Dr. Manuel Molina, principal investigator

Lakeland Regional Cancer Center (LRCC) is proud to have been initiated as the only enrolling site in the eastern United States for a metastatic melanoma clinical trial.  LRCC is now in the process of screening patients.

The trial, which is developed by OncoSec Medical Incorporated, is designed to assess local and distant objective response following treatment of cutaneous melanoma lesions with DNA IL-12 and electroporation with a primary endpoint of 24 weeks. One treatment cycle will consist of three treatments applied to up to four lesions on days 1, 5 and 8 with a maximum dose of 1.5 mg DNA IL-12 per treatment cycle. At 12 months, patients will be moved to the follow-up phase of the study and will be followed for up to five years for safety.

“Data from the Phase I study was very impressive, which demonstrated that the therapy was not only safe but also provided durable therapeutic benefit,” said Manuel Molina, MD, Surgical Oncologist and LRCC principal investigator on this trial.  “Advancing into a Phase II study is encouraging and is important for validation of results seen in the Phase I study. We look forward to participating in this trial.”

“Lakeland Regional Cancer Center is a state-of-the-art clinical site and represents an important center of excellence that will add value to enrollment targets and expertise by participating in the study,” said Punit Dhillon, OncoSec President and CEO.

Melanoma is the most serious form of skin cancer. If it is recognized and treated early, it is almost always curable, but if it is not, the cancer can advance and spread to other parts of the body, where it becomes hard to treat and can be fatal. While it is not the most common of the skin cancers, it causes the most deaths. The American Cancer Society estimates that at present, about 123,000 new cases of melanoma in the US are diagnosed in a year, resulting in approximately 10,000 deaths. Melanoma originates in melanocytes, the cells which produce the pigment melanin that colors our skin, hair, and eyes. The majority of melanomas are black or brown, but often they can also be skin-colored, pink, red, purple, blue or white. Currently, there remains few treatment options for patients with late stage metastatic disease that can extend survival for the broad population.

For more information on this trial or to find out if you are a candidate, please call 863-904-1900.  To learn more about LRCC and its clinical trials program, please visit www.lrmc.com/cancer-center.

Over the years, Marsha has served on the procedures and standards nursing governance council and as the chairperson of the Mother/Baby Unit Based Council.

“I can think of no one more deserving of this honor than Marsha,” said Nicole Escowitz, RN, MSN, Mother/Baby Unit Manager. “She is an incredible preceptor and ambassador on our unit and has been instrumental in implementing ideas for our Unit Based Council. She is extremely caring and a true motivator to us all.”

“When I first came to Lakeland Regional, Marsha told me she was excited to work with me and made me feel at home on our unit. From that moment, I knew who I could go to when I had a question or a need,” said Jenny Glisson, RN, BSN, WTL.

Marsha is certified in inpatient obstetrics and looks forward to obtaining her bachelor’s degree in nursing. On a personal level, Marsha enjoys reading, gardening, walking and spending time with her husband and two sons.

Sharlet serves as the manager of Trauma ICU and inpatient rehabilitation services. In her role, she oversees these two departments with the goal of providing exceptional outcomes. Sharlet is known among her team members for providing a “culture of learning” environment, and those who work alongside her say her down-to-earth personality makes their team better.

“Sharlet is encouraging, supportive, and an incredible role model. She knows what it means to collaborate with others to improve patient care, and she creates a fun environment within the workplace,” said Carrie Ogilvie, DNP, ACNS-BC, CCRN; director of Critical Care and Trauma Services.

When Sharlet is not working, she enjoys spending time outdoors at her children’s sporting activities and says soccer takes her on adventures all over the state. One day Sharlet hopes to spend more time traveling when her children go off to college and always plans to grow professionally within the critical care field.

“We are excited to share this challenge with our employees, as the health and wellness of our workforce is a strategic priority for us,” said Karen Mitchell, MBA, SPHR, CBP, CCP, Lakeland Regional’s Total Rewards & HRIS director. “Recently, the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index ranked Lakeland and Winter Haven among its 10 most obese areas in the United States, and this is one way our employees, along with their families and friends, are fighting that statistic.” 

The Tampa Bay Walk to the Moon Challenge is free and open to the entire community, and it offers prizes and an incredible online resource for those who participate.

“The web-based software allows you to track your activity, download a walking plan, and even start a nutrition diary,” said Mitchell. “It offers tips, heart-healthy recipes and a grocery list builder.  It is motivating to see all of these things in one place, and it helps participants make healthy choices throughout the day. 

Lakeland Regional strives to extend its culture of health to the community, and individuals throughout the Polk County area (and beyond) are invited join the “LRMC Moon Walkers” team.  To join, go to www.startwalkingnow.org and follow these steps:

• Click Register (orange tab).
• Fill in required fields (Name, email, etc.).
• For Company Name, click link “search for Company Name.”  Input ONE BAY for company name.  A box will appear. Type “One Bay” and select “One Bay Walk Challenge.”
• For department/team field, enter LRMC Moon Walkers.  The name must be exact.
• Create a password.
• Enter your health information. Please note that this information will remain confidential. It is simply used for accurate calculations for physical activities conversions.
• In order to win the prizes, it is important that you select the first box under “Preferences.” No one will see your personal information, but if you do not select this box, your miles will not be credited to you as an individual, and you will not be eligible for the One Bay’s Walk to the Moon Challenge prizes.
• Click “Submit.”
• You will receive an email with a guide to using your tracking tool.

 “Through a little friendly competition and these tremendous resources, the Walk to the Moon challenge is helping make us excited about getting healthy,” said Mitchell.

 For more information on the Tampa Bay Walk to the Moon Challenge, or to be a part of the “LRMC Moon Walkers” team, please go to www.LRMC.com.

Darren Sussman, a life saved because of an organ donor

Lakeland Regional is proud of its partnership with LifeLink of Florida, a non-profit community service organization dedicated to the recovery of organs and tissues for transplantation. In recent years, Lakeland Regional has been honored with numerous awards for tremendous outcomes in this area. Even more, as healthcare providers, many of our employees see the life-saving impact of organ donation first-hand.

For every transplant recipient saved and each donor who gives the gift of life, the effects ripple into the lives of their loved ones and friends, as well as every person influenced by their story in the future.

Darren Sussman, a kidney and pancreas recipient can attest to this fact. Not only can he see how transplantation has impacted his life, and that of each of his family and friends, he also shares a close bond with the family of his organ donor, Casey. This allows him to know how donation has helped Casey’s family through the grieving process and, while it doesn’t quell the pain of the loss of their loved one, they say it has a way of easing the hurt. 

April is Donate Life Month, and to celebrate, Lakeland Regional is encouraging more people to become organ donors. More than 130,000 men, women and children are awaiting a lifesaving transplant today in the United States. To learn more about donation or to register your wishes to become a donor, sign up on Florida’s donor registry at www.DonateLifeFlorida.org. Don’t forget to indicate your affiliation with Lakeland Regional so LifeLink of Florida can track how many people were inspired by our efforts.

To hear more about Darren’s story, search YouTube for the documentary style film “The Casey Connection.”

To learn more about LifeLink, visit www.lifelinkfound.org.

Pillars4Life program to help individuals affected by cancer

 Lakeland – April 10, 2012 – Because of votes of individuals throughout our community, we are pleased to announce that Lakeland Regional was named as a LIVESTRONG Community Impact Project award recipient. The project, Pillars4Life, was created by the Lance Armstrong Foundation, the non-profit founded by the cancer survivor and champion cyclist to serve people affected by cancer and empower them to take action.

 “We are thrilled to be named as a LIVESTRONG Community Impact Project award recipient,” said Carol Fox, RN, MSN, CPHQ, CPMSM, ACM, medical affairs director at Lakeland Regional. “This award will directly impact our ability to support those in our community who are affected by cancer. We want to offer our appreciation to those who voted in support of this program. Together, we’re making a difference in the lives of cancer survivors and their families in our area.”

 “By investing in these bold and innovative cancer support programs, the Lance Armstrong Foundation is providing inspiration and empowerment to area residents so they can band together as a community to face cancer head-on,” said Doug Ulman, the Lance Armstrong Foundation president and CEO. 

 During the online voting campaign, which took place over a two-week period, more than 450,000 votes were cast and Lakeland Regional was among its award recipients.

 Pillars4Life is a patient and caregiver support program that has been proven to enhance the quality of life for cancer patients and it allows hospitals and their social workers to more efficiently triage and attend to the psychosocial needs of a much greater number of patients.

 “We are excited to connect this new resource to patients and families, throughout our community, who are affected by cancer,” said Fox.

 Additional information, including how patients and families can access this resource, will be released in the weeks and months ahead.  For more information about the LIVESTRONG Foundation and Pillars4Life, please go to www.LIVESTRONG.org.

Elaine Thompson, PhD, President and CEO, joined the Lakeland Regional team in September 2010. Since then, she has remained committed to delivering quality and safe healthcare to patients and their families. Lakeland Regional Medical Center is an 851-bed hospital that houses the busiest single-site ER in the state, as well as a Level II Trauma Center and Level II NICU. Dr. Thompson is leading Lakeland Regional in its conversion to electronic medical records. In past roles, she served as president of the Lankenau Hospital (Wynnewood, Pa.) from 2006 until 2010, and executive vice president and chief operating officer of St. Luke’s Hospital and Health Network (Coaldale, Pa.).

The distinguished list also includes Tampa General Hospital’s Ronald Hytoff and BayCare Health System’s Stephen Mason, as well as, CEOs from Mayo Clinic, Johns Hopkins, Cleveland Clinic and Shands.

For more information on Lakeland Regional, visit www.lrmc.com.

For a complete list of Becker’s Hospital Review “100 Non-Profit Hospital, Health System CEOs to Know,” visit http://www.beckershospitalreview.com/lists/100-non-profit-hospital-health-system-ceos-to-know.html.