2012
A number of taps on his iPad and Dr. Donald Novak can get up-to-the-minute views of every test, imaging study and prescription his patient has encountered — at least at Shands HealthCare.

Adding a diagnosis will automatically generate some suggestions for treatment. If the pediatrician prescribes something the patient is allergic to or that will react with another of the patient’s prescriptions, the doctor gets an alert. And the patient’s progress will be part of a mass of data that will […]

PhysBizTech, January 17, 2012
Federal funding for health information technology (HIT) has largely been directed at small practices in rural-urban areas. In addition to funding and training IT staff, most managers of these practices would probably agree that coordination of regional HIT resources and a go-to knowledge base for implementing HIT would help them better serve their patients and providers.

To help meet these needs in North Central Florida, CommunityHealth IT was formed three years ago. This organization is a learning network and coordinating body for […]