The new pediatric ophthalmology clinic creates more access to care for children in Southwest Florida

July, 29 2021 – As a happy and bubbly 4th grader, Cade Lawhon loves his family, friends and playing sports. You’d never know by meeting him that this vivacious nine-year-old has been in treatment for his vision since he was three-years-old.

When Cade was a toddler, he was diagnosed with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), which then led to uveitis – an inflammation of the inner parts of the eye. Untreated, it could cause blindness.

“It was scary, knowing my child could lose his sight,” said Megan Lawhon, Cade’s mother. “We’re so fortunate that Cade’s condition is treatable. He takes regular steroid drops, and we see Dr. Kovarik once a month, sometimes once a week depending on his uveitis. She and her team have really become a second family to us.”

On August 2, SWFL Children’s Charities Eye Institute of Golisano Children’s Hospital will open in Southwest Florida, creating even more access to care for kids just like Cade. The new eye institute will be the largest pediatric ophthalmology office between Tampa and Miami.

“Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida is committed to providing the highest quality of care to our patients, and we are proud to continually expand our services to meet the needs of the community we serve,” said Dr. Emad Salman, vice president of operations & chief physician executive at Golisano Children’s Hospital. “This dedicated space is really going to benefit the children in our region.”

The SWFL Children’s Charities Eye Institute of Golisano Children’s Hospital combines and relocates Lee Health’s current pediatric ophthalmology locations at Medical Plaza One on the HealthPark campus and Bonita Community Health Center into one centralized building that will double the space for patients. The increased space will allow the pediatric ophthalmology team to continue to grow and serve even more children and adolescents throughout Southwest Florida.

The new space will have 14 exam rooms, specialized pediatric equipment and colorful designs modeled after Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida. It will be dedicated to treatment and exams for visual disorders in children. Some of the conditions we treat include eye muscle disorders, amblyopia (“lazy eye”), retinopathy of prematurity (often called ROP), ptosis (drooping eyelid), nasolacrimal duct (tear duct) obstructions and strabismus (abnormal alignment of the eyes).
Dr. Jessica Kovarik, pediatric ophthalmologist, and her team will move into the new space and begin seeing patients on the first day it opens.

“My patients are truly the “why” behind why I do what I do,” said Dr. Kovarik. “To have an office dedicated to treating eye conditions in children is amazing. All the additional rooms will allow my colleagues and me to see and treat even more patients in Southwest Florida.”
Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida is extremely grateful for the partnership and support from SWFL Children’s Charities and all participants in the SWFL Wine and Food Fest, which funded the new pediatric eye institute.
“To everyone who made this possible, thank you for helping my son, Cade, and other children like him across Southwest Florida,” said Megan Lawhon.

The new eye institute will be located at 11390 Summerlin Square Drive – near the intersection of San Carlos Blvd. and Summerlin Road.
For more information and how you can make an appointment, visit www.leehealth.org.

About Golisano Children’s Hospital
Established in 1994, Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida has been named a “Top Hospital” three consecutive years by The Leapfrog Group. It is the only recognized children’s hospital between Tampa and Miami. Lee Health opened the new 134-bed Golisano Children’s Hospital in May 2017, relocating the children’s hospital from the adjacent HealthPark Medical Center. It includes comprehensive pediatric services including a 24-hour pediatric emergency department, hematology-oncology unit, milk lab, Regional Perinatal Intensive Care Center, and Level II and Level III NICU with 70 private rooms. Golisano Children’s Hospital is proud to have been named Soliant’s 2018 Most Beautiful Hospital in the U.S., a recognition determined by popular vote For more information, visit GolisanoChildrensSWFL.org



July 29, 2021 – Grand Harbor Community Outreach has awarded $20,000 to Tykes & Teens, a leading provider of the highest quality, evidence-based mental health services and programs for children and adolescents for 25 years. The funding will support the agency’s Infant Mental Health services.

Tykes & Teens’ Infant Mental Health is an evidence-based program for children from birth to age 5 that is done in multiple different settings. Tykes & Teens is the only Infant Mental Health provider in the region serving clients from newborn to age five and their families. In addition, Tykes & Teens provides Mental Health Consultation and is the only provider of this high-fidelity, evidence-based programming on the Treasure Coast.

“We are grateful to Grand Harbor Community Outreach for supporting our mission of prioritizing children’s mental health,” said Tykes & Teens CEO Eric Garza, MHA, LCSW. “In addition to family and individual therapy, this funding allows us to support infants and families and foster the social emotional development in early childcare settings in order to promote long-term community wellness.”

“In today’s world of stressful situations and events, mental health has taken on a greater importance than ever,” said President of Grand Harbor Community Outreach Kathy Tonkel. “Grand Harbor Community Outreach is extremely proud to support Tykes & Teens and the life-changing work that they do with both very young children and teenagers. The assistance they offer to teachers at our childcare centers is also critical.”

What is Infant Mental Health and Mental Health Consultation?

President of Grand Harbor Community Outreach Kathy Tonkel and
CEO of Tykes & Teens Eric Garza, MHA, LCSW

The first few years of a child’s life are a blueprint for their entire future. When very young children are exposed to traumatic events, it increases their risk of long-term mental and physical health problems. Addressing issues early means healthier children who will require less intervention later in life and can reach their full potential.

Infant Mental Health Helps:
• Improve a child’s ability to regulate emotions
• Strengthen the relationship between the child and caregivers
• Heal from a traumatic experience for the parent and/or child that is interfering with a healthy attachment
• Reduce suspension/expulsion from childcare or preschool
• Enhance childcare center staffs’ use of social-emotional practices so that all caregivers are equipped to facilitate healthy social and emotional development

Tykes & Teens Infant Mental Health therapists utilize Child Parent Psychotherapy and other evidence-based interventions for children who have experienced at least one traumatic event and as a result are exhibiting challenging behavior, attachment difficulties and/or experiencing social-emotional delays. The primary goal of this program is to support and strengthen the relationship between a child and his or her caregiver, to restore the child’s sense of safety and attachment, and to improve the child’s cognitive, behavioral, and social functioning within all environments. Infant and toddler primary caregivers are active participants in treatment, which often includes play therapy for facilitating communication between the child and the caregiver. With older children, the child is a more active participant in treatment, which uses multiple interventions as a vehicle for facilitating communication between the child and the caregiver, and builds resiliency and heals in the context of a relationship. When the caregiver has his or her own history of adverse experiences the therapist helps the caregiver understand how this history can affect the child-caregiver relationship, and helps the caregiver interact with the child in new developmentally-appropriate ways.

In addition to family and individual therapy, Tykes & Teens’ Infant Mental Health therapists and staff are collaborative partners within select Early Childhood Education (ECE) programs in the Treasure Coast, providing Mental Health Consultation (MHC). Mental Health Consultation is a preventative-based approach focused on fostering the social emotional development of all young children at early childhood education programs to promote long-term emotional health and wellness. Tykes & Teens therapists are highly specialized in child development, evidence-based classroom practices, and the effects of stress and trauma. The agency’s therapists and staff develop relationships with caregivers at early childhood education programs to support building the adult’s capacity and skills to strengthen the healthy social and emotional development of all children at the center – early and before formalized intervention is needed. Therapists and staff support the development of nurturing and responsive relationships to decrease incidents of challenging behaviors, reduce preschool suspensions/expulsions and support the need for a program-wide effort in using culturally-responsive practices and addressing implicit bias.

For more information on Tykes & Teens’ Infant Mental Health services, visit www.tykesandteens.org/infant-mental-health/ or call 772-220-3439.

About Tykes & Teens

Tykes & Teens has been a leading mental health provider for children and adolescent evidence-based programs and services for 25 years. Our passion and commitment are to empowering children and strengthening families by ensuring that all children have access to high quality counseling and mental health services, regardless of financial status. Our mission is prioritizing children’s mental health in our families, schools and communities through a wide range of prevention, education, and treatment programs and services. We also advocate for increased awareness of mental health to remove the stigma and shame often associated with seeking mental health treatment. Since our inception, we have provided affordable quality mental health services for more than 60,000 children in need across the Treasure Coast from more than 50 service locations, including outpatient offices in Palm City, Jensen Beach, Hobe Sound, Port St. Lucie, and Vero Beach, on-site services in all Martin County schools, and in schools in Okeechobee and Indian River counties, as well as collaboration with numerous community partners, in addition to virtual telehealth services. We have continued to offer our services and programs throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, including virtual telehealth care. We accept most insurance, private payments, and we are a Medicaid-approved provider. We have successfully administered a sliding fee scale for those in need when necessary for more than 20 years. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit agency, we also provide $750,000 in unreimbursed services to the communities we serve each year. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.



July 29 2021 – Statement by the Florida Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics

“Since children under 12 years of age are still not yet eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine and the vaccine will most likely not be available for this age group until winter of 2021, most children are still at risk for Coronavirus infection and transmitting the infection to others. Both the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend masking in schools. The Florida Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (FCAAP) supports the continued, universal use of masks and physical distancing in schools by all individuals including students, faculty members, and staff through the end of the 2021-2022 school year. Masking should be in addition to the continuation of testing protocols in schools to mitigate the spread of infection. Finally, and most importantly, FCAAP recommends that all vaccine eligible children, faculty, and staff in schools should be vaccinated”

About FCAAP
Through its more than 2,500 members, the Florida Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics promotes the health & welfare of Florida’s children and supports pediatricians & pediatric specialists as the best qualified providers of their healthcare. Learn more by visiting www.fcaap.org.



July 28, 2021 – To continue bringing consistent care to patients in the hospital, Holy Cross Health in Fort Lauderdale has introduced an OB/GYN hospitalist program, the only hospital in Broward County to have a certified Ob Hospitalist team, partnering with Ob Hospitalist Group, the industry’s largest dedicated OB/GYN hospitalist provider.

As part of the program, board certified OB/GYN physicians are immediately available on-site 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to focus on providing consistent care, as well as emergent care to those arriving in labor and delivery. The mission is to elevate the standard of care by ensuring expectant mothers are evaluated and treated by a physician regardless of time of day, complication or circumstance.

Mark Doyle, President and CEO of Holy Cross Health

“We want to provide the best care for our patients and their babies and are committed to delivering the best possible outcome for every patient,” said Mark Doyle, president and CEO of Holy Cross Health. “There is a physician here every minute of the day to provide compassionate, quality healthcare for these women as they give birth and beyond.”

The OB-GYN hospitalist program is staffed with an experienced team of board-certified obstetricians and gynecologists on-site at Holy Cross Health 24 hours a day, 7-days a week. The patient’s physician will make sure that the OB/GYN hospitalist on-site has all patient medical records.

“This is an exciting, yet many times unnerving time for expectant moms,” said Shavonne Ramsey-Coleman, M.D., site director of Ob Hospitalists, and part of the team at Holy Cross Health. “If a patient’s physician is unavailable or delayed in coming to the hospital, there is a board-certified OB/GYN hospitalist that can provide medical expertise and optimal patient care, as well as answer any questions the patient or her family may have.”

In the event the patient’s physician is unavailable, an OB/GYN hospitalist has access to the patient’s medical records and will be there to care for her, address any evolving issues and provide the mother and baby with a safe delivery. The hospitalist team at Holy Cross is highly skilled in a variety of different delivery techniques and are required to maintain high levels of clinical performance and professional standards. They have additional training in neonatal resuscitation, advanced cardiac life support and OB emergency care and are also available for consultations in the hospital and for emergency care in the Emergency Department.

OB/GYN hospitalists maintain communication with other professionals within the hospital including physicians, medical and surgical consultants, discharge planners, social workers, clergy and others. They can expedite care for patients and facilitate connections with providers of home health care, skilled nursing, specialized rehabilitation and more.
In addition to Dr. Ramsey-Coleman, the carefully selected team at Holy Cross includes Jim Alonzo, M.D., Kevin Burlison, M.D., Lillian DeCosimo, M.D., Moises Lichtinger, M.D., Laura Pezzuto, M.D., Phillip Higgins, M.D., Brianna Whittemore, M.D. and Melvin Seid, M.D.

Expectant moms have given birth at Holy Cross Health for more than 60 years. In the Doreen Koenig Blessed Beginnings Maternity Unit, comfortable labor, delivery and recovery suites allow privacy for patients and their babies. To learn more, visit HolyCrossMaternity.com.

About Holy Cross Health:
A member of Trinity Health, Fort Lauderdale-based Holy Cross Hospital, dba Holy Cross Health, is a full-service, non-profit, Catholic, teaching hospital operating in the spirit of the Sisters of Mercy. Holy Cross has been named one of the top 10 hospitals in the Miami metro area and among the top 30 in the state in U.S. News and World Report’s 2020-2021 Best Hospital rankings. Through strategic collaborations and a commitment to being a person-centered, transforming, healing presence, the 557-bed hospital offers progressive inpatient, outpatient and community outreach services and clinical research trials to serve as our community’s trusted health partner for life. Holy Cross Health also encompasses Holy Cross HealthPlex outpatient facility, urgent care centers and more than 50 Holy Cross Medical Group physician practices. To learn more about Holy Cross Health, visit holy-cross.com. Connect @holycrossfl.



July 28, 2021 – Healthcare Network, a nonprofit organization working to ensure primary medical care is accessible to everyone in the community, regardless of job, income or insurance status, is pleased to announce the promotion of Dr. Reinier Ramirez to medical director of adult medicine.

Dr. Reinier Ramirez

Joining Healthcare Network as a family care physician in 2011, Dr. Ramirez has demonstrated dedication and commitment to the organization’s mission and patients for nearly 10 years. Since December 2020, Dr. Ramirez has served as the interim director of adult medicine. As interim director, he exhibited exceptional leadership, expertise and management skills, making him an excellent choice for the role.

Reporting to the chief medical officer, he will manage the coordination of medical teams to ensure smooth and seamless operations and delivery of high-quality care to adults and seniors. In addition to providing care to patients at Healthcare Network’s Nichols Community Health Center, Dr. Ramirez will also be responsible for the medical supervision and overall regulation of all family care practices.

“It is a pleasure to work with such a hardworking and devoted colleague at Healthcare Network, whose efforts have and will continue to bolster and support the success of our organization and the health of the Collier County community,” said Dr. Corin DeChirico, chief medical officer of Healthcare Network. “I am confident that Dr. Ramirez will be very successful in his new role and I extend my warmest congratulations to him.”

Dr. Ramirez is board certified in family practice, received his medical degree from Universidad de Costa Rica in San Jose, Costa Rica, and completed his Residency at Hudson Valley Family Residency Program in Poughkeepsie, NY.

Healthcare Network is a medical and dental home where children, adults and seniors can receive patient-centered, team-based and continuous comprehensive healthcare services. Visit www.HealthcareSWFL.org to learn more or call 239-658-3000 to schedule an appointment.

About Healthcare Network
Healthcare Network is committed to ensuring quality healthcare is accessible to everyone in our community, regardless of income or insurance status. Founded in 1977 to serve migrant farmworkers and their families in Immokalee, Healthcare Network now provides care to approximately 50,000 patients annually in practices throughout Collier County including the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile® and the Health and Smiles Mobile units. Healthcare Network provides primary healthcare services including family care, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, senior care, and pharmacy as well as dental care and integrated behavioral health for both adults and children. The organization’s newest location, the Nichols Community Health Center, is a 51,000-square-foot primary care medical center in Golden Gate. For more information, visit www.HealthcareSWFL.org, or to schedule an appointment, please call 239-658-3000.