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A Calming Voice in a Time of Need

Loren was having a normal day when something went amiss. She was rushed to the emergency room with chest pains and later found that she had experienced a coronary occlusion. What surprised her was that she had always been in good health, was fairly young and did not have a history of cardiac problems. After being discharged, Loren’s husband, concerned for her welfare, called Blue Cross to better understand their treatment options. The customer service representative who took their call addressed their benefit issues and referred them to the Care Consultant Team. They were in need of answers from a qualified professional to help them understand what they were facing.

Enter Chris Carlee, a registered nurse and a member of the Chronic Condition Management Team at Blue Cross. This team of specialized nurses assists members in understanding and managing their rare and/or chronic conditions, such as asthma, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, multiple sclerosis and lupus. 

Chris’s main responsibility is serving as a point of contact for members with a cardiovascular condition and assisting them in their journey to better health. Loren’s tests during hospitalization revealed that additional outpatient diagnostic testing was needed to confirm possible causes.

Stressed and worried, Chris’s help was a godsend to the couple in getting the tests approved and scheduled. Chris personally called the specialist offices and imaging review vendor to facilitate the review process. Her diligence helped to get the tests scheduled and approved. Loren says, “Everybody thinks of Blue Cross as an insurance company. But my experience showed me that there were other purposes and ways I could get help from my insurance. Not only did Chris help me with getting the tests scheduled, she also gave me information about my benefit plan and education about signs and symptoms to watch out for.”

Chris says she was happy to help. “My goal was to be a calming voice to help her manage her stress and concern about her condition, while helping her navigate the healthcare system”. Part of that navigation involved helping Loren understand her benefits, coordinating services amongst multiple providers, providing Loren with community resources, telephonic education and health coaching on self-management tools/resources. Chris collaborated with co-workers, managers, social workers, and other BCBSF departments to help meet Loren’s healthcare needs.

Chris and Loren have one goal in telling their story – they hope that other Blue Cross members in similar situations will take advantage of the multiple services at Blue Cross to help manage their condition better. “I hope that members will reach out for help when they have questions about their health condition or when they need assistance in navigating the health care system. Just call Blue Cross Customer Service,” says Chris, “the phone number on your ID card, and explain the situation. Members can be assured that they will be referred to the care program that best suits their specific needs.”

Ultimately, Chris is glad she was able to assist Loren through this difficult process. “She is a joy to work with and her positive attitude is an inspiration to me.”

Have a story to tell us about a positive experience you had with BCBSF? Email us at socialmedia@bcbsfl.com. For more information on the Care Consultant Team, refer to www.bcbsfl.com.

Just Breathe … and Heal!

Recently, I attended a friend’s dinner party and just as the main course was served, I felt as though a mini Mack truck had plowed into the side of my head. The pain was so sudden and so intense that it stopped me cold in my tracks. Because this wasn’t the first time I’ve experienced a classic migraine, I knew exactly what I needed to do – locate the nearest dark cool room. Minutes later, locked in my friend’s guest bathroom, I began my Pranayama Yoga breathing exercises and instantly began to relax. With each inhalation, I filled my lungs with cleansing oxygen, and with each exhalation, I released the toxic carbon dioxide.

Almost immediately, the muscles in my neck began to relax and the intense pain on the side of my head began to dissipate. A few short minutes later, the familiar tingling feeling – as if my hair was growing – let me know that the “danger” had passed and the much anticipated relief from the pain had finally arrived.

I first learned of Pranayama breathing while reading a book entitled, “The Magic of Believing,” by Claude M. Bristol. In the book, the author describes a woman who, after suffering from years of debilitating arthritis, healed her pain by performing simple breathing exercises. Being a migraine sufferer myself, the idea of using breath work instead of taking powerful prescription medications resonated with me. I also discovered that in addition to using breath work to help heal an array of illnesses, I alone possess the power to decide if I am going to be a vessel of health and peace, or one of stress, anxiety, and ultimately “dis-ease”. When you give into daily stressors, your heart rate, breathing rate, muscle tension and blood pressure increases and in response, your body produces adrenaline. This is great if you’re in a life threatening situation, but not so healthy on a day-to-day basis. Practicing Yoga and Pranayama can help break this toxic stress cycle, and give your body the opportunity it needs to heal.  Yoga and breathing exercises may also help to alleviate common ailments such as allergies. According to Clifford W. Bassett, M.D., an allergist who is medical director of Allergy and Asthma Care of New York, "Yoga and postural exercises exert a relaxation response that may modify the negative effects of psychological stress on proper immune function."

So breathe easy! Practicing deeply healing Pranayama breathing can transform your body, mind, and soul into a vessel of healing. For more information on Pranayama breathing, refer to “Breathing Lessons” by Tony Briggs at http://www.yogajournal.com/practice/219. For a step-by-step guided practice, Dr. Andrew Weil has a CD entitled, “Breathing: The Master Key to Self Healing” at http://www.amazon.com/Breathing-Master-Key-Self-Healing/dp/156455726X/ref=sr_1_8?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1324944199&sr=1-8.

Breathing exercises are easy to learn. You don’t need any special equipment or tools, and you can do them throughout the day to help relieve symptoms of stress, reduce tension, and improve your overall health.

Have you practiced Pranayama breathing before? If so, share your story with us here!

HopeBlue Palliative Care: Filling a Gap

“Don’t worry - help is on the way.” This simple sentence must have sounded like a life preserver being thrown to a drowning person. Indeed, Dr. Frank Santamaria, administering to the needs of a patient suffering from severe difficulties with breathing, was able to provide the patient his first night’s rest in months.  The next morning, not only was the patient feeling better, his wife was ecstatic with relief:  “You don’t know what you’ve done! I can’t tell you the difference you made for him.” No doubt she had her first night of rest in a long time, too.

Dr. Santamaria came to Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida on a mission: he wants to make palliative care services available to more patients in Florida than he was able to do as a medical director at a local hospice organization.  Palliative care, in its simplest form, is treatment which may alleviate pain and symptoms of a serious illness and works to improve a patient’s quality of life. Symptoms may include severe pain; constant nausea or vomiting; inability to breathe without tremendous effort; anxiety; depression or others.  People who want to receive palliative care do not have to be end-stage in their illness, nor do they have to forgo additional curative care – two requirements for admission to a hospice program. Rather, palliative care can be given along with therapies such as chemotherapy as a way to manage debilitating symptoms.  It helps a person live better with his condition, and gives the family more quality time with their loved one.

Dr. Santamaria explained it this way:  our current health care system does a good job addressing the medical needs of people suffering from acute or chronic diseases (think a urinary tract infection or diabetes). It also has evolved in serving the needs of those towards end-of-life (think hospice programs). What is lacking in the continuum of care are services for patients in the middle:  those whose quality of life is poor, and getting worse as their condition worsens, yet are not at a point where hospice is appropriate.  Palliative care is meant to fill that gap.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida is now piloting HopeBlue, a comprehensive palliative care program for members offered through Chapters Health Palliative Care. HopeBlue is available first in Hillsborough County. It will extend into Hardee, Highlands and Polk counties over successive months. Eventually, the intent is to make it available to our members statewide.  BCBSF nurse case managers assisting members in those counties will help identify patients who are eligible to participate and who might benefit from the program.  Members can then voluntarily elect to join the pilot – at no additional cost to them.

Why participate?  Dr. Santamaria gives another compelling example:  he was able to assist a man living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who found it daunting even to talk on the phone or walk to his mailbox because of his severe shortness of breath.  “His quality of life was very poor. [After palliative treatment,] the man can now walk to the mailbox, and can speak more than just a few words at a time on the phone. He’s no longer quite as impaired [by his symptoms.] The man says his quality of life is three times what it was.”

Want to know more about HopeBlue?  Call our nurse case managers at 1-800-955-5692, option 4. November is also National Hospice and Palliative Care Month. Read more about how palliative care can make a difference when it’s needed the most.

We’d like to know what you think.  If you have questions about palliative care in general, or the HopeBlue program, write them here and we’ll be sure to respond back with information from our medical team.

Halloween Recipes

Halloween is just around the corner and our very own chef-in-residence, Shelby Brethour, has come up with some amazing Halloween recipes that are fast and fun to make. By day, Shelby works hard at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida. By evening, she is a self-proclaimed kitchen goddess and food blog writer at http://www.shelbysfoodblog.blogspot.com/. In her work capacity, she travels all across the state and has had the great opportunity to eat and taste much amazing food. In our brand new section, Shelby will be using her many food adventures to bring us some amazing recipes from all around the state.

Low Fat Pumpkin Dip

Ingredients

 -1 (8 ounce) package fat free cream cheese, softened

-2 cups confectioners' sugar

-1 (15 ounce) can solid pack pumpkin

-1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

-1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

-1 teaspoon orange juice

Directions:

• In a medium bowl, blend cream cheese and confectioners' sugar until smooth.
• Gradually mix in the pumpkin.
• Stir in the cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and orange juice until smooth and well blended.
• Chill until serving. Serve with cookies, fruit, or spread on toasted pieces of whole wheat bread and Enjoy!!!

Turkey Dog Mummies

Ingredients

-1 can of reduced fat crescent roll dough

-1 package of turkey dogs

-Yellow Mustard

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Open the pack of turkey dogs and pat them dry.
• Open the crescent roll dough. Take one piece of the crescent roll dough at the bottom of the turkey dog and wrap it up the turkey dog so that it looks like a mummy.
• Repeat on all the turkey dogs and place on a baking sheet.
• Cook 15 minutes or until the dough is golden brown.

Do you have a favorite Halloween recipe? Comment below and let us know.

Yoga - A Journey

With close to 11 million Americans practicing it, yoga is certainly a fitness routine that has captured our nation. From flexibility to strength, the many benefits of yoga have been widely discussed. In talking to Sandy Mika (our resident yoga buff), we were inspired to share more on the topic. Such was her love for the discipline that we thought it’d be best if she spoke of it in her own words.

Photo credit: Laura Faith

When I was 16, my mother signed me up for self-hypnosis classes to treat my migraine headaches. Every Wednesday night, I would go to our local high school, take my usual seat at the back and quickly slip right into my own private world. I’d envision the headache as an overflowing coke bottle that I would meticulously mop up and then ring out into a bucket. I then take that bucket, place it into a hot air balloon and off it sailed until I could no longer see it. Before I knew it an hour had passed and the instructor was sounding her chimes to gently bring us back to reality. I didn’t realize it at the time, but this was “meditation” in every sense of the word and that this wonderful practice would be the thread that connected me to yoga many years later.

Photo credit: Laura Faith

Let me be completely honest, I am the most anti-exercise, TV loving, laying on the couch, staying in my pajamas all weekend girl you’ll ever meet. I have failed at every diet and workout routine strategy known to mankind mainly because I’m not what you’d call disciplined and I really hate to sweat. You name it, I’ve tried it – and failed miserably. Aerobics, jogging, Zumba, Pilates, spinning, “bootcamp”, aqua aerobics, and kick-boxing – just to name a few. So when someone suggested yoga to me, I followed my usual pattern. I was wildly enthusiastic about it, bought all the equipment (not to mention the cute clothes), and signed up for non-refundable classes, for which I would be no doubt formulating a “why I need a refund” story very shortly. Only this time, instead of walking into a room full of people that look like they’ve been practicing their entire lives, and feeling very much like the clumsy outcast on my first day at a new school, I was overcome with a feeling of indescribable peace. These weren’t muscle bound athletes with perfect Spandex outfits on cell phones; these were women of all ages and a few peaceful men that looked like they had found themselves a sanctuary. The softly lit room smelled of musky incense and everywhere I looked there were pillows, blankets and odd looking props. This comfy peaceful heaven seemed too perfect to be true. We started with a quiet meditation, thanked our bodies for just showing up, and spent the next hour and a half gingerly stretching our muscles and appreciating the quiet heaven that we created for ourselves that night. That was almost 6 years ago, and since then, I’ve increased my practice to two group classes per week and an hour per day in my second bedroom turned yoga room.

If I had to sum up what yoga has brought into my life, it’s pretty simple –it’s brought me an exercise routine that requires no special talents, equipment or experience, and the best part is that you don’t have to sweat unless you really want to.

Photo credit: Laura Faith

My yoga mat gives me a place to bring all of the day’s stress and lets me sort through it and see it for what it truly is – just life and nothing more. Yoga has enhanced my meditation skills to the point that I rarely ever need any pain medications and if I do happen to get sick, I use the power of my mind to relax and allow my body’s natural healing abilities to take over. I’ve also learned that exercise can be your friend; something to look forward to – and something that you can use in everyday life. Yoga actually makes you feel better; practicing the postures, breathing exercises and meditation makes you healthier in body, mind and spirit. Yoga lets you tune in, chill out and shape up – all at the same time.

Know Before You Go

If you’ve ever been asked to go for a diagnostic procedure by your doctor or have been referred to a specialist, you know how mind-boggling it can be to locate and understand the true cost of these services. We are excited to announce our new “Know Before You Go” tool that allows Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida members to make informed decisions by giving them real-time estimated costs for health services. Know Before You Go takes into account the member’s specific benefits and provides them with an estimate so they can compare the cost of health care services before they have a procedure or visit a specialist. Know Before You Go is found within MyBlueService, your online member website. We hope this new quality and cost tool will help you be in control of your health and health care finances through access to timely and individualized information.

To learn more, watch the Know Before You Go video or log in to MyBlueService at http://www.bcbsfl.com/ to access the tool.

What Makes You Smile?

For us, it’s family, dogs, significant others and the people we work with. We put together a video on all of the various reasons we flash our pearly whites. Why all the talk about smiling? Well, while we had much fun posing for the below video, our main objective is to spread the message of good oral health because October is National Dental Hygiene Month. We also found several compelling reasons to look more closely at oral health. According to the American Academy of Periodontology (AAP), oral health is linked to your overall health, including medical conditions like Diabetes, Heart Disease, Respiratory Disease, Stroke, and Pregnancy complications.  Research from AAP suggests that “periodontal disease may make it more difficult for people who have diabetes to control their blood sugar.” The AAP also states that “people with periodontal disease are almost twice as likely to suffer from coronary artery disease as those without periodontal disease.”

We think those are some excellent reasons to spread the message of regular dental care. That and the aforementioned reason of taking care of your smile for your family, dogs and significant others. So what makes you smile? Leave us a comment below or visit our website  to learn more about how you can take care of your smile.   

Cracking the Code on Wellness

Throughout the year, we have been profiling weight loss success stories. Today, we talk to Garrick Gibson about how he cracked the code on wellness. Here’s Garrick’s story told by Garrick himself:

Back in the summer of 2008, a close friend loaned me a documentary film. The premise of the film was how positive thinking and emotions can create life-changing results such as increased wealth, health and happiness. One of the notable concepts was a three-step process: Ask, Believe, and Receive, based on a verse from the Bible: “And in all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.” (Matthew 21:22)

Step 1 was a no brainer. But, step 2 was the hard part. “Believing” is much more challenging than it seems. Over time, I began to realize that I doubted myself. My doubts were conflicting with my goals; keeping me in a holding pattern of not receiving.

This stayed with me for two years and in 2010, I finally decided to set my goals to be out of the obese category on the BMI scale and to get my blood pressure under control. The difference this time around was that I worked on challenging my doubts and changing my belief system. I once heard a wise person say, “a belief is just a thought I keep thinking.” So, I started thinking more about being healthy and in shape and stopped focusing on my unhappiness with being overweight. To help me maintain my focus, I surrounded myself with people and things that inspired me. I created a schedule and started exercising consistently at the gym.

After losing some initial weight, I hit a plateau. So, I stepped up my game and hired a local personal trainer at Cross Training San Marco. For two days a week, they pushed me past my mental limitations. In addition to the cross training, I took up running 2-3 times per week. In the first four months, things moved surprisingly slow with my weight loss. But in May, I cracked the last piece of the wellness code. A co-worker recommended a body chemistry and blood nutrition diet book. Long story short, I learned what foods were toxic to my system based on my blood type, body composition and genetics. I found out which foods were canceling out my exercise. So, I wasn’t gaining weight or losing weight. Once I eliminated these foods along with gradually increasing my cross training intensity, the weight started melting off. I didn’t get comfortable there. In fact, I purposely put myself in the position of being uncomfortable. This forced me to pursue higher goals.

Weight loss and well-being starts in your mind, not your waistline. It’s not about dropping the excess weight. It’s really about dropping the excess emotional baggage of unworthiness and self-doubt we carry around in our minds. Once I overcame this, I surpassed all my goals. In 8 months, I lost 40 pounds, and my total weight loss to date is 65 pounds. Back in 2009, the longest race I had completed was a 5k (3.1 miles). In December of 2010, I shocked my family, friends and myself by completing my first marathon (26.2 miles). This is my story and I hope to continue maintaining my weight loss and pursuing higher health goals. 

Stuck in a fitness rut? Try these new routines!

Our team was in desperate need for some new workout routines. We tried the always fun LES MILLS™ programs at the YMCA, fiddled with yoga, had some serious fun with weights, but we wanted more.

We reached out to Maxwell Reeves, an Orlando-based National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) certified personal trainer. He put together great new moves for us, and we had to share. They are tough - tough in an I-can-feel-muscles-I-never-had kind of way!

Don’t believe us? Check out the first of his routines below:

1. Start with your feet together. Take a big step forward with your right foot to perform a lunge.  Push through your heel to come back to your original position.

2. Step out wide with your right foot, set your hips back, keep your left leg straight, and squat on your right leg.  Again, push through your heel to get back to your original position.

3. Now step back with your right foot for a rear lunge.

4. Complete the lunge complex by performing the movements with your left leg.

Have an idea for a work-out? Leave us a comment below and stay tuned for Part II of Maxwell's routine.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida goes Digital

As the world changes, we are all responsible for making our own complex health decisions. BCBSF is developing digital capabilities for the purpose of empowering you to take charge of this by putting the tools you need to manage your health at your fingertips. We've developed online tools, mobile technologies and social media programs to help you make decisions, stay better informed and connect with resources you need. Our goal is to develop resources that fit your lifestyle and are easy and convenient to access.

Have an idea for a new digital resource that would make your life easier? We want to hear about it!

Embrace a Healthy Florida

Did you know that in Florida, 33.1% of children ages 10-17 are overweight or obese? This means Florida has a higher percentage of childhood obesity than the national average which stands at 30.6%. A study from the New England Journal of Medicine shows that children who are overweight or obese are more likely than others to become obese as adults. A 2004 study commissioned by the Action for Healthy Kids show that overweight and obese children may also suffer from higher rates of depression, greater difficulty in peer relationships and poorer quality of life than their normal weight counterparts.

This is why partnerships like Healthy Jacksonville Childhood Obesity Prevention Coalition and the BCBSF Foundation are important. This August marked the 10th anniversary of the coalition and was commemorated with the unveiling of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida Foundation’s 2011 Embrace a Healthy Florida grant recipients for the city of Jacksonville.

To learn more, watch Susan Towler (Vice President, BCBSF Foundation) speak at the Healthy Jacksonville Childhood Obesity Prevention Coalition's 10-Year Anniversary Celebration.

Fashion’s Night Out

If you are in Tampa on September 8^th, join us at the International Plaza and Bay Street for Fashion’s Night Out, an after-hours shopping extravaganza filled with live music, caricature artists, DJs, competitions and tons of shopping.

We, at BCBSF, are excited to be a sponsor for Fashion’s Night Out, where designers participate in an exciting, one-of-a-kind event in stores all over the globe from Manhattan to Milan, Atlanta to Australia. Led by Vogue Magazine and the Council of Fashion Designers of America, this year marks the first time the International Plaza retailers in Tampa will be representing Tampa Bay’s first official Fashion’s Night Out. So get out there and boost your local economy by indulging in a little shopping at the International Plaza and Bay Street!

Your Health on the Road

Here is a question for our members - if you are traveling for work or fun and need to see a doctor, what do you do? How many of us can really keep a complete list of our medications, drug allergies, etc. in our head? Or can remember the date of our last doctor’s visit, or even the doctor’s name?

Fortunately, MyBlueService is here to help. Your free, online member website gives you access to your health information anytime, from anywhere in the world. Here’s just a few of the things you can do on MyBlueService to help keep your family healthy and safe while traveling this summer:

·         Check out the online Personal Health Record – this is an ideal tool to access when you are on the road and have to stop by a new doctor. The Personal Health Record in MyBlueService makes record-keeping so easy. Quickly print your health history and a list of your medications.

·         Get details about past doctors’ visits, lab tests and more.

·         Store and maintain information on biometric tests.

·         Stay up-to-date on immunization shots.  

·         And have health information that you can get to easily, in one centralized, private, and secure location.

 To start your Personal Health Record:

·         Visit www.bcbsfl.com and log in to MyBlueService using your member ID and PIN.

·         Under the Living Healthy tab, click on Personal Health Record from WebMD®.

Tips for a healthy & safe road trip

Going on a road trip? Put away those chips and look at these great tips we found about eating healthy on the road.

·         Prepare your own snacks – All you need are granolas, nuts, dried fruit, and/or snack mix. Get your containers, Ziploc® bags, mix and seal! One innovative mom also has everybody make their own bag and label them to avoid arguments.

·         Use the cooler – Fill up the cooler with water (always important).

·         Add some fruits & veggies – since you are bringing along a cooler, add some fruits, veggies (baby carrots are always a winner).

·         Dip into the hummus - Choose some hummus instead of a traditional dip. Or make your own salsa using fresh veggies and fruits. We found some amazing recipes for healthy home-made salsa from Eating Well.

·         Add the nutrients - Individually wrapped cheese is always great source of calcium. Go for the whole grain crackers instead of traditional chips. Or try some protein bars.

·         If you are stopping at a fast food place, health.com has a fantastic list of the top 10 healthiest fast food restaurants. 

Florida Blue Young Authors Contest

We are so proud of 7^th grader Noelle Schneider! This 13 year old homeschooler from St. Petersburg, Florida is the winner of the Florida Blue Young Authors Contest, a contest sponsored by Florida Blue and the Books by Kids Foundation. The contest invited middle school students from Hillsborough and Pinellas county to submit a unique story about Tampa Bay. The winning entry is to be featured in a new children’s book titled Tampa Bay from A to Z.

Tampa Bay from A to Z will become part of the A to Z series, published by Books by Kids.  All books in the series are educational in nature, benefit non-profit organizations and are illustrated and written in part by children.

Once Noelle’s entry was selected as the winner by a panel of community leaders, it was colorfully illustrated by the talented young patients of St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital in Tampa and All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg.

“In our personal interactions with Tampa Bay residents about their healthcare and wellness needs, we often hear from parents regarding their aspirations for their children,” said David Pizzo, market president, West Florida. “By partnering with the Books by Kids Foundation, our Tampa Florida Blue center had a wonderful opportunity to support both education and children’s health, and help make these dreams come true. We look forward to sharing the first edition of Tampa Bay from A to Z with area residents and hope that it will enrich the lives of Tampa Bay kids for years to come.”

Interested in getting a copy of Tampa Bay from A to Z? The book will be sold at each hospital, Stein Mart stores and online at Books by Kids. Sale proceeds from book sales will be donated to St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital  in Tampa and All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg.

U.S. News and World Report's Hospital Rankings

We, here at BCBSF, are proud of all the facilities that have made the list in the U.S. News and World Report annual metro area hospital rankings list. The rankings have been published annually by U. S. News for the past 22 years. The report tracks hospital data from the federal government, such as death rates and the ratio of nurses to patients. They’ve recognized 720 hospitals out of 4,825 nationwide.

Here are the top ranked hospitals throughout our state:

Jacksonville

1. Mayo Clinic

2. Baptist Medical Center

3. Memorial Hospital

Lakeland

1. Heart of Florida Regional Medical Center

Miami/Fort Lauderdale

1. University of Miami, Jackson Memorial Hospital 

2. Cleveland Clinic Florida 

3. Mount Sinai Medical Center 

Sarasota/Bradenton

1. Sarasota Memorial Hospital  

Orlando

1. Florida Hospital 

2. Orlando Regional Medical Center

Palm Bay/Melbourne

1. Holmes Regional Medical Center

2. Cape Canaveral Hospital

3. Wuesthoff Medical Center

Tampa/St. Petersburg

1. Tampa General Hospital

2. Moffitt Cancer Center

3. Brandon Regional Hospital

For additional information, the publication has a searchable U.S. map of hospital locations available on its website and a nationwide ranking based on specialty type.

How to Get a Workout from Your Vacation

Vacations are brilliant and such fun to have. What is not so much fun is the post-vacation doldrums - the unpacking, the getting back to everyday life and the dreaded check-in with your scale.

Photo Credit: Laura Faith

We’ve been thinking a lot about this conversation all of us have to have with our scale post-vacation. So here are some tips we gathered about ensuring that scale does not spew out unwelcome truths to you post-vacation.

• Water – drink plenty of it! Not only does it keep you hydrated, it also helps you feel fuller. Remember the 8x8 rule.
• Walk – wherever you vacation, you will run into the inevitable choice of either taking the stairs or the elevator, walking vs. biking or driving. Always choose the calorie-burning option when weather allows and conditions are safe.
• Pack the resistance band or pedometer, or even a jump rope. These space saving fitness gears will remind you of your goals and help you get in a quick workout.
• Go for a run. What better way to explore a new place than going for an early morning run. Take the family with you and make it quality family time.
• Go for the healthy alternative. Food is such an important part of a vacation. But good food does not always have to be unhealthy. Try out an ethnic vegetarian restaurant, or buy some ready to eat fruits and veggies to keep in your hotel fridge. So when you feel like snacking, you won’t over-indulge on that tempting pizza delivery or the choices in the vending machine.
• If your budget allows, choose a place which encourages wellness and health, like a spa vacation.
• Make full use of your hotel’s gym or swimming pool. A daily swim or a 30 minute jaunt at the gym is a great start to a day.
• If you have an iPhone or an Android, it’s like taking your very own health and nutrition expert with you. Check out these links from Mashable to see what great health apps are available from the iPhone or the Android to help manage your health. 

Top Five Best Beaches in Florida

We’re constantly being asked by out-of-towners about our favorite Florida beach destinations.  So we thought – why not make a top five list? The next time you’re asked or packing your bags to head to the beach, consider one of these:   

Photo Credit: Laura Faith

1. Siesta Keys, Sarasota: White, silky, bright, fine - there aren't enough adjectives to describe the sand and quality of the beaches here. Located in Sarasota, this West coast beach has idyllic written all over it with tranquil waters and expansive sand. 
2. South Beach, Miami: How could we make a list of our favorite Florida beaches and not include South Beach? Understandably the most famous of all our beaches, this one has it all – beautiful waters, people watching, shopping, and all the aquatic activities you can think of.
3. Clearwater Beach, Clearwater: Wind down with Sunsets at Pier 60, meet Winter “the celebrity dolphin” or enjoy the Caladesi Island State Park. The options are limitless at Clearwater Beach.
4. Key West: Visit the southernmost tip of our country and you can see why this is a popular destination for everyone – not just Jimmy Buffet fans! This four miles of paradise has tons of fun things to do like snorkeling, kayaking, dolphin tours, and the highly enjoyable glass bottom boat ride. 
5. New Smyrna Beach: Lest you think all of the best beaches are dotted on the west and south ends, New Smyrna Beach is nestled in the central east coast. This coastal moss-draped community gives you an inkling of the diverse ecology that Florida is blessed –with – dunes, lagoons and salt marsh and endangered species of birds, animals and much more.

So, what do you think of our top five list? Share your top beach picks with us!