Dinner and dance party to benefit Haitian orphanage A local charitable organization of nurses is inviting the public and members of the health care com- munity to attend its third annual fund-raiser. The dinner and dance party or- ganized by the Multicultural American Nurses Organization (MANO) will begin at 6 p.m. Jan. 25 at the Punta Gorda Isles Civic Association, 2001 Shreve St., Punta Gorda. It is a black- tie event. There will be live music ranging from salsa to reggae. All proceeds will go toward main- taining St. Marie's Orphanage in Petionville, near Port-au-Prince, Haiti a city that has never fully recovered from the devastation leveled by a catastrophic magnitude 7.0 earthquake four years ago this month. The disaster claimed the lives of about a half-million people, leaving about 1 million homeless most of them children, many of whom were orphaned by the disaster. MANO partnered with the Charlotte County Medical Society Foundation to build a 24-bed orphanage, which opened in June 2012. The organiza- tions are in the process of building and furnishing an adjoining medical clinic, as well as meet other needs. Admission is a $55 donation per person. Sponsorship tables that seat up to eight persons are available at a special rate. The fundraiser will offer appetizers (shrimp cocktail, smoked fish spread and crab cakes), a sit- down dinner (baked turkey, chicken curry and baked Cornish hen, served with bread, a colorful French salad, mixed vegetables, and white or organ- ic brown rice, and dessert (chocolate mousse pie and key lime cheesecake). Alcoholic beverages will be available for sale, with small bottles of wine, Hatitian rum and Jamaican white label whiskey shots all offered for $3. The event is sponsored by The Fshery restaurant in Placida, Stop and Go Deli and Caribbean Cafe in Port Charlotte and the Wyvern Hotel in Punta Gorda "Unlike a lot of charities, we have absolutely no administrative costs," said MANO Chairman Wilson Gedeon, a Haitian-born registered nurse with Bayfront Health Port Charlotte. "Every cent goes directly toward meeting the needs of feeding, clothing and educating the children, and taking care of their medical needs." Dr. Stephen Schroering, an ortho- pedic surgeon in Charlotte County, was so impressed with MANO that he has partnered with Gedeon to deliver medical care, clothing and education for 10 boys and 10 girls. MANO which also contributes to charitable organizations in the United States is looking for people with skills to volunteer their services on brief mission trips to Haiti, especially those in the health care community. Already, about 10 doctors and a dozen nurses have gone, some on multiple occasions. For reservations or more infor- mation, contact Wilson Gedeon at 941-875-0394. Sarasota Memorial Hospital honored among nation's 'Magnet' facilities Provided by SARASOTA MEMORIAL HOSPITAL Sarasota Memorial Hospital has received Magnet redesignation for the third time, a rigorous challenge accomplished by 1 percent of the nation's hospitals, the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) announced. Widely accepted as the gold stan- dard of patient care, Magnet status is a 4-year designation awarded to hospi- tals that demonstrate excellence and professionalism in nursing. Less than 400 hospitals worldwide have earned the quality designation, and 1 percent have been redesignated three times since recognition was first bestowed in 1994. Sarasota Memorial remains the only hospital south of Tampa on Florida's Gulf Coast to successfully complete the voluntary credentialing program for hospitals, first earning nursing's highest honor in 2003. The ANCC continually raises the bar to reflect the highest standards of practice. Earning redesignation for the third time is a "remarkable" achievement, Magnet Commission chairwoman Deborah Zimmerman and global director Linda Lewis told Sarasota Memorial leaders and hundreds of nurses and staff gathered in the hospital auditorium for the official announcement. "You are exemplary as a Magnet organization." Hospitals must undergo extensive evaluation, including onsite review of policies and clinical practice, every four years to maintain their Magnet designation. The redesignation process began last year, after Sarasota Memorial submitted thousands of pages of documentation, and four Magnet surveyors visited the hospital in November to measure its perfor- mance against 88 Magnet standards. They visited more than 40 nursing units and several offsite departments, conducted dozens of information gathering sessions with nurses, physicians, community and academic partners, and personnel from virtually every area of the organization. "Although Magnet recognizes our 1,200 excellent nurses, every person in our health system plays a role in maintaining our Magnet designation," Sarasota Memorial chief nursing offi- cer Jan Mauck said. 'Achieving Magnet status truly is a testament to their incredible passion, expertise, team- work and commitment to delivering excellent patient care." Magnet hospitals are more effective at attracting and retaining "the best and brightest" nurses, which results in better outcomes for patients, accord- ing to the ANCC. Independent studies show Magnet hospitals have shorter lengths of stay, higher patient satis- faction, better nurse-to-patient ratios and lower mortality rates. Magnet designation also contrib- utes to an organization's standing in U.S. News & World Report's annual 'America's Best Hospitals" lists. Sarasota Memorial has ranked among the magazine's top facilities nationwide. Charlotte County health department earns public health readiness program recognition Provided by the FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH IN CHARLOTTE COUNTY The Florida Department of Health in Charlotte County (DOH-Charlotte) has been recognized by the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) for its ability to plan for, respond to, and recover from public health emergencies. This is the second time since 2007 that DOH-Charlotte has demonstrated meeting the comprehensive prepared- ness benchmarks required by Project Public Health Ready (PPHR), a unique partnership between NACCHO and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. DOH-Charlotte remains one of more than 300 local health departments across the country distinguished for excellence in preparedness through PPHR, either individually or as part of a region. The Florida Department of Health's mission is to protect, promote and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county and community efforts, and PPHR re-recognition confirms that DOH-Charlotte has a thorough and coordinated emergency response plan in place and that staff have the training to protect the health of the community during an emergency. Local health departments recog- nized by PPHR undergo a rigorous evaluation by peer review to assess their ability to meet a set of na- tional standards for public health HEALTH 123 Anua PrinonSymoim21 Great Expectations for Living with Parkinson's Disease "Sexual Health and Parkinson's Disease" Dean P. Sutherland, MD, PhD Director, Southeastern Center for Parkinson Disease Medical Director, Neuro Challenge Foundation "Update on Parkinson's Disease 2014 - The Revolution in High Gear" Lawrence Elmer, MD Professor, Department .1 \, u.i..'- .. Director, Gardner-McMaster Parkinson Center; Medical Director, Center for Neurological Health; University of Toledo College of Medicine "No Bad Days" Bruce Hamilton Motivational Speaker $15 per Attendee l-'lea.-e Rl\VI- to Neurmo Chillenle Foundation 941-926-6413 or register olinei' at 'itit'l .iieu rochalle ge.org Saturday, January 25, 2014 Registration and Breakfast: 8:00 am Welcome: 8:45 am Program: 9:00 am 12:15 pm Location: Sarasota Memorial Institute for Advanced Medicine 5880 Rand Blvd., Sarasota, FL (1/2 mile West of 1-75 off Clark Rd.) This is a community event for patients, care partners healthcare providers and the community, sponsored by Sarasota Memorial Health Care System and the Neuro ( '.. l. Foundation. SARAISOA IflidaiiA~a _MAGiAZINEF IIriErintn tm iNeuro Challenge MAGAZINE foundation o The Sun/Sunday, January 19, 2014 www.sunnewspapers.net Page 21 feelingfit.com