BayCare Health System, Inc.

CLEARWATER, Fla., April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- BayCare's Morton Plant Hospital in Clearwater recently completed the world's first TAV-in-TAV as part of a study called RESTORE. TAV-in-TAV is for people who have undergone a prior TAVR procedure, but the replacement valve is coming to the end of its life cycle and needs to be replaced. TAVR, an acronym for transcatheter aortic valve replacement and pronounced "tăver," is a minimally invasive heart valve replacement procedure used to treat severe aortic stenosis, or narrowing of the aortic valve, which increases the workload and strain on the heart. Instead of opening the chest, doctors insert a catheter into an artery, usually in the groin area, and guide it into the heart, implanting a new aortic heart valve inside the original diseased valve. Most TAVR valves are designed to last about a decade. Now some of the patients who had the procedure in the early years of the program are experiencing the same symptoms they had before the TAVR, such as shortness of breath and a decline in energy. "Patients don't want to go back. They want to continue doing the things they enjoy, so they want the old valves replaced," said BayCare Medical Group Cardiovascular Surgeon Joshua Rovin, MD, FACS, and medical director of The Center for Advanced Valve and Structural Heart Care at Morton Plant Hospital. One of those patients was Ronald Yurkus, the first patient in the RESTORE study. When Yurkus, 82, noticed he was getting easily winded, he went to see his cardiologist who recommended he return to the Center for Advanced Valve and Structural Heart Care at Morton Plant Hospital where he received his first TAVR in 2016. "I noticed I was slowing down, and I don't have time for that," said Yurkus, who is his wife's caregiver. When Dr. Rovin mentioned the study, Yurkus was eager to be the first patient. Though some centers are using the TAV-in-TAV process already, this is the first formal study for the procedure. "Many centers have done the procedure to place a TAVR valve into another TAVR valve, but the investigational study will help determine optimal procedural methods to deliver excellent patient outcomes," said Dr. Rovin. Yurkus stayed overnight in the hospital and will follow up in a month with Morton Plant's valve center. Yurkus is one of thousands of patients who have benefited from the work of the team at Morton Plant Hospital's Center for Advanced Valve and Structural Heart Care since the team performed its first TAVR in 2012, introducing the minimally invasive surgery to the Tampa Bay area. Through the years, the team has participated in many of the structural heart clinical trials, which have given the community access to the latest cutting-edge treatments for patients with aortic stenosis. Continue Reading Cardiovascular surgeon Joshua Rovin, MD, and nurse Henry Samuel check on Ronald Yurkus, the first patient in the RESTORE trial. Medtronic, one of the primary manufacturers of heart valves, is sponsoring the investigational study. If you are interested in participating in this study, visit Cardiovascular Clinical Trials. For more information on BayCare's structural heart programs: BayCare Heart Valve Centers About BayCare BayCare is a leading not-for-profit health care system that connects individuals and families to a wide range of services at 16 hospitals and hundreds of other convenient locations throughout the Tampa Bay and central Florida regions. The system is West Central Florida's largest provider of behavioral health and pediatric services and its provider group, BayCare Medical Group, is one of the largest in the region. BayCare's diverse network of ambulatory services includes laboratories, imaging, surgical centers, BayCare Urgent Care locations, wellness centers and one of Florida's largest home care agencies, BayCare HomeCare. BayCare's mission is to improve the health of all it serves through community-owned, health care services that set the standard for high-quality, compassionate care. For more information, visit BayCare.org. SOURCE BayCare Health System WANT YOUR COMPANY'S NEWS FEATURED ON PRNEWSWIRE.COM? 440k+ Newsrooms & Influencers 9k+ Digital Media Outlets 270k+ Journalists Opted In GET STARTED

TAMPA, Fla., Feb. 26, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Patel Children's Heart Institute at St. Joseph's Children's Hospital is the first in the southeastern United States and one of only a handful of programs in the world to implant a new stent specifically created to enlarge narrowed blood vessels in the hearts of newborns and babies. The Renata Minima stent is the first and only stent small enough to be used in newborns with the capacity to be enlarged as a child grows to adulthood, reducing the need for multiple open-heart surgeries. Continue Reading Dr. Jeremy Ringewald (second from left), director of the cardiac catheterization laboratories at St. Joseph's Children's Hospital, and the congenital cardiac catheterization team celebrate the hospital's first Minima stent procedure. "Stents are mesh tubes that help keep arteries open and blood flowing," said Dr. Jeremy Ringewald, pediatric cardiologist and director of the cardiac catheterization laboratories at St. Joseph's Children's Hospital. "Until now, adult stents needed to be altered to fit a baby's tiny vessels and then replaced as they grow older." Dr. Ringewald performed the Minima stent procedure on 14-month-old Layla Lebovic, who was born with tetralogy of Fallot, pulmonary atresia and major aorto-pulmonary collaterals. Her complex congenital cardiac condition is a combination of multiple defects including a large hole between the bottom chambers of the heart, an absent connection between the right ventricle and main pulmonary artery and abnormal pulmonary artery branches. During Layla's procedure, Dr. Ringewald advanced several sequential Minima stents through a vein in her leg to her right pulmonary artery. Once deployed, her pulmonary artery was enlarged to five times its size. The procedure was a success, and Layla was discharged after only one day. "We are so grateful to Dr. Ringewald and the entire St. Joseph's Children's Hospital cardiac team for the incredible care Layla received," said Laura Lebovic, Layla's mother. "She's thriving and growing every day, and we're so happy with the outcome of her procedure." The Minima stent is only 1.3 millimeters or 3/64 of an inch in diameter, about the size of a cocktail straw. Dr. Ringewald notes this first-of-its-kind stent is far easier to advance and deploy compared with other stents due to its small size, which markedly diminishes procedural risk. "The Minima stent is a paradigm shift for treating infants with congenital heart defects. It's what we've needed for years, and now we have it," Dr. Ringewald said. "The use of this stent is an example of how our heart institute is at the cutting edge when it comes to adopting new technology, allowing our patients to benefit from every advance in our field." The Patel Children's Heart Institute at St. Joseph's Children's Hospital is home to Tampa Bay's only comprehensive congenital heart disease program. Its team of cardiac physicians performs hundreds of procedures each year to treat heart defects in patients of every age. A partnership between St. Joseph's Children's Hospital and UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh provides families across Florida with unprecedented access to the highest level of pediatric heart care. Together, they provide highly specialized cardiovascular care for patients ranging from babies in the womb to adults with congenital heart disease. About St. Joseph's Children's Hospital St. Joseph's Children's Hospital is Tampa Bay's largest provider of children's health services and is committed to providing everything needed for the health and well-being of children. Together, BayCare Kids and St. Joseph's Children's Hospital offer specialized inpatient and outpatient pediatric care to thousands of children and their families each year in multiple locations throughout West Central Florida. From the tiniest baby to the high school quarterback, patients are cared for by doctors who specialize in treating children, in surroundings designed exclusively for kids. For more information: BayCare.org/SJCH. About BayCare BayCare is a leading not-for-profit health care system that connects individuals and families to a wide range of services at 16 hospitals and hundreds of other convenient locations throughout the Tampa Bay and central Florida regions. The system is West Central Florida's largest provider of behavioral health and pediatric services and its provider group, BayCare Medical Group, is one of the largest in the region. BayCare's diverse network of ambulatory services includes laboratories, imaging, surgical centers, BayCare Urgent Care locations, wellness centers and one of Florida's largest home care agencies, BayCare HomeCare. BayCare's mission is to improve the health of all it serves through community-owned, health care services that set the standard for high-quality, compassionate care. For more information, visit BayCare.org. SOURCE St. Joseph's Children's Hospital WANT YOUR COMPANY'S NEWS FEATURED ON PRNEWSWIRE.COM? 440k+ Newsrooms & Influencers 9k+ Digital Media Outlets 270k+ Journalists Opted In GET STARTED

CLEARWATER, Fla., Dec. 18, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Seven local residents without insurance received a wonderful holiday gift: a new knee or hip as part of BayCare's participation in Operation Walk. BayCare's Orthopedic Institute partnered with local nonprofit medical clinics, the Clearwater Free Clinic, the Pioneer Foundation, St. Pete Free Clinic and national and international foundation Operation Walk USA to provide the residents with free joint replacement surgeries. Continue Reading BayCare partnered with the Clearwater Free Clinic, the Pioneer Foundation, St. Petersburg Free Clinic and Operation Walk USA to provide seven uninsured patients with free joint replacements. Medical staff and team members involved with the Operation Walk surgeries at Morton Plant Hospital on Dec. 7. The surgeries were performed by orthopedic surgeons Dr. David Cheong, Dr. Andrew Cooper, Dr. William Cottrell, Dr. George Feliciano, Dr. Christopher Grayson and Dr. Aaron Koslin – who donated their services – at Clearwater's Morton Plant Hospital this month. Also donating their services were anesthesiology physicians Dr. Jaime Cruz, Dr. Jay Epstein, Dr. Hope Sprunger and internal medicine physician Dr. Moeen Khalil. Operation Walk USA is a nationwide effort to help patients in need receive potentially life-changing joint replacement surgery. BayCare worked with the clinics to obtain a list of patients consistently in need of joint replacements. 2024 is the second year BayCare participated in Operation Walk. "At BayCare, we have a mission to improve the health of those that we serve," said Gina Rowland, director of BayCare's Orthopedic Institute. "This includes those facing difficult circumstances, where health care may not be easily accessible. Operation Walk allows for us to support our community and make a positive impact to those in need." Candidates for the free surgeries had to fall under specific federal government income guidelines and had to be uninsured. Rowland said BayCare covered the cost of every aspect of these uninsured patients' surgical journeys. This included presurgical testing, surgery, hospitalization, prescriptions, medical equipment, home health care and outpatient rehabilitation. She added that hip and knee implants were donated by orthopedic vendors. All pre-surgery and post-surgery medical visits were also covered for patients. Tanyika Mason, 51, of Clearwater, is one of the patients who received a joint replacement. She had her right knee replaced. "I'm very happy that I was able to get the surgery for free," Mason said. "I really do not have any medical (insurance) so this is the best thing that could happen to me. I really appreciate it, I really do." The work with Operation Walk USA is just one example of BayCare's long-standing commitment to supporting the region's health. Every year, BayCare spends roughly 10% of its revenue in support of charity care, uninsured care and community services. In 2023, the value of that Community Benefit was $557 million for West Central Florida, including Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas and Polk counties. Rowland said BayCare's Operation Walk participation is a herculean effort by many. "The BayCare Orthopedic Institute would like to thank the leadership and patient care team at Morton Plant Hospital, Dr. Cheong, Dr. Cooper, Dr. Cottrell, Dr. Cruz, Dr. Epstein, Dr. Feliciano, Dr. Grayson, Dr. Khalil, Dr. Koslin, Dr. Sprunger, BayCare Home Care, Operation Walk, vendors and our free clinic partners," she said. "Thank you, all, for your time, resources, and compassionate care which will leave a lasting impact on these patients," Rowland said. BayCare Orthopedic Institute is the leader in providing high-quality, compassionate care for all orthopedic conditions, from common fractures to the most complex surgical procedures. For more information: BayCare Orthopedic Institute About BayCare BayCare is a leading not-for-profit health care system that connects individuals and families to a wide range of services at 16 hospitals and hundreds of other convenient locations throughout the Tampa Bay and central Florida regions. The system is West Central Florida's largest provider of behavioral health and pediatric services and its provider group, BayCare Medical Group, is one of the largest in the region. BayCare's diverse network of ambulatory services includes laboratories, imaging, surgical centers, BayCare Urgent Care locations, wellness centers and one of Florida's largest home care agencies, BayCare HomeCare. BayCare's mission is to improve the health of all it serves through community-owned, health care services that set the standard for high-quality, compassionate care. For more information, visit BayCare.org. SOURCE BayCare Health System WANT YOUR COMPANY'S NEWS FEATURED ON PRNEWSWIRE.COM? 440k+ Newsrooms & Influencers 9k+ Digital Media Outlets 270k+ Journalists Opted In GET STARTED