Florida Healthcare Specialists

We'd like to remind our patients that our offices will be closed in observance of Juneteenth today, Wednesday, June 19.

We wish you a safe and enjoyable holiday.

If you need to speak with a medical professional during this time, please call our office to be connected with a medical professional. In the event of an emergency, please call 911.

You can find all the details linked here: https://flhealthcarespecialists.com/

We'd like to remind our patients that our offices will be closed in observance of Juneteenth on Wednesday, June 19.

We wish you a safe and enjoyable holiday.

If you need to speak with a medical professional during this time, please call our office to be connected with a medical professional. In the event of an emergency, please call 911.

You can find all the details linked here: https://flhealthcarespecialists.com/

Every year we have the honor of recognizing an FCS nurse who demonstrates exemplary leadership, significantly influences professional nursing practice and the professional development of others.

With 66 nominations, it's clear that we have an abundance of phenomenal nurse leaders at FCS, and we are proud to announce our winner, Tami Rice, RN, OCN who works in our Mease office.

Thank you and congratulations, Tami!

Patients are at the center of all we do at FCS and our nurses are consistently by their side throughout the entire journey. They recognize changes in their health, speak up for them, and form close bonds with their patients.

Every year we have the honor of recognizing an FCS nurse who is committed to excellence in patient care and consistently advocates for patients.

With 74 nominations, this year's decision was especially difficult, but we are proud to announce our winner, Marilyn Santiago-Dones, RN, who works in our Trinity Cancer Center.

Thank you and congratulations, Marilyn!

The role that mentors play is crucial in shaping careers. For nurses, it also can have a direct, positive impact on patient care.

Every year we recognize an FCS nurse who consistently mentors and coaches other nurses or team members, providing opportunities for learning and support.

This year, we received 53 nominations and are proud to announce our winner, Marietta Hurd, RN, who works in our Orange City office.

Thank you and congratulations, Marietta!

Every year we recognize an FCS nurse who has been a registered nurse for less than two years and demonstrates a passion for oncology nursing while making a large impact early in their career.

This year, we received 17 nominations and are proud to announce our Nursing Rising Star winner, Sharrie Bauer, RN, who works in our Fleming Island office.

Thank you and congratulations, Sharrie!

Our nurses are invaluable to the work we do each and every day in the fight against cancer. Cancer research conducted at our very own clinics is changing how we treat and care for patients for the better, and many of our nurses are a critical part of the research process working hand-in-hand with the patients and their physicians at every step.

Every year we recognize an FCS nurse who is committed to excellence in clinical research. This year, we received 11 nominations and are proud to announce our Nursing Excellence in Research winner, Sharon Jerdonek, BSN, RN, who works in our Sarasota Drug Development Unit.

Thank you and congratulations, Sharon!

It's been an extra special week at FCS as we've been celebrating the more than 850 nurses who are dedicated to providing world-class oncology care in nearly 100 FCS clinics across the state. Each year we recognize five FCS nurses for their outstanding work in the field -- the winners were announced yesterday in a lunch where CEO Nate Walcker presented their awards, along with VP of Nursing and Research Colleen Lewis and other members of the nursing and operations leadership teams.

Keep an eye out to see who our winners were in later posts!

A recent article in the Tampa Bay Times draws further attention to the gravity of the situation still unfolding following the cyberattack on Change Healthcare last month.

FCS CEO Nathan Walcker addresses the impact on our statewide practice, likening it to the COVID-19 outbreak in relation to the manpower and resources involved.

Read his full response here:

Florida hospitals, doctors left reeling after major cyberattack Hospitals statewide could end up with $1 billion in unpaid medical claims, a trade group leader says.

Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute and its MSO, Core Ventures, have leveraged local and national partnerships in a unified approach to create a solution to remain operational in the wake of the Change Healthcare shutdown last month.

This week, with no alternative solutions provided, our statewide practice swiftly made a switch in clearinghouses, from Change Healthcare to Availity, a move that sets the stage for other community oncology practices to follow.

Through this and moving forward, we remain committed to ensuring that oncology practices across the country are able to continue providing oncology care.

No Solution in Sight, FCS, Core Ventures Forge Ahead in Race to Recover from Change Healthcare Shutdown FCS and Core Ventures are creating avenues for community oncology practices to remain operational following clearinghouse shutdown.

Contingency plans are in place to overcome the challenges our practice and Rx To Go, our medically integrated pharmacy, are facing in the wake of the Change Healthcare shutdown. The systems that facilitate insurance verification for prescriptions for both our pharmacy and medical oncology services were paralyzed two weeks ago, forcing our teams to find alternate solutions to ensure patients could still receive essential life-saving medication and care.

Read the details below to better understand the measures taken by both FCS and Rx To Go: https://flcancer.com/articles/changehealthcareresponse/

Patients needing to discuss oral prescription or refill processing may call the FCS Rx To Go pharmacy at: (239) 275-5357 or (866) 979-8646.

Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute Implements Contingency Plan to Overcome National Clearinghouse Outage Contingency plans are in place to process verification and prior authorization for FCS patients.

The cyberattack on Change Healthcare has created a ripple effect in the medical community. Providers, hospitals and pharmacies are now working in overdrive to find a remedy to ensure patients are able to get the medications they need.

Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute (FCS) Chief Executive Officer Nathan Walcker spoke with NBC News to reflect on the impact of Change Healthcare's shutdown, not only on FCS but our patients who would have to consider paying extremely high out-of-pocket costs without prior authorization or insurance verification.

Patients struggle to get lifesaving medication after cyberattack on a major health care company The attack on Change Healthcare has upended the lives and work of patients, doctors and pharmacists because of outages in systems used for medical billing and insurance claims.

While there are fixes in place, the cyberattack on Change Healthcare that forced the nation's largest clearinghouse to shutdown for several days, has residual effects on the hospitals, providers and pharmacies that rely on its software to process insurance verification for patients.

FCS President & Managing Physician Lucio Gordan, MD spoke with The New York Times about the impact of the shutdown.

Cyberattack Paralyzes the Largest U.S. Health Care Payment System The hacking shut down the nation’s biggest health care payment system, causing financial chaos that affected a broad spectrum ranging from large hospitals to single-doctor practices.

The safety of our patients is our top priority. We are taking steps to ensure that our patients receive timely care and medication following a recent cyberattack impacting the medical community.

A nationwide outage involving Change Healthcare, the largest prescription processing network in the country, is currently affecting the ability to verify insurance for prescriptions of many of our FCS patients.

Throughout this outage, we are working directly with patients to ensure they can receive their medications on time. If you are an FCS patient and have questions about a prescription or refill, please contact our Rx To Go pharmacy at (239) 275-5357 or (866) 979-8646.

FCS systems and data have not been compromised during this cyberattack, but this event serves as a good reminder to stay alert and protect yourself against cyber threats. We will continue to keep you informed pertaining to these matters here and on our website, FLCancer.com.

On this day 40 years ago — February 23, 1984 — Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute was founded in Fort Myers, FL! We are thrilled to celebrate our 40th anniversary. Over the past four decades, we have steadfastly committed to putting our patients first. Doing so has allowed us to grow and care for more people in more communities across the beautiful Sunshine State. It has been our greatest privilege to serve others, and we look forward to the future and doing so for another 40+ years to come!
If you have been following along with our 1984 throwback series on our Instagram page, you may have noticed that each photo (or graphic) may look like it's missing something...Over the past nine days, we have assembled the puzzle pieces to form one unique image. Use the following link to check out our Instagram grid on our profile to see the reveal 🎉

https://www.instagram.com/floridacancerspecialists/

1984 was a significant year for women! It marked the first time a woman ran on a major political party's presidential ticket in U.S. history. Former Congresswoman Geraldine Ferraro was the vice presidential candidate for Walter Mondale during the 1984 election year. While the political duo wouldn't go on to win the election, a true victory was that women were making major strides in success — coming a long way from not having the right to vote earlier in the century.

Sometimes, what seems to be a smaller victory makes the biggest impact in the long run. Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute realizes the power of achieving smaller goals to reach and ultimately accomplish the larger target goal. We celebrate every achievement, even if it seems minor, because it is a testament to our team members' daily effort to improve.

Tomorrow is the last day in our 1984 trivia series, but we have an exciting announcement in store! Be sure to check out our Instagram page for the special reveal.

Take me out to the ballgame ⚾ Did you know the longest-ever Major League Baseball (MLB) game was clocked almost 40 years ago? In May 1984, the Chicago White Sox and the Milwaukee Brewers endured a 25-inning-long, two-day ballgame that lasted a whopping 8 hours and 6 minutes. To put it into perspective, in 2023, thanks partly to the pitch clock, the average MLB game was 2 hours and 40 minutes (only 24 minutes longer the season prior).

Sometimes, a 'win' — or success — requires more persistence and determination than average. At Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute, we understand the power of not giving up and achieving your goals (even if it takes more work than usual). This is why we have continued to grow and develop our practice for almost four decades, providing more and more people access to quality cancer and blood disorder care close to their homes and loved ones.

Who's ready for another 1984 fun fact tomorrow?

Proceed to launch. In August 1984, NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration's third space shuttle, Discovery, would undergo its maiden flight, taking off from Kennedy Space Center in Orlando. During its first voyage, Discovery successfully deployed three communications satellites. Discovery also became NASA's longest-running orbiter, spending 365 days in space across 39 missions, retiring in 2011, and was the first to dock with the International Space Station.

Identifying milestones is critical to understanding the power of dedication and perseverance over time. Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute is proud of our many accomplishments over the past 40 years and look forward to the many more advancements to come.

Tune in tomorrow to reflect more on 1984!

Who you gonna call...?

Can you guess what the highest-grossing film in the United States was in 1984? Ghostbusters brought in a whopping $229,242,989, which would equate to roughly $680,485,418 in today's dollars. The knockout sci-fi-meets-comedy film starred Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver and Harold Ramis. Ghostbusters was so successful that it built a franchise of sequels, remakes and television shows.

Like Ghostbusters, Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute has had the opportunity to extend its reach over the past 40 years — beginning with one location in Fort Myers and now having nearly 100 locations.

Who's ready for tomorrow's 1984 ? See you tomorrow 😉

"Purple rain, purple rain..." The summer of 1984 was ruled by Prince, thanks to the ground-breaking release of his album and film Purple Rain. While the album's title song ("Purple Rain") remains an enduring Prince hit, "When Doves Cry," the album's lead single, would go on to be named by Rolling Stone as one of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and reign supreme as Prince's Biggest Billboard Hit.

It's truly amazing to see how incredible artistry and hard work can be so influential and withstand time. At Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute, we understand that growth and success come from diligence and determination. For the past (almost) four decades, we have built our practice on the cornerstone of putting patients first, which has allowed us to expand our reach across Florida — helping more people in more communities. In the many decades to come, we will remain steadfast in our vision of being the world-class provider of all forms of cancer and blood disorders.

Join us tomorrow as we reminisce on more memories from 1984!

Who is Alex Trebek? In 1984, Alex Trebek became the host of Jeopardy! and would go on to be the iconic face of the beloved game show. His Jeopardy! legacy was built over 8,200 episodes across almost 37 seasons. Even after his passing in 2020, we continue to celebrate and recognize this man for his incredible impact on Jeopardy! players and fans, as well as televised game shows.

When reflecting on the last 40 years, it is unbelievable to consider the effect a person (or an organization) can have on others. Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute is honored to serve patients in our many communities across the state. As the premier community oncology and hematology provider in Florida, our growth is a testament to our ability to promote and develop access to high-quality care for as many people as possible.

Be sure to check our feed tomorrow for more 1984 nostalgia!

Did you know in 1984, the first portable CD players were introduced? The Sony Electronics D-50 Discman was hot on the shelves that year and revolutionized how people listened to music on the go.

Nowadays, we may take for granted how accessible virtually any song ever released is, so it's essential to take a moment to think about how things have evolved over 40 years. At Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute, reflecting on our past allows us to continue to improve for the future.

Meet us back here tomorrow for another 1984 !

When you think of the year 1984, what first comes to mind? The classic novel 1984 by George Orwell may be at the top of the list, but what about the iconic Apple Super Bowl commercial inspired by it? This advertisement was unique for its time and kickstarted what we know to be 'Super Bowl commercials' today. It was a clever way to introduce the world to the first-ever Apple Macintosh computer.

It's incredible to think about how far we have come in 40 years — in technology, advertising, sports and beyond — Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute included. Over the next nine days, stay tuned in for more from the past.

February 12–16 is National Phlebotomists Recognition Week! are integral members of health care teams. They are specially trained to draw blood, which in turn helps to perform life-saving procedures, run laboratory tests and make critical diagnoses.

On behalf of Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute, we would like to take a moment to recognize phlebotomists' meaningful contribution to improving health care outcomes! Your compassion and care for patients does not go unnoticed.

It's ! Ninety-five years ago, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was born, and 95 years later, we continue to celebrate the legacy of this incredible visionary.

Dr. King lived and breathed his mission through grace, kindness and love. Tenacious, determined and fearless are just a few words to describe him. In honor of , we would like to share some of his incredibly inspiring quotes:

"If you can't fly, then run; if you can't run, then walk; if you can't walk, then crawl; but whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward."

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"The time is always right to do what is right."

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"We are not makers of history. We are made by history."

Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute recognizes that taking care of caregivers is essential, too. In honor of , FCS Behavioral Health Manager Karen Ridley, MSW, LCSW, and FCS Behavioral Health Therapist Stephen Voigt, MSW, LCSW, share expert tips and advice to help cancer family caregivers prioritize self-care and well-being.

Check out the article here: https://flcancer.com/articles/advice-from-experts-taking-care-of-caregivers-too/.