St. Mary’s Medical Center earns The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® and the American Stroke Association’s Heart-Check mark for the Advanced Stroke Certification.

“This certification recognizes the amazing job our neurosciences team does provding high quality care and treatment, for those coming to our hospital for a stroke,” said Cynthia McCauley, chief executive officer for St. Mary’s Medical Center & Palm Beach Children’s Hospital. “I want to commend our comprensive stroke center staff for the dedication and hard work they put in to earn this recognition, and more importantly, saving lives in our community.”



By Vanessa Orr

As we’ve all become aware over the past couple of years, airborne contaminants can cause irreparable harm. This is something that medical cannabis growers have long known, as one of the most difficult parts of keeping plants healthy is preventing the spread of powdery mildew, botrytis, penicillium and other fungi that can be spread though the air as well as ventilation systems.

While some growers have attempted to use ozone to deal with these contaminants, it unfortunately depletes terpene strength. The secret, according to Bob Pietrangelo, vice president, Southeast United States, Sanuvox, is to use UVC radiation instead.

“Using UV radiation in the C band produces zero ozone, and at the proper intensity, can destroy any biological contaminant,” he explained. “It can eliminate powdery mildew, botrytis and more, while at the same time allowing terpenes to maintain maximum strength.”

By utilizing Sanuvox’s GrowSaver™ products in their ventilation systems, growers can eliminate the need for fungicides as well. Freestanding units are also available, and all of the units are custom-designed to fit the space involved.

Bob Pietrangelo, Vice President, Southeast United States, Sanuvox,

According to Pietrangelo, GrowSaver products can eliminate up to 99.9 percent of airborne powdery mildew every hour, and reduce fungicide use by up to 90 percent. The units also reduce labor costs related to the use of fungicides, help enrich terpenes and enhance aromas, and improve microbiological state testing compliance.

“Not only do growers save a lot of money by not having botrytis grow on plants, but they’re also making sure that there are no other biological contaminants in the building,” said Pietrangelo, noting that the same products that eliminate fungi also eliminate the COVID virus, which is spread through airborne aerosols that can stay suspended in the air for more than 16 hours.

“This is the exact same product that we use in hospital operating rooms to keep patients safe,” he added. “The same product that protects patients protects plants.”

Not only are the units useful for growers, but dispensaries can benefit from their installation as well. In addition to removing airborne contaminants, Sanuvox’s products also provide odor removal, drastically reducing cannabis odors from leaving grow buildings or dispensaries.

“We just did an installation at Aurora Cannabis’ 212,000 sq. ft. grow room in Canada, eliminating smells with the GrowSaver Odor Wall,” said Pietrangelo, noting that the local airport was complaining of the smell three miles away.

Return on Investment

The units are relatively easy to install; after cutting a rectangular hole in the ductwork, the UVC devices are placed inside and turned on. Freestanding units can also be mounted on walls.

“Then you just plug and play,” said Pietrangelo, adding that lamps need to be replaced every two years.

The units themselves are custom-designed, based upon the volume of air being moved and a facility’s square footage. “We do not do cookie-cutter installations; one size doesn’t fit all,” said Pietrangelo. “The units have to be calculated properly to work; otherwise you’re just losing money.”

Units can be built into existing building management systems, and can be designed for any type of facility from cultivation centers to medical offices. Sanuvox products are used extensively in Canada and the U.S. Midwest, though this is the company’s first foray into the Florida market.

“Our products are 99.999 percent effective and are designed for first-pass efficiency, destroying everything in the airstream,” said Pietrangelo, adding that air changes occur 12 to 20 times an hour in grow facilities.

“As for return on investment, the first harvest will probably pay for it in increased yield, increased terpene strength, and decreased use of fungicide,” he added. “That’s in addition to the health savings that occur when people aren’t getting sick from airborne contaminants.”

To learn more about Sanuvox’s medical and grower product lines, visit www.sanuvox.com.



Northwest Medical Center in Margate and Plantation General Hospital in Plantation, part of HCA Healthcare’s East Florida Division, are proud to announce they cumulatively amassed more than 20 awards for excellence in labor and delivery, obstetrics, and gynecology, and gynecological surgery. The national recognition received by the two facilities is for demonstrating exceptional quality in women’s care, according to research released by Healthgrades.



Ayr Wellness Inc., a leading vertically integrated cannabis multi-state operator, announced the opening of Liberty Health Sciences West Pensacola, the Company’s 41st operating dispensary in Florida.

The West Pensacola dispensary is located at 2146 W. 9 Mile Rd, Pensacola, Florida. The 1,330 sq. ft. retail store expands the Company’s presence in the important Pensacola market, the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle and one of the largest metropolitan areas in the Gulf Coast region with a population of over 500,000.

The new location features LHS’s expanded selection of flower strains, in addition to the Company’s recently launched Origyn concentrates, Big Pete’s Cookies and Secret Orchard vape cartridges.

Jonathan Sandelman, CEO of Ayr, said, “We continue to increase our retail footprint in Florida, now 41 stores, enabled by the improvements that we have made to our Gainesville cultivation facility. We continue to improve the overall consumer experience to reach Ayr’s high standards and are very proud of the progress that our team has made in the short time that we’ve owned the business.”



Verano Holdings Corp., a leading multi-state cannabis company, announced the opening of a new MÜV Florida dispensary located at 2617 West Kennedy Boulevard in Tampa. MÜV Tampa—West Kennedy.

Verano’s 36th MÜV Florida dispensary, located in downtown Tampa, is within walking distance to the city’s acclaimed Hyde Park restaurant and shopping scene, and is just minutes away from the newly-renovated Tampa Riverwalk. Committed to providing a convenient and reliable experience for Florida patients, MÜV dispensaries feature online menus for effortless browsing of their extensive, award-winning product selection. Patients can, based on preference, order ahead at muvfl.com for express pickup in-store, or take advantage of home delivery service that is available across the state.

“We’re very pleased to continue expanding access to premium medical cannabis for Florida patients,” said John Tipton, President of Verano. “As always, we’re grateful for the opportunity to serve our patients, and build upon our presence in a wonderful community here in Tampa.”

MÜV offers one-on-one consultations, both in-store and virtually, at no cost to patients. MÜV’s comprehensive product selection includes MÜV Wana™ Soft Chew edibles, chocolates and lozenges, flower, pre-rolls, an array of vaporizer pens, concentrates, metered-dose inhalers, topicals, and oral sprays, along with patented encapsulation formulations in its EnCaps™ capsules, tinctures, 72-hour transdermal patches and transdermal gels.

For more information about the new ADA-compliant MÜV Tampa—West Kennedy medical cannabis dispensary, including hours and available MÜV products, visit muvfl.com.