Students at Essrig Elementary School in Tampa now have a covered play court that will provide year-round protection from the sun’s harmful rays, thanks in part to USF Health’s Neil Fenske, MD.

Dr. Fenske helped secure the seed money from the American Academy of Dermatology for the fundraising effort to build the school’s Proud Panther Pavilion, which provides students and staff with year-round shade protection and reduced sun exposure while participating in activities on the school’s existing outdoor courts.

Dr. Neil Fenske stands under the Proud Panther Pavilion with Jamie Dietrich, parent of an Essrig Elementary student.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony officially opening the pavilion was held Oct. 30 at Essrig Elementary to thank all of the supporters and donors who made the pavilion possible. Dr. Fenske presented information to the students about the importance of sun protection and acknowledged the AAD grant award and the school’s efforts to protect the students.

In addition to the AAD grant, provided in June 2008 and called the 2008 Shade Structure Program Grant, funding for the pavilion came from events and activities supported by the school, the students and their families, the PTA, and the School Advisory Council. Additional grants and donations came from St. Lucy’s Vision, SAMS Club Giving Program, Dr. Nalin Patel, and Library Interior Signage. The Hillsborough County Public School System provided matching funds, as well.

Story by Sarah A. Worth, USF Health Communications

Norma Goldberger first realized the mole on her neck looked different when make-up wouldn't cover it anymore.

Still, the change was slight. It hadn't changed colors. It was just a little bigger.

She thought about getting it checked, but she didn't want to pay for a doctor's visit. She'd wait for a skin screening, she thought. She showed it to some of her family members, but nobody seemed worried.

Time went on, and Goldberger put off getting it checked. Finally, more than six months after she had noticed the change, she went to a community forum, the Focus on Females Women's Healthcare Symposium. Among the speakers: Dr. Mary Lien, assistant professor of dermatology at USF College of Medicine.

Dr. Lien's word burned into Goldberger's mind.

"She kept saying it over and over again," Goldberger said. "The cost of an unnecessary biopsy is dollars. But the cost of missing a necessary biopsy could be your life."

Finally concerned, Goldberger called USF Health and asked for the first available dermatology appointment.  She went to see Dr. Phillip Shenefelt, a USF associate professor of dermatology, and got the mole biopsied.

USF dermatologist Dr. Phillip Shenefelt with patient Norma Goldberger.

Then a USF resident called Goldberger with the results: she needed surgery. The next day.

The mole that Goldberger had delayed getting checked turned out to be melanoma, the deadliest kind of skin cancer. Fortunately for her, it was still at stage 1, the earliest and most easily treated stage. Goldberger had that mole, and two others close to it, removed the next day.

"Really, I owe Dr. Lien's presentation to motivating me, to not waiting around anymore," Goldberger said.

Dr. Lien said she tries to walk the line between scaring people and motivating them.

"I don't like to be the voice of doom," she said. "But there's a problem with skin cancer. It doesn't hurt."

That makes it easy to put off getting suspicious moles checked, she said.

Goldberger's decision to finally get her mole checked may have saved her life, Dr. Shenefelt said.

"The deeper it goes, the higher the risk of metastasis," or spreading to other areas, he said. "That can be very serious, and sometimes fatal."

Dr. Neil Fenske, professor and chairman of the dermatology department, said he hopes Goldberger's experience will inspire others to act.

"I am so glad Mrs. Goldberger got her unusual mole checked in time to have her melanoma successfully treated," he said.  "I hope her story will remind people just how important it is to get regular skin cancer screenings."

Goldberger, 63, feels fortunate. She and her husband, Stephen, celebrate their 41^st wedding anniversary this month. After raising three children, owning a business and then editing a magazine together, they have retired and divide their time between Ohio and Apollo Beach.

Still, the experience has changed Goldberger's behavior.

"I'm using sunscreen religiously now," she said. "I always wear a hat. I bought an Australian top that looks dreadful over a bathing suit, but it's an SPF fabric."

L to R: Dr. Shenefelt, Dr. Mary Lien and Goldberger

Goldberger also has returned to USF practitioners since to have other moles checked.

"I don't feel a private office physician is as up on the latest research as a teaching hospital," she said. "I feel the quality of medical care in a teaching hospital is higher."

But when she returned to see Dr. Shenefelt after a biopsy this month, she got good news. This time, the biopsy results were normal.

FREE SKIN CANCER SCREENING

It's almost time for Melanoma Monday, a national event to raise awareness about skin cancer. At USF Health, hundreds of patients get free skin cancer screenings each year from the university's dermatologists and medical residents. This year's Melanoma Monday will be: May 4 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the USF Health Medical Clinic, 12901 Bruce B. Downs Blvd.

DANGER SIGNS ON THE SKIN

Dermatologists have an "ABCDE" list of when you should get a mole or pigmented spot checked. The symptoms are:

Asymmetry - one half unlike the other half

Border - Irregular, scalloped or poorly defined border

Color - Varied from one area to another; shades of tan, brown, black, or sometimes white, red or blue

Diameter - Melanomas are usually bigger than 6 mm (the size of a pencil eraser), although they can be smaller

Evolving - A mole or spot that looks different from the rest or is changing in size, color or shape.

- Story by Lisa Greene, USF Health Communications
- Photos by Eric Younghans, USF Health Communications

RELATED STORY:

USF medical students teach tanning dangers

Driven to spread the word about the importance of sun protection, USF College of Medicine students are telling local high school students how to protect themselves from the skin cancer.

Last fall, fourth-year medical student Salma Pothiawala helped start a local chapter of Check Your Skin, a national organization dedicated to raising awareness of skin cancer and the importance of sun protection. The USF chapter is under the guidance of Dr. Mary Lien, associate professor in the USF Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery. Through community outreach programs and teach-ins, USF medical students increase skin cancer awareness and educate teens on how to correctly perform self skin exams.

Fourth-year medical student Salma Pothiawala (left) and second-year medical student Mark Halsey share skin cancer information with a student at a recent health fair at Brooks-DeBartolo Collegiate High School.

“The students have been very interactive and interested in what we have to say and I hope we are making a positive impact on their lives,” Pothiawala said. “We hope to become much more active in the community in the future. It is essential to reach out to individuals in the community regarding the necessity for sun protection, especially in a state like Florida, where people are involved in so many outdoor activities. We must stop the development of skin cancers before they start by educating this young population. Melanoma is the most common cancer in females between the ages of 25 and 29.”

In addition to Pothiawala, USF medical students also involved in the Check Your Skin chapter are Mark Halsey and Katherine Madden.

“All of us medical students who have become involved in Check Your Skin are passionate about dermatology and preventative medicine,” Pothiawala said.

One of their most recent educational efforts was at a health fair at Brooks-DeBartolo Collegiate High in late April, during which they had a booth about skin cancer-related issues and shared skin cancer information with students.

- Story by Sarah Worth

Dr. Neil Fenske

Neil Fenske, MD, professor and chair of Dermatology at USF Health, was among four dermatologists in the Southeast and 17 nationwide named among America’s Top Doctors for Women in Women’s Health magazine.

Women’s Health magazine teamed up with research firm Castle Connolly to create a definitive list of America’s best doctors for women in 10 specialties. The list appears in the November 2008 issue of the magazine and is available online at WomensHealthMag.com. It was compiled through a comprehensive screening process conducted by Castle Connolly’s physician-led team of researchers.

Using mail and telephone surveys and electronic ballots, physicians and the medical leadership at leading hospitals were asked to identify exceptional candidates. Each doctor’s experience was then thoroughly screened before a final selection was made.

Dr. Fenske’s special expertise in skin cancer and melanoma was noted. Melanoma is the second most common cancer in women in their late 20s, but when treated early the success rate tops 90 percent.

- Newsbrief by Anne DeLotto Baier, USF Health Communications

- Grant from American Academy of Dermatology will help build shade structure -

A local elementary school that partnered with USF Health dermatologist Neil Alan Fenske, MD, is one of 37 organizations nationwide to receive a 2008 Shade Structure Program Grant from the American Academy of Dermatology.

The $8,000 grant will support Cecile B. Essrig Elementary School’s fundraising initiative to build a pavilion that will cover the school’s existing outdoor basketball court. Essrig was one of only three schools in Florida receiving the AAD grant this year, and the only one in Hillsborough County.

The Proud Panther Pavilion is intended to help protect the school’s 800 students and their families and faculty from the damaging ultraviolet rays of Florida’s sun. The school currently has no gymnasium and all recreational activities are outdoors. The pavilion will be used during physical education and other outdoor classes, after-school recreational activities and school-wide events – many which occur during the peak sun hours of 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Dr. Fenske, endowed chair of the Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery and a long-time fellow of ADD, wrote the letter in support of Essrig’s Shade Structure Program grant. Grant applicants must be sponsored by an AAD dermatologist.

Over the last two years the school and its Parent Teacher Association (PTA) have raised more than $80,000 toward the $130,000 pavilion, and Essrig expects to break ground for the structure sometime this fall, said Kathy Murphy, PTA board member and grant writer.

"Dr. Fenske and his team at the USF Department of Dermatology have been very responsive and supportive of our sun safety protection program,” Murphy said. “Having a local academic dermatologist who is internationally known as a sponsor definitely adds credibility to our educational initiative."

“The grant is a real tribute to this PTA and school, which have been so proactive in demonstrating their commitment to sun safety,” Dr. Fenske said.

“It’s easier to persuade younger kids to use sunscreen, hats and other measures to protect their skin from sun overexposure than to try to convince teenagers,” he added. “Intervening early in life is best, because 80 percent of lifetime exposure to the sun occurs before age 18, and most skin cancers are caused by skin damaged in childhood.”

In late May, Dr. Fenske was interviewed about sun protection and skin cancer prevention by two elementary school students from Essrig – brothers Matthew, 10, and Daniel, 7, Lydon. The videotaped interview aired over the school’s closed circuit TV system the last week of school and will be rebroadcast for new students this fall.

Dr. Fenske also spoke with parents at the school’s end-of-the-year PTA family night on June 3, encouraging them to incorporate sun safety into their children’s outdoor activities and providing AAD brochures and bookmarks on the ABCs of safe fun in the sun. The Dermatology Department also plans to disseminate information to community sports programs frequented by Essrig students.

The AAD’s Shade Structure Program is supported by Johnson & Johnson. It is open to non-profit organizations or educational institutions serving children and teens under age 18, for permanent shade structures over outdoor locations not protected from the sun, such as playgrounds, pools, and other recreational areas.

This year more than 1 million new cases of skin cancer will be diagnosed in the United States. The American Cancer Society ranks Florida second in the country for incidents of skin cancer.

- Story by Anne DeLotto Baier, USF Health Communications

It happens every first Monday in May - Melanoma Monday- a decades old tradition at the USF Clinic and a potential life-saver for patients!

USF's Department of Dermatology & Cutaneous Surgery has held an "open-house" of sorts, openning their doors to the community for a night of free skin cancer screenings. By the hundreds patients come. The event brings together the university's skin cancer experts and medical residents with folks from across the Tampa Bay area - many of them "Melanoma Monday" veterans. This year's event falls on May 5th.

Melanoma Monday '08
May 5, 2008
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
USF Clinic - Zone A
12901 Bruce B. Downs Blvd.
Tampa FL 33612

"Melanoma Monday" is an annual event created by the American Academy of Dermatology to increase public awareness of this potentially fatal skin cancer. Dermatologists across the U.S.A. are donating their time and facilities to screen patients for melanoma," says Neil Fenske, MD, Chair of the USF Department of Dermatology & Cutaneous Surgery. "Many of these patients have limited access to care and for some this is their very first total skin examination! Numerous lives have been saved over the years due to the efforts of dermatologists, and Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery at USF Health is proud to be a leader in this endeavor."

Dr. Mary Lien

Mary Lien, MD, Assistant Professor of Dermatology & Cutaneous Surgery, USF College of Medicine and Chief of Dermatology, James Haley V.A. Hospital in Tampa, has seen it all over the years. From a skin cancer patient only in elementary school to the woman who lost part of her face and ear because she ignored the signs of cancer for years. "Some people will say ''Oh it's just a pimple.' referring to something growing on their skin. Well the pimple has been there for four years! It’s not going anywhere,” says Dr. Lien. “The power of denial is incredible!”

Dr. Lien takes advantage of every opportunity to talk to people about the importance of skin cancer screenings. This past April 15th, she spoke before a crowd of approximately 200 employees from the Florida Department of Transportation- bringing along photos of fingers, faces, arms, legs, even a penis, plagued by cancer. “The photos are not intended to be gross,” she told the standing room only crowd, “but pretty power-point slides don’t help you remember. I want these pictures to be ingrained in your minds, so that if you see anything that looks like this (referring to a photo on the screen) then you will go to the doctor to have it examined.”

On this particular outing at DOT District headquarters in Tampa, Lien does her talk with Dermatology Resident Donald Stranahan, MD. Not one to just stick to powerpoint, at one point, Lien calls out for volunteers to demonstrate how to properly check one’s scalp for signs of cancer. DOT employee Susetta Cannon is among the volunteers. Lien and Stranahan telling the crowd that even in cases like Cannon’s, who has a full head of hair, skin cancer lessions can occur. Combing through the woman’s hair with their finger tips, they search section by section. Lien gives the “how to’s” aloud and then sends the volunteer on her way. “I feel better now,” says Cannon, smiling as she walks back to her seat.

April 15, 2008. Florida Dept. of Transportation Safety Meeting, Tampa, FL. From L to R: Dr. Mary Lien, DOT employee Susetta Cannon and Medical Resident Donald Stranahan-1st year Dermatology resident.

“There was a terrific ‘buzz’ from the attendees after the presentation! Dr. Lien’s message was taken to heart and very well received,” said Patricia Short, Finance and Administration Operations Manager, Florida Department of Transportation, District 7. “Being a melanoma surgical patient myself, over the years I have researched and learned a lot about skin cancer. Even so, Dr. Lien presented information that was new to me. I was very pleased to have had the opportunity to see her presentation.”

Skin Cancer 101
Caught in time, the cure rate for the most common skin cancers, Basal Cell Carcinoma & Squamous, is 90% - 95%. The key is early detection and treatment. No one knows the exact causes of melanoma. Doctors can seldom explain why some individuals get melanoma and others do not. What researchers do know is that people with certain risk factors are more likely than others to develop melanoma. A risk factor is defined as anything that increases a person’s chance of developing a disease.

Below is a listing of factors & recommended measures for prevention provided by the National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute.

Known risk factors for melanoma…

Dysplastic nevi:
Dysplastic nevi are more likely than ordinary moles to become cancerous. Dysplastic nevi are common, and many people have a few of these abnormal moles. The risk of melanoma is greatest for people who have a large number of dysplastic nevi. The risk is especially high for people with a family history of both dysplastic nevi and melanoma.

Many moles (more than 50):
Having many moles increases the risk of developing melanoma.

Fair skin:
Melanoma occurs more frequently in people who have fair skin that burns or freckles easily. Individuals usually have red or blond hair and blue eyes. More at risk than individuals with dark skin.

Family history of melanoma or skin cancer:
People who have been treated for melanoma have a high risk of developing a second melanoma. Individuals who have had one or more of the common skin cancers (basal cell carcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma) are at increased risk of melanoma.

Family history of melanoma:
Melanoma sometimes runs in families. Having two or more close relatives who have had this disease is a risk factor. About 10 percent of all patients with melanoma have a family member with this disease. When melanoma runs in a family, all family members should be checked regularly by a doctor.

Weakened immune system:
Individuals whose immune system is weakened by certain cancers, by drugs given following organ transplantation, or by HIV are at increased risk of developing melanoma.

Severe, blistering sunburns:
Individuals who have had at least one severe, blistering sunburn as a child or teenager are at increased risk of melanoma. Because of this, doctors advise that parents protect children’s skin from the sun. Such protection may reduce the risk of melanoma later in life. Sunburns in adulthood are also a risk factor for melanoma.

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation:
Experts believe that much of the worldwide increase in melanoma is related to an increase in the amount of time people spend in the sun. This disease is also more common in people who live in areas that get large amounts of UV radiation from the sun. UV radiation from the sun causes premature aging of the skin and skin damage that can lead to melanoma. Artificial sources of UV radiation, such as sunlamps and tanning booths, also can cause skin damage and increase the risk of melanoma. Doctors encourage people to limit their exposure to natural UV radiation and to avoid artificial sources.

How to protect yourself from melanoma caused by UV radiation...
Avoid exposure to the midday sun (from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.) whenever possible. Experts say when your shadow is shorter than you are, protect yourself from the sun.
If you must be outside, wear long sleeves, long pants, and a hat with a wide brim.
Protect yourself from UV radiation that can penetrate light clothing, windshields, and windows, and UV radiation reflected by sand, water, snow, and ice.
Experts recommend sunscreen products that provide “broad-spectrum coverage.” Sunscreens are rated in strength according to a sun protection factor (SPF). The higher the SPF, the more sunburn protection is provided. Sunscreens with an SPF value of 2 to 11 provide minimal protection against sunburns. Sunscreens with an SPF of 12 to 29 provide moderate protection. Those with an SPF of 30 or higher provide the most protection against sunburn.
The label should specify that the lenses block at least 99 percent of UVA and UVB radiation.

OTHER LINKS…

“Hairdressers - Unexpected Allies in the Battle Against Skin Cancer”

Dr. Neil Fenske, Chair of USF Department of Dermatology & Cutaneous Surgery.
To link to Dr. Fenske's Tampa Tribune columns on skin cancer prevention, click below.
- Skin cancer
- Sun screen abuse
- Scalp cancer
- Tanning beds

Click here to view National Institutes of Health on Melanoma

Unexpected Ally in the Fight Against Skin Cancer

Over the scalp she goes – running her fingers, parting the hair, scanning it inch by inch. When you sit in the chair of this hairdresser, you’re getting more than a haircut!

Thrisha Rom scans the scalps of her clients looking for possible signs of cancer. She’s a hairdresser on double-duty – creating fabulous hairstyles and doing her part to save clients from the ravages of skin cancer.

“You can’t check your own scalp the way someone else can who’s standing over you”, says the 53 year old hairdresser from Land o’ Lakes. “Because we (hairdressers) have that physical contact with people, we’re more aware of the things that may show up. With a client that’s been in your chair a couple of times you notice things that may not have been there before.”

Rom has been a hairdresser for 35 years. She started taking a more "clinical" approach to clients' heads 20 years ago. Becoming a mom was the turning point in her life – inspiring her to start looking for ways to “help people stay healthy”. Her choice: battling cancer from the salon chair.

“When I’m working with a client, I’m trying to get a ‘vision’ of where they want to go with their hair. Then, I look at the hair to see what I can actually do”, explains Rom. “I’m going through their hair with the comb to see what might get in the way, like a scar or a cowlick. As I’m doing that, it’s easy to see the scalp. If I see something that’s a red flag, I let them know.”

Rom is the first to admit she’s “no doctor”. When she spots a lesion on the scalp, a worrisome spot, discoloration, or “something raised" Rom recommends a trip to the dermatologist. On the day we visited with her, Rom was hard at work at the JC Penny Salon in Wesley Chapel explaining to clients what she was doing as she ran her fingers through their hair. She's always done that, she says, in every salon she's worked in - from Maryland to Florida. She's proud of the fact she’s never had a single client pass up on the chance to have their scalp checked. Asked if anyone ever came back with a life-threatening diagnosis, Rom says with relief, “I’ve been very lucky. Most people come back with a good report.”

"I laud her for what she's doing!" says Dr. Neil Alan Fenske, Chairman of the Department of Dermatology & Cutaneous Surgery at the University of South Florida, College of Medicine. "I encourage ALL hairdressers to do this. It's a noble thing. I actually tell my patients, 'have your hairdresser examine your head when your hair is wet.' That's when they can actually see the spots."

While Dr. Fenske points out that most skin cancers on the scalp are not discovered by hairdressers, he encourages professionals in that industry to follow in Rom's footsteps. "It would be a great service to their clients and to the community at large. I don't expect them to make a diagnosis. That's not their training, but if they can simply point out any lumps, bumps or sores, that individual can bring it to the attention of their dermatologist. That would be mission accomplished!"

In an ironic twist of fate, two years ago it was a client in the hairdresser's chair who spotted the first signs of cancer on Rom. The client urged Rom to go to the doctor to have the small bump on her eye checked. When Rom did, doctors found Basal Cell Carcinoma.

“Here I was thinking it was a blocked duct. It almost looked like a pimple”, she recalls. “When you see the pictures and read the description of skin cancer lesions, this one just didn’t fit! I dug at it one time and it started bleeding. I had my 80 year old client in the chair one day, and she's had things (skin cancer cells) taken off her face before, and she said I needed to go.” Looking back, the veteran hairdresser admits she was uneasy being on the other side of the equation. “I was scared. I was thinking, ‘oh God, how far is this going to go?’”.

Rom put her skin in the hands of specialists at the USF Clinic's Dept. of Dermatology & Cutaneous Surgery. She’s now living cancer free. The team is lead by Dr. Fenske, a thirty year veteran in dermatology and a specialist in skin cancer. More than 21,700 patients were treated last year by USF's experts in dermatology. Of those patients, 5,105 were new.

"Skin cancer on the scalp is uncommon when a patient has a full head of hair, but it still occurs", says Dr. Fenske. "When it does happen, it's likely Basal Cell Carcinoma and, in rare cases, Melanoma." With patients who are bald or have thinning hair, Dr. Fenske says Squamos Cell Carcinoma is more common. The latter form of cancer is most clearly linked to day to day sun exposure. "Basal Cell Carcinomas are caused by sun exposure, yes, but we know other factors play a role. Scientists just don't know what they all are", says Dr. Fenske.

According to the American Academy of Dermatology, more than 1 million new cases of skin cancer will be diagnosed in the U.S. in 2007. The statistics become incredibly personal when you consider the data that indicates 1 in 5 Americans will develop some form of skin cancer in their lifetime. Melanoma is the second most common form of skin cancer attacking women ages 20 – 29 and the most deadly among older Caucasian men.

The top four warning signs are: asymmetry (one half is unlike the other), irregular border (scalloped or poorly circumscribed borders), color variation (especially red, white & blue) and a diameter greater than a pencil eraser (approximately 6mm).

While the danger signs are most often found on the skin, some skin cancers can develop in areas not even exposed to sunlight. In a recent article for the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, Dr. Fenske wrote about mucosal melanomas found inside the mouth, the female genital tract, anal/rectal tract, and urinary tract sites. With that in mind, its no wonder that specialists balk at the notion that a full head of hair means no chance of cancer.

In the face of such uncertainty, a total body skin examination remains the best preventive medicine - one that includes the often-ignored scalp and even the soles of the feet.

Hairdresser Thrisha Rom with long-time client Lisa Schaefermeyer, a former adjunct professor in the USF Dept. of Psychiatry. Clients have come to expect the "extra" attention Rom gives to keep customers healthy.

Story by Lissette Campos, USF Health Communications
Photography by Eric Younghans, USF Health Media Center

IN THE ZONE...

With her knack for decorating, Carmen Guzman has helped make Dermatology an award-winning zone in the USF Health Clinic for the past 10 years.

It starts every year in September and by Halloween the explosion of color and festive décor is impossible to miss! If you’re ‘in the zone’ of changing leaves, smiling pumpkins & scarecrows, pilgrims and mistletoe, chances are you’re at the medical clinic of USF Health.

It’s a four month extravaganza of color and festive holiday décor that starts with the first Fall breeze in September and stays up through January! All of it thanks to the enthusiastic staff at the clinic on Bruce B. Downs Blvd and Holly Avenue, located on the university campus of USF Health.

“It makes us feel good because the patients love it so much”, says Carmen Guzman, the self described “provocateur” in the bunch. For ten years straight, Carmen in Zone A-Dermatology has beat out the competition – almost always the first to decorate. “As soon as Labor Day is over, I start telling the girls ‘Okay, it’s time!’

Meet some of the Decorating Divas who help transform the clinic.

More than 100 staff employees in a handful of “zones” transform the entire clinic. It’s a clinic tradition thanks to a close-knit group of veterans who started this more than a decade ago.

Darlene Walden in Zone B- General Medicine and Pediatrics is the unofficial “den mother”, showering colleagues across zones with trinkets and gadgets for display each year.

Among the core group of veteran decorating divas, by zone: Carmen Guzman in A, Darlene Walden and Christina Riley in B, Shari Steffer in C, and Joan Vinci and Nicholle Bennett in E. Near the X-ray machines, Lydia Gaponiuk (EEG-EMG Labs) has been delighting patients for 25 years with her decorations. 15-year veteran Corleen Crowley works her magic from atop a ladder. Radiology colleague, Angela Conahey, is her right hand.

“This year has been so ‘loquito’ – a bit crazy, says Ms. Crowley in Spanglish. “Right now, I have a full size broom out on deck with skeletons and tiny witches. The broom even has a parking tag, so it’s perfectly legal!” she jokes.

Corleen Crowley in the X-ray Department poses for a picture with her broom - fully equipped with a parking tag!

“The patients love it from the minute they walk in”, says Ms. Guzman. “Our patients will stand at the desk and say ‘I love your decorations! Everything looks so beautiful. Are ya’ll having a competition?’”

According to veteran staffers, some patients will even schedule their doctor appointments around the clinic’s decorating extravaganza. Sherri Steffer, a 20-year veteran & staffer in Zone D- Family Medicine says “I’ve had patients say: ‘Well, my doctor wants me to come back in three months but that’ll be the New Year, but that means I’ll miss the decorations. So, can you schedule me in December instead, so that I can see them?’ They just love it so much!”

Clinic staffers say the decorating goes beyond getting in the holiday spirit. They describe it as their way of helping take care of patients. “At USF Health, it’s not just patients and doctors. Our patients are taken care of on many levels”, says Ms. Guzman. “At the front desks, we’re doing our part too. It’s about making our patients feel better, inside and out.” Staffers say the smiling pumpkins and candy cane lights help some patients feel less nervous about the ailments or scheduled surgeries that bring them to the clinic. “They’ll tell us that they’re nervous when they come in, but then the decorations give them something else to think about.” says Ms. Guzman, “It helps when we can talk about something else that doesn’t have anything to do with their procedures. It sets a totally different tone.”

Staffers tell touching stories of elderly patients reminiscing about their own traditions in holidays past. “Some of them tell us that coming here reminds them of when they were still active enough to decorating at home”, says Ms. Guzman noting that one female patient surprised her by arriving for her doctor’s visit carrying a collection of Easter decorations. “She brought me all of her Easter stuff!” says Ms. Guzman with a broad smile. “She said ‘Since you all decorate, I’d like you to use the things I used in my home.”

And after a moment of reflection concludes for the entire group, “It’s definitely a bonding experience!”

From L to R: Decorating Divas Corleen Crowley and Lydia Gaponiuk. Ms. Gaponiuk holds the winning record - winning the clinic's only two "official" Holiday Decorating Contests. She first won in the early 90's and in 1998 sharing the win with with Ms. Crowley.

To the entire staff at the USF Health Clinic, we salute you! Space limitations prevent us from listing everyone's names - know that you are much appreciated!!!

Story by Lissette Campos, USF Health Communications
Photography by Eric Younghans, USF Health Media Center

Stephen K. Klasko, MD, MBA, Vice President of USF Health and Dean of the USF College of Medicine has been awarded the 2007 Health Care Heroes Award for Health Care Education. This year's award in Health Care Innovation & Research goes to William S. Dalton, PhD, MD, President & CEO of H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and a Professor of Interdisciplinary Oncology in the USF College of Medicine.

The Tampa Bay Business Journal announced this year's awards during a ceremony, October 11th. In all, there were 33 finalists from throughout the Tampa Bay area. A total of fourteen finalists were faculty members from USF Health. The Journal's 2007 Health Care Heroes – sponsored this year by Fowler White Boggs Banker, MAG Mutual, SunTrust Bank and AVSS – awards individuals and organizations in the community who have a major impact on the quality of health provided to area residents.

Congratulations to Dr. Klasko and to all our finalists!

USF Health finalists for 2007 Health Care Heroes:

COMMUNITY OUTREACH: Barbara Morris, MS, assistant director, The SMART Institute; Lynn N. Ringenberg, MD, division chief, general pediatrics, USF Pediatrics - Ronald McDonald Care Mobile.

HEALTH CARE EDUCATOR: Stephen Klasko, MD, MBA, vice president, USF Health/dean, College of Medicine; Jenny Molloy, ARNP, instructor, USF College of Nursing; Richard J. Schrot, MD, course director, physical diagnosis, USF College of Medicine.

HEALTH CARE INNOVATION AND RESEARCH: William S. Dalton, PhD, MD, president/chief executive officer, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute; Richard Heller, PhD, professor, USF, College of Medicine; Shyam S. Mohapatra, MD, professor, USF, James A. Haley VA Hospital; Gwendolyn P. Quinn, MD, associate professor, USF.

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT: Neil A. Fenske, MD, professor, chairman, USF Department of Dermatology & Cutaneous Surgery; John I. Malone, MD, professor, USF.

MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL - PHYSICIAN: G. Douglas, Letson, MD, professor, director/division chief, USF/H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute; Vincent D. Perron, MD, physician, USF College of Medicine, Geriatrics; Carlos A. Santana, MD, associate professor/director, USF.

Click on Tampa Bay Business Journal for expanded coverage of the 2007 Health Care Heroes Awards.

Story by Sarah Worth

For two hours, they looked for clues on dozens of backs, the soles of feet, scalps, legs and arms – the team from USF Health Dermatology on a mission to spot any signs of skin cancer on the bodies of faculty and staff in the university’s Athletics Department. With the “great outdoors” as their classroom, athletic coaches and staff know their chances of over exposure to the sun’s harmful rays are higher. On August 9th, the university’s “Health” side of the house helped take care of the “Athletics” side.

In the upcoming year, USF Health Dermatology will be adding the skin cancer screenings to Athletic's "pre-participation physicals" for all USF student-athletes. In the photo, USF Bulls linebacker Brouce Mompremier gets advice from Dr. Neil Fenske, Chair of the Department of Dermatology & Cutaneous Surgery, and two dermatology residents.

For USF's Assistant Athletic Director,Steve Walz, and USF Health’s Chairman of Dermatology, Dr. Neil Fenske, it was a marriage made in heaven. The two collaborated to organize full body screenings on location, at the USF Athletic Center - leaving employees no excuse to avoid the potentially life saving examinations. When it was all said and done, approximately 35 faculty and staff from the USF Athletics Department had been screened. To chairman Fenske's surprise, nearly a dozen individuals will need further evaluation after skin legions were discovered during the examinations.

"Our coaches, athletic trainers, equipment managers, and field staff spend a great deal of time in the sun and we wanted to make sure that the exposure wasn’t hurting them, as well as educating them on prevention", said Steve Walz, who is also Athletic's Director of Sports Medicine. "Dr. Fenske has been an integral part of athletics for so many years as a team physician and a supporter that it was a great fit. His generosity and tremendous staff will help keep our athletics staff and student-athletes safe from the sun.”

Dr. Fenske, a longtime fan of Bulls athletics, calls it a privilege and a joy to screen "these wonderful employees in our athletics department, which I’ve been actively involved with for so many years and to personally interact with the new coaches, trainers and personnel".

Dr. Fenske notes that the scalp and soles of your feet are often times the last places people check for skin cancer. In reality, melanoma can develop anywhere on the skin. The back is another spot that's often ignored because self-examination is not easily done.

The skin screening, partnering USF Health Dermatology and USF Athletics, is the first of its kind. The results are strong ammunition for more frequent and expanded screenings of individuals involved with university athletics. Of the 35 or so faculty and staff screened, nearly half of them will require further evaluation because of worrisome legions discovered on August 9th.

"I was very concerned to see just how much sun damage was present. Several of them have lesions that definitely need to be followed up on by us and many need to be more aggressive about how they protect their skin", said Dr. Fenske. "Many were doing just cursory protection, perhaps wearing a hat, but not sunscreen, or using sunscreen sporadically, but not protective clothing. In athletics, we talk about “seeking shade” whenever possible, but the truth is many trainers and coaches don't do it as often as they should because it's a challenge when you’re outdoors working with the athletes. I strongly believe this is the case with athletics faculty and staff at universities across the country", said Dr. Fenske. "The good news at USF is that we have leaders like Steve Walz who go the extra mile to protect their people and request these screenings for the entire team. Walz came to us because he wants to help preserve the skin health of all of Athletic's employees and he should be lauded for that. This should be the standard at universities across the country!"

“We can potentially save lives”, said Nurse Nancy Crespo, Department Manager of Clinical Operations in Dermatology & Cutaneous Surgery. Nurse Crespo and Chairman Fenske were part of the Dermatology team that conducted the full body screenings for the university's Athletics Department. Also part of the team were Dr. Phillip Shenefelt, eight student-residents in dermatology, and medical assistants Susan Mayer and Alisa Vance.

For over twenty years, the Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery in the university's medical school has screened thousands of Tampa Bay residents during its annual “Melanoma Monday”. The free community event is held each year on the first Monday in May at the USF Clinic, located on the campus, near Bruce B. Downs Blvd. and Fletcher Avenue. On average, between 100 - 150 patients are screened during the two hour event.

Story by Lissette Campos