Local Autistic 5 Year Old Finds Help Through Occupational Therapy

Leona Rhodes is an energetic 5 year old who just started kindergarten.

Something her mom didn't think was possible a year ago.

"My son is only 18 months older than her and it was like years difference in their developmental skills," says Melissa Rhodes.

At the age of four when Leona couldn't identify letters of the alphabet or write her name, mom knew it was time to get help.

Beating Breast Cancer

One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer.  Self-exams and screening mammograms are helping increase survival rates.

Carlene Harper went in for a screening mammogram.  That test lead to another, which helped doctors identify a very small breast cancer.

What it Means to be a Trauma Center

Survival rates increase significantly when severely injured patients are taken to a trauma center. doctors say trauma injuries range from work place accidents to gunshot wounds...but most of them are car and motorcycle accidents.

Hip Arthroscopy

At one time, hip pain lead to complicated treatment and a possible hip replacement.

Now a minimally invasive procedure is allowing patients to avoid hip replacement and recover faster.  The advanced surgery is known as Hip Arthroscopy.

Orthopedic Surgeon Dr. Michael Adams says, "with two or three small incisions, we can get inside the hip joint to look and treat different disease processes."  He says the recovery time is much shorter than if a patient needed a hip replacement.

Less Invasive Treatment for Abdominal Aneurysms

Five percent of the American population has an abdominal aortic aneurysm and most have no clue they could be a ticking time bomb. To make matters worse, there really aren't any symptoms. If it ruptures, large amounts of blood can spill in the abdominal cavity, leading to death within a matter of minutes. The good news is, once you know it's there it can be removed. Now a Bay County doctor has a much less invasive way to get rid it.

Bay Medical Center Officials Warn Against Texting and Driving

The American Trauma Society says 20% of all the 2009 traffic accidents resulting in injuries came about because of distracted driving.

That’s why Bay Medical Center Trauma officials are raising awareness about the issue.

Currently, Florida law does not prohibit sending text messages or using a cell phone while driving.
Many health officials believe, if more people used common sense on the roads, there would be fewer deaths as a result.

Surgeon Glenn Summers is the Trauma Medical Director at Bay Medical Center.
He says he’s seen too many people in his surgery room, that shouldn’t have been there.

Bay Medical Receives Level II Trauma Designation

Bay Medical has received approval to serve as a Designated Level II Trauma Center from the Florida Department of Health, Office of Trauma effective May 1, 2012.  Bay Medical is the first and only designated trauma center in Trauma Service Area Two, consisting of Bay, Gulf, Washington and Holmes counties and is the only center between Pensacola and Tallahassee in Northwest Florida and is one of 28 in the entire state.

Cure for Whiplash Related Headaches

Whiplash from car accidents can lead to severe, long term headaches.

Panama City Neurosurgeon Dr. Joel Franck has developed a revolutionary way to deal with the pain.

Nysha Baker, 22, was involved in a car accident.  She says the accident caused severe headaches that made it difficult for her to function.

"I thought my life was changed, but I got my life back," said Nysha.

Bay Medical Celebrates Privatization Deal

Two days after finalizing the Bay Medical Center lease and asset purchase agreement, joint venture executives and hospital staff celebrated the historic deal Wednesday.

Sacred Heart Health System and LHP Hospital Group hosted a luncheon for employees outside Bay Medical's main entrance.  Later, physicians and community leaders were guests at a reception.

"I've worked here for thirty two years and this is a beginning for Bay Medical Center," said Sheila Tison, Nurse Manager.  "It's wonderful."

Hospital partners welcome Bay Med employees

Bay Medical Center Sacred Heart Health System officials told employees Wednesday the new capital structure that eliminated the hospital’s outstanding debt will position the hospital to grow and improve.

Hospital employees were invited to a lunch to celebrate the change in governance and the end of the uncertainty the employees felt with the fate of the former not-for-profit at the mercy of the banks that were holding the debt.