PPOA Patient Care Champions – Eric Shelton

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ERIC SHELTON – PHYSICIAN’S ASSISTANT, TAMPA

Our employees are all patient care champions, but some go the extra mile and we want to give them the recognition they deserve. They embody the PPOA values known as S.I.T.E. – Safety, Integrity, Teamwork, Empathy – which informs our service to patients and the community through high quality health care. 

As a physician’s assistant in PPOA’s busiest Florida pain clinic  – Habana Avenue-Tampa – Eric Shelton, PA-C is known for his medical acumen and kindness to patients. Both are qualities he honed at a young age. He was only two when he was diagnosed with type I diabetes – and spent a lot of time in doctors’ offices.

“As I got older, I was able to recognize what a pleasant office visit was versus being passed through like a number,” he says. “Having such an experience helped me to see healthcare from a patient’s point of view. I developed the desire to help others within the healthcare field.”

A native of Johnson City, Tenn., he and his family moved to Lakeland, Fla. when Shelton was seven. After graduating from George Jenkins High School and Polk State College, he earned a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Science from the University of South Florida in Tampa.

After working as a biomedical engineering tech for a medical device company, he realized his calling was patient care – the type he had received. But he faced an obstacle getting into PA school:

“The requirements were very stringent. They wanted 1,000 to 2,000 hours of direct patient care just to apply. My wife, Beatriz, picked up a second job so I could work as a medical assistant for free,” he recalls. “I worked 10-hour days nonstop, weekends included, with no pay. My wife picked up that full responsibility, which was very challenging.”

Eventually, Eric Shelton earned a Masters in Physician’s Assistant Studies at Le Moyne College in Syracuse, NY. He came to PPOA in April 2017 after working in orthopedics and neurosurgery. “I was taught to do several procedures that we do here and got to do them myself, so I have knowledge of what the process is before and after and what the expectations are,” he says.

“He has really taken his time to learn the company and to share his wealth of knowledge with other staff members, including myself, in order to make PPOA-Habana a ‘Clinic of Excellence,'” says regional supervisor Mary McKay.

If his experience as a patient and on-the-job training formed the foundation of his care philosophy, his education gave it focus.

“My medical training in PA school was Jesuit. They taught us to treat patients with a holistic approach. So you take all things into consideration,” he says. “You don’t go in closed-minded. You listen, you pay attention and you begin to put a treatment plan together.”

That dedication to patient care shines through, with patients giving him high marks on reputation and social media sites.

“I have personally seen the patients come to check out all smiles and raving about his bedside manner, how he always listens to their concerns and how they really feel cared for after a visit with him,” says McKay.

“Sometimes the longest part of the visit is just sitting and listening and hearing someone,” says Shelton. “But you gain so much information from just being attentive. The treatment plan just becomes more simplified. You give them time and attention, which sometimes they have not been able to receive. The heavier demands in the medical field continue to reduce the amount of time that providers have with their patients but it’s one of the key components that allow you to have a well-developed, well thought-out treatment plan.”

Beatriz Shelton is now completing her last semester in nursing school, and their son, Elijah, is about to turn three. With his career in interventional pain management in full swing, Eric Shelton plans to continue helping patients lead a pain-free life.

“I never want to stop learning,” he says. “The more I can learn, the better a provider I become.”

 

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PPOA Patient Care Champions – Terica Cox

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TERICA COX – REGIONAL MANAGER, TEXAS

Our employees are all patient care champions, but some go the extra mile and we want to give them the recognition they deserve. They embody the PPOA values known as S.I.T.E. – Safety, Integrity, Teamwork, Empathy – which informs our service to patients and the community through high quality health care. 

Terica Cox manages her Texas clinical teams on one key principle: “I tell them that we are all one fall away from being a patient ourselves and we should treat patients the way we would want to be treated,” she says.

It comes in part from personal experience. A lifelong Dallas resident, Cox says her mother suffered a bout of sickness and had to have several emergency surgeries. “Healthcare intrigued me. I wanted to learn more about it and how I could help my mom in her time of need,” she says.

That led her to study at PCI Health Training Center in Dallas and become a certified medical assistant (CMA). She worked in a variety of specialties including occupational medicine, cardiology, labor and delivery, and internal medicine, before finding pain management.

“I love patient care. I love specialty, so anything that’s a specialty allows me to learn new things. I like to learn new things all the time,” she says.

She joined PPOA in November 2014, in a position that was then known as a clinical coordinator, in the Grapevine location, now closed. She was later promoted to practice manager of the North Dallas clinic, and assumed her regional manager position in 2016.

She now oversees practice managers in Carrollton, Desoto, Frisco, McKinney and Richardson, plus two Capstone Pain and Spine partner clinics.

 

“I love the relationships you build with patients because these are the people you see every month,” she says. “Knowing we’re making a difference, seeing patients relieved of some of their pain, is rewarding to me.”

For Terica Cox, that means not only making sure patients receive excellent health care, but also asking them about their day, or a recent vacation, or their children. She embodies the patient-focused concept of AIDET and instills it in the people she supervises.

She is also known for both leadership and interpersonal skills. “I want to be the kind of manager that people feel they can come to and talk about anything,” she says. “I try to make it personable and be approachable.”

She has been known to invite team members for holiday dinners, check on those who are sick, or just call and say hello to someone she hasn’t heard from in a while.

“Terica Cox is very passionate about every patient having a great experience,” says Rhonda Boysen, Cox’s supervisor. “I’ve also found her to be engaged and resourceful to providers and support staff in her clinics.”

As you might imagine, family is everything to Cox. She and her husband have two daughters: Nature, who turns 24 this year, and Breyanna, 11.

Nature is following in her mother’s footsteps, taking classes toward her nursing degree. Mother and daughter are study partners, too: Cox is now working on her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree at West Coast University in Dallas.

“I look forward to continuing to learn and grow,” she says.

 

 

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PPOA Partners with Pain Relief Centers

Alliance expands services in Tampa Bay region –

To enhance its services and expand care for more patients in the Tampa Bay area, Physician Partners of America (PPOA) is proud to announce a professional partnership with Pain Relief Centers. Based in Pinellas Park, Fla., PRC opened offices in St. Petersburg and Sun City Center on Dec. 3.

“This partnership effectively creates the largest single interventional pain management group in the Bay area,” said Josh Helms, CEO of Physician Partners of America.

Tampa-based PPOA opened its doors in 2013 and has nearly 30 locations throughout Florida and Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas. It offers a wide variety of healthcare services under its umbrella, including pain management, laser spine procedures, orthopedic treatment, mental health and counseling, and primary care.

Together, the two companies offer Bay area residents interventional pain clinics, AAAHC-accredited ambulatory (outpatient) surgery centers and level 2 procedure suites.

The PRC St. Petersburg clinic, 5767 49th Street, St. Petersburg, Fla. 33709, moved from its longtime location at West Park Surgery Center, 6640 78th Avenue N. in Pinellas Park.

That surgery center will be expanded and utilized by the St. Petersburg clinic, which is three miles away. Its resident pain management physician, Thanh T. Le, M.D., has moved to the St. Petersburg location. He is joined by new physicians John Keyvn Otero, M.D, Robert Guirguis, D.O., and nurse practitioners Linda Ngwa and Georgette Bouwhuis.

The Sun City Center clinic, located at 725 Cortaro Drive, Sun City Center, Fla., 33573, primarily serves southwestern Hillsborough County. Its primary specialist is Hector Cases, MD.  A nearby outpatient surgery center serving the clinic is expected to break ground soon.

The Lakewood Ranch clinic is at 6310 Health Parkway, Suite No. 320, Lakewood Ranch, Fla. 34202. Expected to open in January 2019, it will be staffed by pain management specialist John Scott Adams, M.D.

“The areas into which we are expanding through this partnership are underserved in various pain management subspecialties. Through our alliance with Pain Relief Centers, we are proud to be able to offer more people the chance to live a pain-free life,” said Helms.

All of the clinics accept most insurance, as well as Medicare. Pain Relief Centers can be reached at (866) 572-4655. PPOA can be reached at (844) 542-5724. Same-day appointments are available.

 

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PPOA Patient Care Champions – Laverna Cole

LAVERNA COLE – INSTRUMENT TECH, TEXAS

Our employees are all patient care champions, but some go the extra mile and we want to give them the recognition they deserve. They embody the PPOA values known as S.I.T.E. – Safety, Integrity, Teamwork, Empathy – which informs our service to patients and the community through high quality health care.

Laverna Cole is an instrument technician at PPOA’s Precinct Ambulatory Surgery Center in Hurst, Texas. For her, it’s more than just a place to work; in many ways, it’s been her her home for more than a decade.

A native of Brownwood, Texas, Cole traveled the world as an “Air Force brat” but returned to West Texas roots after getting her certifications in Oklahoma.

She attended Oklahoma State University for a PCA (Patient Care Assistant) certification. She then attended Foster Estes Vocational School for her Nurse Assistant II certification. She has held several positions in the region, including Baylor Medical Center of Grapevine for 10 years and Specialty Surgery Center for 12 – until it was acquired by Physician Partners of America in 2013. “I’ve been at the same location for 14 years,” she says.

It shows in her command of the place and the way she greets everyone as if she was her own home. Doctors performing surgeries get a hug – or ask for one if she’s distracted. Patients get hugs too, or a gentle touch, and always kind words.

“My grandmother was a nurse and told me, ‘If people don’t walk out different from when they walked in, I’ve only done half my job,’ Cole says. “If I can give them a pat on the back or a hug, it can change their attitude.”  That’s especially important when a patient is facing surgery.

Cole’s grandmother and mother were nurses, as well, which may help explain her caring heart. “I’m a people person,” she says. “But you have to have a heart to be a nurse.” She enjoys helping out her coworkers at the surgery center, pitching in wherever help is needed.

Her supervisor, April Hansard, says Cole is invaluable to the team. “Since I have arrive at Precinct Ambulatory Surgery Center, Laverna has made me feel like family,” Hansard says. “She is very well liked at the facility and goes out of her way to assist when needed.”

Cole is the mother of four grown sons and a grandmother of three. When she’s not working she enjoys going to church, walking six miles every other day, swimming, baseball and tennis. She also loves jazz and theater.

 

 

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Neil Ellis, M.D. Joins PPOA’s Tampa-Habana Clinic

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Dr. Neil Ellis was trained in Traditional Chinese Medicine –

Physician Partners of America welcomes Neil Ellis, M.D., MTCM. Double board-certified in Anesthesiology and Interventional Pain Medicine by the American Board of Anesthesiology, he joins the Tampa-Habana practice as an expert in all pain conditions. He has extensive experience in spinal cord stimulator placement and will work alongside the practice’s longtime specialist, Dr. Jorge Leal.

A native of Toronto, Canada, Dr. Ellis completed his undergraduate studies at the University of California Santa Cruz and earned his medical degree from Eastern Virginia Medical School. He completed his residency and fellowship in anesthesia and interventional pain medicine at UF-Health Shands Hospital in Gainesville, Fla.

Before attending medical school, Dr. Ellis completed a Masters in Traditional Chinese Medicine at Five Branches University in Santa Cruz, Calif., and completed a one-year apprenticeship in Hangzhou, China. He chose to pursue interventional pain management after being successfully treated for an injury using minimally invasive procedures. While he no longer practices TCM, its focus on treating the whole patient – which also forms the core value of PPOA – resonated with him.

“I am the type of physician who enjoys getting to know my patients as people and treating the whole person,” he says. “I think it’s important to form a connection with them.”

He is also enthusiastic about being a leader in bringing the newest minimally invasive spine techniques to PPOA. Dr. Ellis has participated in global research in new spinal pain treatments. He was the lead investigator in one worldwide study bringing new treatments to patients with herniated discs.  In addition, he was the first investigator to treat humans with an intradiscal anti-inflammatory medication.

“PPOA is already moving forward as a leader in the latest interventional, minimally invasive spine techniques.  I am happy to be part of the research team to offer even more cutting edge options to patients,” he says

Dr. Neil Ellis and his family enjoy water and snow sports.  He also enjoys cooking and is taking on the challenge of triathlons.

The practice is located at 4730 N. Habana Ave., Suite 140, Tampa, Fla., 33614. The clinic is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and same-day appointments are available.

 

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PPOA Patient Care Champions – Eric Alvarez

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ERIC ALVAREZ – REGIONAL CLINICAL SUPERVISOR, FLORIDA

Our employees are all patient care champions, but some go the extra mile and we want to give them the recognition they deserve. They embody the PPOA values known as S.I.T.E. – Safety, Integrity, Teamwork, Empathy – which informs our service to patients and the community through high quality health care.

Eric Alvarez is the regional clinical supervisor for PPOA’s Florida division. He oversees staff and practice managers in far-flung areas throughout the state – including Tampa Bay, Jacksonville and Winter Haven. He also has an oversight role in the company’s rehabilitation division, which handles the pain management needs of patients in skilled nursing facilities.

His mail box remains full; his phone never stops ringing. Still, he always makes time for anyone who needs his immediate attention. Polite and unflappable, he makes the job look easy.

“I enjoy solving problems and looking for ways to improve patient care,” says Alvarez, a Tampa native. “I look at all the facts, look at the situation and find a solution that’s the best fit.”

Perhaps his background also has something to do with it: He learned combat lifesaving skills while serving in the U.S. Army’s Airborne Infantry division, and experience that ignited a passion for medicine. Alvarez earned his Associate Degree in Emergency Medicine from Orlando Medical Institute.

He is a certified EMT, paramedic and x-ray technician, as well as a certified medical assistant (CMT) and certified CPR-BLS trainer. Still, it is his interpersonal skills that people notice first.

Not long ago, he was visiting the Winter Haven clinic and helped a senior female patient change her tire – in 90 degree heat.

Josh Helms, CEO of Physician Partners of America, sums it up this way: “Eric is a servant leader who is always willing to roll up his sleeves and help the team. He leads by example and always puts the patient first.”

Says Alvarez, the father of two daughters, “I love helping people. It’s been my passion since forever. Excellent patient care is what keeps us going and I make it priority in everything I do.”

 

 

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PPOA Patient Care Champions – Susan Hoskins

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SUSAN HOSKINS – BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER

Our employees are all patient care champions, but some go the extra mile and we want to give them the recognition they deserve. They embody the PPOA values known as S.I.T.E. – Safety, Integrity, Teamwork, Empathy – which informs our service to patients and the community through high quality health care.

Susan Hoskins is far more than a business development manager; she also develops talent within the company and nurtures relationships with patients.

On any given day, you’ll find her marketing our physicians, Workers’ Compensation and Personal Injury services, and ambulatory surgery centers. You’ll even see her handing out business cards to patients, offering herself as a direct line of communication if needed.

“The most fulfilling aspect of my life is being a servant,” she says. “A servant to my team, my family, our practices and our patients.”

This mother of five and grandmother of five works tirelessly to market PPOA throughout the Merritt Island and Melbourne, Fla. markets, and beyond.

A native of Miami, she earned her bachelor’s degree at the University of South Florida and stayed in the area, working in business development for several medical companies. She was hired by PPOA in April 2017 to develop the Space Coast territory and quickly became a top marketer.

“I love change, and this job has offered many opportunities to change things up. The sky’s the limit,” Hoskins says.

A tragic and unexpected change – the sudden passing of Business Development Director Jerome Jackson in July – recently altered her path. Susan Hoskins found herself promoted to team lead, developing new territories and providing support for all Florida reps.

“An ordinary team would have crumbled, but Jerome left a legacy for us to follow,” she says. “He was a great leader. He taught us to be independent and yet rely on one another, and that’s what we have done. Our team has pulled together and is truly amazing.”

Hoskins credits her counterpart in Texas, Daniel Ucheoma, and the rest of the Business Development team for their drive and passion for excellence.

“I have never worked with such a unique group of individuals, people with such extraordinary talent,” she says. “They all bring so much to the table.”

COO Josh Helms adds, “Susan Hoskins is an asset to our organization and we feel very blessed to have her on our team. She leads by example and is a true Patient Champion.”

 

 

 

 

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PPOA Patient Care Champions – Enrique Covarrubias

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ENRIQUE COVARRUBIAS, PRACTICE MANAGER – FRISCO

Our employees are all patient care champions, but some go the extra mile and we want to give them the recognition they deserve. They embody the PPOA values known as S.I.T.E. – Safety, Integrity, Teamwork, Empathy – which informs our service to patients and the community through high quality health care.

 

Enrique Covarrubias is the practice manager of our Frisco, TX pain management location. He is universally known for delivering compassionate care to patients and helping the office run smoothly.

“Enrique has been an integral part at our Frisco clinic team for the last four years,” said Dr. Prasad Lakshminarasimhiah, the physician Enrique works with. “During these years he has demonstrated commitment to the success of our clinic in many, many ways.”

“I went into the medical field because I love helping people,” says Enrique, a Los Angeles native.

His decision, however, is rooted in tragedy. He witnessed his best friend shot to death on the notoriously rough streets of South Central L.A. He moved to Texas shortly after that.

After graduating from high school in 2000, Enrique went on to earn his CMA and X-ray technician’s license. He worked as a laboratory manager for a large company for five years, earning his location a franchise of the year award in 2011 and a consistent no. 1 or 2 ranking out of 150 locations. “I’m pretty competitive,” he says.

That drive and a superior ability to solve problems caught the eye of PPOA in 2014. He began his career here just six months after Dr. Gari opened the first clinics in Texas. “Back then, we were called clinical coordinators,” he says.

“Enrique is always the first to respond on any and everything that is presented by the company. He always has a go-getter personality and is always willing to help a patient or the staff,” says Terica Cox, Regional Clinical Supervisor.

One recent example: a patient was waiting for a procedure, but the doctor was delayed. Instead of sending the patient home, Enrique tracked the doctor down at the surgery center and made sure the patient was taken care of right away.

“He goes the extra mile in every situation for the best possible outcome for our patients,” Dr. Prasad says. “He coordinates extremely well with other staff and departments with the ultimate goal of providing the best care for our patients, and at the same time making it very easy on them. We appreciate him for all the effort he makes to maintain a positive attitude even under challenging situations.”

PPOA COO Josh Helms agrees. “Enrique defines what good service and dedication look like at PPOA. We are blessed to have him on our team and appreciate his dedication and empathy toward the patients we serve.”

For his part, Enrique says he enjoys his coworkers and being part of a high-growth company like PPOA.

“My time here has been amazing,” he says. “There’s been a lot of growth and a lot of changes. It’s exciting to be a part of it.”

 

 

 

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PPOA Patient Care Champions – April Hansard, RN

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APRIL HANSARD – CLINICAL ADMINISTRATOR OF TEXAS AMBULATORY SURGERY CENTERS

Our employees are all patient care champions, but some go the extra mile and we want to give them the recognition they deserve. They embody the PPOA values known as S.I.T.E. – Safety, Integrity, Teamwork, Empathy – which informs our service to patients and the community through high quality health care.

People are what make Physician Partners of America a special place – employees like April Hansard, RN.

The clinical administrator for our Texas ambulatory surgery centers, April never says “no” to helping out wherever needed. That includes taking part in this year’s American Heart Association Heart Walk in Dallas Sept. 4.

Most recently, she assisted PPOA’s new minimally invasive spine surgeon, Phillip Kravetz, M.D., in setting up his procedure suites in Frisco and Hurst, Texas. In December, she will come back to her home base in Florida to help open the surgery center inside our new Orlando Medical Pavilion.

“April is one of those people who, when you meet them, you know they’re special,” says Josh Helms, Chief Operating Officer of Physician Partners of America. “She is someone who leads by example and values the importance of servant leadership.”

Not only does she give her all to the company, she is known for her compassion with the people who walk through her doors for treatment. “I treat patients like I would want my family members to be treated,” she says. “When you treat patients with dignity and respect, the thank-yous you get in return make your day.”

A native of Pennsylvania, April earned her Bachelor’s in Nursing from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh. She has been a nurse for 37 years, 35 of them in the operating room.

She and John, her husband of 31 years (as of Oct. 10), have a grown son, Eric, who is in the U.S. Air Force at Eglin Air Force Base, and a daughter, Erin.

April says being engaged with family, community and workplace keep her young. “Yes,” she declares with pride, “I will be turning 60 next month, but 60 is the new 50, right?”

We at PPOA wish this Patient Care Champion many more years of service, and many more thank-yous from all of us.

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PPOA Prepares to Open Orlando Medical Pavilion

Pain Management Office to Move in August

To better serve its patients in Central Florida, Physician Partners of America (PPOA) is moving its Orlando pain management clinic to a new, next-door location on Aug. 13. The move lays the groundwork for the opening of a two-building, multispecialty Orlando Medical Pavilion.

Dr. Taufiq Ahmed, the clinic’s principal physician, will move from the existing office at 1736 33rd Street, Suite 100, Orlando, FL 32839 into the new, state-of-the-art office next door at 1724 33rd Street, Suite 200. The two buildings will eventually be connected.

A Medical Mall Serving Tourists in Orlando

The twin buildings are conveniently located one mile from exit 79 of Interstate 4 in the Millenia area of Orlando. This makes it convenient to both area residents and tourists. Winter visitors will appreciate that Physician Partners of America is among the only interventional pain management facilities to accept patients with a valid, out-of-state identification.

The Orlando Medical Pavilion will eventually encompass approximately 30,000 square feet of medical offices. Its outpatient surgery center will accommodate specialties including pain management, orthopedics, ear-nose-throat, neurosurgery, gastroenterology, and general surgery. It is also expected to house a laboratory and pharmacy services for one-stop medical services.

Orlando Medical Pavilion – Part of Company Focus

The so-called “medical mall” concept is becoming more popular. It is part of Physician Partners of America’s shift toward providing many services in single locations. The company opened the initial phase of its first multispecialty medical complex in Merritt Island, Fla. on July 30.

“Medical pavilions are the future, and Physician Partners of America is staying ahead of the trend,” said Josh Helms, Physician Partners of America’s Chief Operating Officer. “With the opening of the Orlando Medical Pavilion, our goal is to be the provider of choice for both Central Floridians and winter residents.”

The multi-specialty surgery center is part of the master development plan and is projected to open in January 2019. The Merritt Island surgery center is expected to open in November 2018.

The appointment scheduling phone number will remain the same: (407) 641-5472 and patient records will remain in the building. Same-day appointments are available.

 

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