Men and women can come learn more about facial rejuvenation. Lecture will focus on injectable solutions, including botox and dermal fillers, as well as laser options. Daniels will conduct a live patient demonstration, followed by a question & answer session.

Thursday, July 21, 6 to 7 pm
Pro-Health & Fitness Center, Viera — Wellness Classroom
8705 N. Wickham Road, Viera

and

Tuesday, July 26, 6 to 7 pm
Pro-Health & Fitness Center, Merritt Island — Wellness Classroom
255 Borman Drive, Merritt Island

* Free giveaways will be offered.

View the flyer from Health First

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – Although physicians would much rather heal patients than tend to interminable paperwork, doctors– particularly those in solo practices – often must give up time that could be spent caring for patients in order to navigate through complex insurance requirements.

With Brevard Physicians Network, however, the doctors gain strength, and most importantly, time, by banding together. Insurance companies appreciate the fact that the Network provides them with a single contact to help negotiate.

Formed in 1995 by a group of local physicians, Brevard Physicians Network was created as a vehicle to free doctors from insurance hassles so they can do what they do best: care for their patients.

“It assists physicians with enrollment and credentialing,” said Dr. David Williams, president and CEO of MedFast Urgent Care Centers and a member of the BPN board. “I believe it is the way to go.”

Nephrologist Dr. Tim Ahmed has been part of the Network for nine years.

“It’s been very useful,” said Ahmed, who is part of Medical Associates of Brevard, an umbrella group of private practitioners. “I don’t know what it would be like without it. I joined because you need a voice larger than an individual’s to negotiate reimbursement rights.”

BRENDA RADKE took over the helm as CEO of Brevard Physicians Network in July of last year.

Currently over 300 physicians in the Space and Treasure Coasts are part of the network, representing 101 primary care docs and every imaginable specialty.

“BPN acts as intermediary between physicians and the insurance companies,” said CEO Brenda Radke. “It is very good for the community, because we have the opportunity to improve the quality of care.”

Take, for example, the often confusing array of Medicare Advantage Plans.

Last year, four new plans were introduced in Brevard. BPN signed agreements with three out of the four, adding more freedom of choice to patients.

“If the doctor they went to did not accept the plan the patient wanted, the patient may either have to select another physician or not get the plan,” said Radke.

“We Do The Work”

The Network frees physicians from the ever-growing administrative tasks of continually evolving payer requirements, for the organization has the authority to negotiate contracts for all members.

BPN currently manages 35 different insurance contracts. Network members have the option of accepting all 35, or picking and choosing those that best suit their practice’s needs.

“If they didn’t belong to the network, every single physician would have to sit down and read these 40-page contracts from each of the 35 different insurances,” said Radke. “We do the work.”

BPN staff reports to a seven-member board composed of local physicians. A three-person executive committee, consisting of administrators from large medical groups, helps the Network develop best practices.

“This is my front-line group,” said Radke. “They’re a great sounding board.”

Network Clout

THE CANCER CARE CENTERS of Brevard are part of the BPN network. The Cancer Care team includes (from left on stairway): Drs. Giuseppe Palermo, Ravi Shankar, Carl Tahn, Isaac Esseesse and Silas Charles. Front row: Drs. Todd Panarese, Diely Pichardo, Nicola Ally and Fe Pancito.

BPN’s goal has always been to provide the highest quality medical care to patients, while keeping that care at a cost that is acceptable to both insurance companies and to physicians. The insurance industry, always conscious of costs, has high regard for Network clout.

“The insurance companies view us as a great resource to save time and money,” said Radke. “Working together, we are able to negotiate the best rates for managed care contracts and other services.”

Because BPN physicians must meet high credentialing standards, consumers can be confident they will receive care from well-qualified, high quality professionals. That’s the domain of credentials director Trish Beaulieu, tasked with checking the background of all physicians applying for BPN membership.

“We have access to the National Practitioners’ Date Base,” said Radke.

“We also contact the educational institutions that granted degrees to our physicians and also ask for several letters of reference. We verify everything. We are as thorough as the insurance companies with background checks, which is something insurance companies appreciate.”

Radke, who joined BPN in 2008, brings 17 years of experience in the insurance industry to the bargaining table.

“I can see both sides, so I bring a reality check to both parties,” she said.

“Knowing the needs of both sides can offer a better perspective and a more harmonious relationship.”

President Obama’s healthcare reform will undoubtedly provide additional challenges to physicians, but organizations such as BPN will help alleviate the confusion and hassle.

“There are so many moving pieces to the plan, but right now, physicians stand to see a 21 percent decrease in Medicare payments, which could potentially mean a reduction in office hours or staff,” said Radke.

Membership in BPN, however, could help doctors compensate for cutbacks in reimbursement through savings in medical malpractice insurance and other necessities of the trade.

BPN’s agreement with The Doctors Company and Oros Risk Solutions, for example, has snagged substantial insurance savings for member physicians.

BREVARD COSMETIC SURGICAL CENTER: BPN members Dr. Frank Venzara, right, and Dr. Robert Bashore, left, with Physician Assistant Dan Daniels, center, in one of their two fully equipped surgical suites. Drs. Venzara and Bashore are Board Certified Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons, and have over 50 years cumulative experience. Daniels is a member of the American Academy of Physician Assistants and holds hospital privileges with several local hospitals.

“Many solo doctors found they can save 15 to 20 percent in malpractice insurance costs,” said Radke.

The Network also offers a group purchasing program with discounts that significantly reduce practice overheads.

“We also do a background check on all of our vendors, which can save physicians a lot of legwork,” said Radke.

Filing insurance claims can be a migraine-producing task for even the most seasoned office staff, but this tedious and complicated task can be simplified, thanks to BPN’s input.

“We will sit down with office staff to help them with billing,” said Radke.

“The more streamlined they become, the more profitable the practice can become, so if healthcare reform brings a decrease of income, physicians can continue to practice without cutting back on hours or staff,” said Radke.

If a particular claim is denied, the Network steps in as ombudsman.

“In many cases, the claim has been denied because of a technicality,” said Radke. “We are often able to correct the problem and have the claim approved.”

For patients and physicians traveling through the maze of today’s healthcare, Brevard Physicians Network is a guide to lead the way.
“It’s a win-win situation for all involved,” said Radke.

Dr. Fank Venzara

Taking the ‘Sting’ Out of Beauty

PLUCKING, tweezing, binding, and sucking it in are all things that women complain of on a daily basis. Compound that with squeezing into tight shoes, tight jeans, and uncomfortable bras and there is no wonder that most contemporary women trying to doll themselves up will tell you that “beauty is painful.” If it’s not painful it’s certainly uncomfortable. Take it one more step into the medical arena and you magnify that old cliché.

PROCEDURES such as botox, laser hair removal, and injectable fillers can be painful but now they don’t have to be torture. There has been some significant advances in pain control for the cosmetic surgical patient and it is disheartening that some men and women who are interested in these and similar procedures may be too afraid of the pain to try them.

Procedures such as botox, laser hair removal, and injectable fillers can be painful but now they don’t have to be torture. We as a surgical community have had some significant advances in pain control regarding the cosmetic surgical patient and find it disheartening that some men and women have desired these and similar procedures but were just too afraid of the pain to try them.

So what is out there to help take the sting out of cosmetic surgery? Often, it is nothing new but an old standby intervention like using cold or ice which can significantly take the edge off certain procedures. The problem with cold interventions is the time it takes for them to work and their short duration of action.

Time is valuable and waiting for ice packs to work simply isn’t feasible at times. Laser manufacturers know this and have actually incorporated sapphire cooled laser tips into their arsenal of laser machines to apply direct skin cooling before each pulse of laser. This has helped ease the sting of laser hair removal as well as photorejuvenative procedures.

Local or Regional Anesthesia
A more effective but more invasive approach to combat cosmetic procedure discomfort is to use some type of local or regional anesthesia. When used effectively, local anesthesia minimizes and sometimes eliminates all of the pain associated with in-office cosmetic procedures.

We typically use local anesthesia when we are working in highly sensitive areas like the lips, nose, and hands. The downside of the local or regional block has always been the discomfort associated with the administration of the block. The upside is the effectiveness when compared to other types of anesthesia. A good numbing block lasts long enough for procedure relief without leaving you numb for the rest of the day.

The options for different local anesthetics include the following:

• Novocain is the most recognized one by the public, but not used much anymore due to its high incidence of allergies.
• Lidocaine (Xylocaine) is the most commonly used local anesthetic in surgical and dental offices but it can take hours to wear off and typically local cosmetic procedures take 15-30 minutes or less so there is no need for the prolonged numbing.
• Septocaine, a shorter acting numbing medicine which decreases the time spent with that weird feeling, is also used in cases requiring shorter periods of anesthesia.

THE FDA recently approved Pliaglis, a combination of two common topical anesthetics – ones that are applied to the skin. Pliaglis forms a gel-like mask that releases them.

Topical Anesthesia
The most popular option for reducing the pain of cosmetic procedures is topical anesthesia. The most well known product is called EMLA. This is a substance that is simply placed on the area to be treated and after a period of time the area becomes numb.

So what’s the catch? These topical formulations are somewhat limited by the depth of penetration into the skin. Therefore, if your procedure, such as laser or injectable filler, goes below that level you will have significant discomfort. So how do we combat that phenomenon? Fortunately, there is a new product by Galderma Inc. called Pliaglis that has an answer to that problem.

The Pliaglis dries to form a mask over the patient’s own skin that allows the medicine to penetrate deeper into the skin. It is a newer product that we have introduced into our practice with great results. Our feeling is that this numbing medicine will become a household name. We have been really impressed with it. We feel like it has added a nice tool to our fight against cosmetic surgical pain. Maybe beauty does not have to be so painful after all.

Dr. Frank Venzara was born in Chicago and has resided for the majority of his life in South and Central Florida. He is a graduate of both University of Miami’s Undergraduate Program and Medical School. He trained as a surgical resident at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami and as a plastic surgery fellow at the University of Missouri’s Truman Medical Center in Kansas City, Missouri. He has practiced in the Central Brevard County, Florida area for 25 years as a Board Certified Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon. When not attending to his surgery schedule, Frank enjoys surfing and fishing. Dr. Venzara can be reached at 321-452-3882, or CLICK HERE for more information.

BREVARD COSMETIC SURGICAL CENTER: Dr. Frank Venzara, right, and Dr. Robert Bashore, left, with Physician Assistant Dan Daniels, center, in one of their two fully equipped surgical suites. Drs. Venzara and Bashore are Board Certified Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons, and have over 50 years cumulative experience. Daniels is a member of the American Academy of Physician Assistants and holds hospital privileges with several local hospitals.

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – I attended the Aesthetic Meeting given by and for members of the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (ASAPS). It was a busy meeting and I took several courses on the new techniques and technology that have arrived on the scene in this ever-changing world of Cosmetic and Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.

With that said, the main focus was economy, economy, economy! What are the best ways for you to use your money? Everyone is cutting back but still want to maintain his or her youth.

Best bang for your buck

• Botox is still the number one seller. The more it is used, the more uses we find for it. It’s not just for the forehead and crow’s feet anymore. ASAPS members have found many uses for Botox in the lower face as well. It must be used cautiously, but in the hands of a skilled injector, the results are amazing.

Botox should have some competition real soon. There are several new companies ready to release their new botulism toxin A products, such as Dysport, Reloxin and Purtox to name a few. Keep an eye out for these products. Perhaps the competition they bring to the market will help bring down the cost.

• Dermal fillers are still big. Juvederm is releasing their product with lidocaine (a local anesthetic) which should make the injections much more comfortable. However, one of the other players in the filler market, which manufactured Artefill, became a casualty of the economy and went out of business last year.

There are many products on the market to enhance your eyelashes such as lash extensions and transplants. These are invasive procedures, which tend to be more popular on the West Coast and which we do not offer to our patients.

• My office staff has started using a product called LATISSE by Allergan to stimulate lash growth. Our patients have had very favorable outcomes with this FDA approved product. We are now carrying LATISSE, which requires a physician’s prescription, in our office. Although there are other less effective lash stimulators available over the counter, they run about the same price as the LATISSE.
• Lasers continue to become more advanced, but I believe there is still nothing better than fractionated CO2 for facial resurfacing. People who want their tattoos removed have something to look forward to with the new multi-wavelength technology. It has definitely improved the removal of the blacks, dark blues, reds and green colors, however there is presently still no laser that will take out the yellows or light blues.
• With all the new trendy names in liposuction such as Smart Lipo, Smooth Lipo, Slim Lipo, Laser Lipo, just to name a few, one can get very confused as to what gives the best results. Most new techniques are now using laser light to add a touch of heat for dissolving fat that still must be suctioned out by the traditional method. These “laser lipos” are effective when used as an adjunct to the traditional liposuction procedure.

The newest and most unusual technology presented at the meeting was Cryolipolysis. This external cooling technique is an innovative technology that uses precise cooling rather than traumatic heating or shock waves to reduce fat layer thickness. Although Cryolipolysis is still under research investigation, it appears to have great promise and is certainly a concept to watch.

Trends & Fads
The meeting was fun and informative, and I look forward to the next one. There are trends and fads in Aesthetics Surgery, more so than any other medical specialty. It will be interesting to see which concepts, products and techniques stay the course and which ones fall by the wayside. Our office will continue to be vigilant at closely investigating and assessing the value of new techniques and technologies to ensure we are providing the most up-to-date, cost effective, quality service to our clientele.

Dr. Fank Venzara

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr. Frank Venzara was born in Chicago and has resided for the majority of his life in South and Central Florida. He is a graduate of both University of Miami’s Undergraduate Program and Medical School. He trained as a surgical resident at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami and as a plastic surgery fellow at the University of Missouri’s Truman Medical Center in Kansas City, Missouri. He has practiced in Brevard County, Florida, for 29 years as a Board Certified Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon. When not attending to his surgery schedule, Frank enjoys surfing and fishing. Dr. Venzara can be reached at 321-452-3882.

Maintaining Youthful Skin

Your skin is your barrier to protect you from this world. It is also the organ that is most tied to our appearance. In the quest to maintain youth, most people focus on the skin and skin health to preserve that youthful look.

There are many variables that contribute to the aging of the skin but first you must have an idea of the anatomy of the skin to appreciate the many facets of skin aging and correction.

DR. FRANK VENZARA,above right, and Dr. Robert Bashore, left, with Physician Assistant Dan Daniels, center, in one of their two fully equipped surgical suites. The doctors are Board Certified Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons, and Daniels is a member of the American Academy of Physician Assistants.

The skin is an organ. Just like other organs of the body, such as the heart, lungs, liver, etc. the skin has its own unique cells and structure. To simplify the discussion the skin can be divided into 3 main layers, the epidermis, the dermis, and the subcutaneous tissues.

Each one of these layers factor into the aging process and special techniques are used to combat the effects of aging at each of these levels. When putting together a plan to correct the effects of aging on the skin we take all these layers into consideration and put together a plan that is either comprehensive or targeted on one of these layers.

n First there is the epidermis. This is the top layer of skin and contains the pigment cells of the skin (melanin). The epidermis is what we see when we look at each other and is also our major defense against the sun.

The effects of the sun on the skin and its role in aging are called photo-aging. Melanin is our major defense against blocking out the UV rays, which in turn causes photo-aging. Even with the protection of melanin, there are significant changes with the epidermis over time. The UV rays damage the basal level of cells and alter their genetic composition, causing unevenness of the skin’s tone.

Brown and red spots start to become visible over time, and they typically don’t get better without intervention. Staying out of the sun and using sunscreens can prevent some of these changes, but many of us were unaware of the harmful effects of the sun until 15-20 years ago. Unfortunately much of the damage is already done. The epidermis is also altered my many other factors not just the sun. Some common offenders are hormonal fluctuations, environmental exposures, smoking, and diet.

• So what can we do to help? Fighting fire with fire applies here, and we treat photo-aging with photo-rejuvenation.

Advanced platforms utilizing IPL (intense pulsed light) and lasers as well as multiple other light based procedures can typically reduce the amount of brown and red spots and restore and improve skin tone. Selective photo-thermolysis is the process of transferring light into heat and destroying a lesion or vessel.

This is the concept that drives most laser platforms. The Lume 1 manufactured by Lumenis® has multiple wavelengths of pulsed light that can be used to reduce the most stubborn brown and red spots. Chemicals can also be used to fight the effects of photo-aging by stimulating epidermal cell turnover and bleaching out the clumps of old pigment.

Obagi© is a skin care system that combines the prescription benefits of retinoic acid (Retin-A) and hydroquinone with blenders and toners to maximize their effectiveness. Dermabrasion can also be used.

The dermabrader mechanically destroys the epidermal cells and stimulates new skin cell growth. The disadvantage to the dermabrader when compared to chemicals, IPL, and laser treatments is that the dermabrader treatments typically involve a significant amount of downtime if they go deep enough to alter the lesion’s characteristics.

Microdermabrasion is a way to get around the downtime issue of dermabrasion but typically it takes many treatments to possibly make a small difference.

• The second layer of skin is the dermis. The dermis is the white layer of skin that we sometimes see after we scrape or injure our skin.
• The dermis is very vascular and one of its major functions is to supply blood to the epidermis. The dermis also gives the skin its turgor or firmness. As we age, the skin at the dermal layer gets thinner and more relaxed. This leads to wrinkles and sagging skin. Unfortunately there are typically no creams or ointments that can penetrate to this deep dermal level without significant downtime.
• To get around this issue we incorporate resurfacing lasers and surgery to manipulate the deep dermal layers of skin. CO2 resurfacing laser is the gold standard of laser resurfacing and it works by contracting the dermis through heating and in turn stimulates new collagen growth. Active FX is a treatment that involves CO2 resurfacing and is related to minimized downtime and pain.
• The extremes of skin laxity from the effects of gravity and weathering still require surgical corrections. Surgical options like face lifts, neck lifts, forehead lifts, blepharoplasty, etc. all involve removing excessively lax skin and repositioning the skin into a more youthful placement.
• Surgery is still the most effective and dramatic way to correct sagging skin but it also typically involves more costs and more downtime than other options. Surgery has been around a long time and it still is the single best way to correct skin laxity.
• Combining surgery with some of the above mentioned procedures can truly transform your skin and restore a more youthful look. There is a reason that surgeries have withstood the test of time and that reason is because they work.
• Lastly there are the subcutaneous tissues. By definition the word subcutaneous means under the skin and technically this tissue is not skin organ tissue. When we refer to subcutaneous tissue in this article we are typically referring to the layer of fat and collagen that acts as a bed for our skin to lie on. Again, aging takes its toll on these tissues and typically changes the distribution of fat. Losing fat from our face and hands is what often happens, and it can make these areas look thin and gaunt.
• Replacing the lost volume is the goal in combating this, and dermal fillers are a quick and effective counter to this phenomenon. Products like Restylane and Juvederm, which are brand names for hylauranic acid based dermal fillers, are the first line of defense.
• Products like Sculptra offer a more permanent correction but are stimulatory in nature and require more patient commitment to get a noticeable result. Sometimes, we actually do fat grafting which involves harvesting fat from an area that has a significant amount and relocating to an area of need.
• Unfortunately, fat grafting usually causes more downtime compared to other dermal fillers, and does not guarantee that you will have more persistence of correction than the other methods of re-volumizing.

Chemical, Laser, Or Surgical

Using all of the options mentioned and applying them appropriately to an individual’s needs is the real art involved in cosmetic medicine. Taking care of our skin is important to our general health and well being but it is also vital in maintaining our aesthetic appearance.

As a patient, the utmost importance will always be placed on protecting our skin from the sun and its cancer causing rays. However, when it’s time to work on and correct the effects of aging on the skin it will come down to one of only three choices: chemical, laser, or surgical. Protection first, correction second and when you’re ready for correction we will be there.

Dr. Frank Venzara

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr. Frank Venzara was born in Chicago and has resided for the majority of his life in South and Central Florida. He is a graduate of both University of Miami’s Undergraduate Program and Medical School. He trained as a surgical resident at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami and as a plastic surgery fellow at the University of Missouri’s Truman Medical Center in Kansas City, Missouri. He has practiced in the Central Brevard Area for 25 years as a Board Certified Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon. When not attending to his surgery schedule, Frank enjoys surfing and fishing. Dr. Venzara can be reached at 321-452-3882, or log on to www.brevardplasticsurgery.com.

Dr. Fank Venzara

Blepharoplasty improves appearance of your eyes

THE FIRST place one begins to show their age is in their eyes, “the windows of the soul.” The eyes show much about our physical state of being, and over time, the aging process can make you look older, impair vision, and even change the way people perceive you. Cosmetic eyelid surgery, called blepharoplasty, is a surgical procedure performed to improve the appearance of the eyes. It is one of the most popular facial cosmetic procedures and is typically well tolerated by patients.

BLEPHAROPLASTY may be performed under local anesthesia with intravenous sedation or with general anesthesia. The incisions are designed to be concealed within the natural folds of the eyelids in order to keep the scars as invisible as possible. Excess fat, muscle, and loose skin are removed, with the procedure routinely taking approximately one hour to complete.

Loose or sagging skin of the upper and lower eyelids can prematurely age the face. There are two fat pads behind the upper lid and three fat pads behind the lower lids. The fat pads, which bulge out the lower lids, are easily detectable by looking up, and bulging of the lower lid is detectable by gently pressing on the upper lid, which pushes the lower pads out. This is what causes the “bags under the eyes”. In many cases “bags under the eyes” is hereditary and can easily be alleviated with surgery.

The dark circles under or around the eyes are harder to address. If they are caused by shadows from the “bags under the eyes” then the blepharoplasty will help. If the darkness is caused by allergies, then the surgery will most likely not help the color, but by smoothing out the area will be easier to camouflage. Make-up and concealers will go on smoother and more uniform. Blepharoplasty addresses these issues by safely removing above mentioned excess skin and fat pads surrounding the eye area. Meticulous attention must be paid to providing anatomic correction without altering the patient’s natural look.

Because blepharoplasty is typically deemed cosmetic by most insurance companies it is not covered. However, in some cases, the loose or sagging skin of the upper eyelids may impair the field of vision, and if visual field impairment is documented by a visual fields test by your eye physician, the surgery may be covered by insurance. In contrast, the lower eyelids, where the puffiness results in “bags” but does not impair vision, are never covered by insurance. Removing the “bags” and associated excess skin with a lower blepharoplasty results in a more rested and youthful appearance, but is purely cosmetic.

Local Anesthesia
Blepharoplasty may be performed under local anesthesia with intravenous sedation or with general anesthesia. The incisions are designed to be concealed within the natural folds of the eyelids in order to keep the scars as invisible as possible. Excess fat, muscle, and loose skin are removed, with the procedure routinely taking approximately one hour to complete.

Fine sutures are used to close the incisions, thereby minimizing the visibility of any scar, and are removed within 3-4 days. There is very little associated discomfort, but typically there are varying degrees of swelling and bruising under or around the eyes, and downtime is minimal overall. Cold compresses, as well as head elevation when lying down, will enhance healing and relieve discomfort.

Unfortunately no matter how healthy we are or how diligent we are at the gym, there is no way to counteract the effects of aging on the eyelids and face. Facial plastic surgery makes it possible to correct many facial flaws and signs of premature aging that can undermine self-confidence. By changing how you look, facial plastic surgery like blepharoplasty can help change how you feel about yourself and, in some cases where vision is impaired, provide a new outlook on life.

Selecting a Surgeon
Successful facial plastic surgery is a result of good rapport between patient and surgeon. Finding a surgeon you can trust to perform the blepharoplasty procedure is of utmost importance. Trust, based on realistic expectations and exacting medical expertise, develops in the consulting stages before surgery. In order to feel as comfortable and confident as possible with the cosmetic surgeon you choose, be sure you’re familiar with the things you should look for in a surgeon.

When choosing a plastic surgeon make sure that he or she is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, the only cosmetic surgical board approved by the American Board of Medical Specialties, and make your choice of a plastic surgeon based on the extent of his or her experience and qualifications rather than on bargains or promotions.

Dr. Frank Venzara was born in Chicago and has resided for the majority of his life in South and Central Florida. He is a graduate of both University of Miami’s Undergraduate Program and Medical School. He trained as a surgical resident at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami and as a plastic surgery fellow at the University of Missouri’s Truman Medical Center in Kansas City, Missouri. He has practiced in the Central Brevard, Florida Area for 25 years as a Board Certified Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon. When not attending to his surgery schedule, Frank enjoys surfing and fishing. Dr. Venzara can be reached at 321-452-3882, or log on to BrevardPlasticSurgery.com

VIERA, FLORIDA (Feb. 25,2011) – Frank X. Venzara, MD, had been unanimously elected to the Viera Hospital Medical Executive Committee, and was also appointed president of the medical staff of the new hospital set to open April 1.

Viera Hospital President & CEO Chris Kennedy

“We are excited to open our hospital with your leadership of our inaugural medical staff and look forward to the wonderful opportunity ahead of us,” said Viera Hospital President & CEO, Chris Kennedy.

Dr. Venzara has lived and practiced in Brevard County for over 28 years, holds board certification as a Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon, previously served as medical staff president at Cape Canaveral Hospital and is also a member of the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.

“I am very proud to be part of this outstanding new facility and look forward to contributing to the improved health and well being of our community,” said Dr. Venzara.

This year, Dr. Venzara’s Brevard Cosmetic Surgery Group will mark the beginning of its fourth decade serving Brevard County. He has been among the area’s top reconstructive and plastic surgeons since 1982.

Dr. Venzara was born in Chicago and has resided for the majority of his life in South and Central Florida. He is a graduate of both University of Miami’s Undergraduate Program and Medical School. He trained as a surgical resident at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami and as a plastic surgery fellow at the University of Missouri’s Truman Medical Center in Kansas City, Missouri.

Viera Hospital: State-of-the-Art Healthcare Campus

Health First is bringing Veria Hospital, the new, state-of-the-art healthcare campus to the dynamic and growing community of Viera/Suntree.

Situated west of Interstate 95 on the southwest corner of Wickham Rd. and Lake Andrew Dr., the 50-acre Viera Health Park is centrally located in one of the fastest growing regions of the state.

To address the expanding needs of this growing area, the Viera Health Park campus will include three integrated healthcare components within easy walking distance from one another, including Viera Hospital, the Medical Plaza at Viera Health Park and Pro-Health & Fitness Center.

Brevard Cosmetic Surgery Group Opens Office in the the Medical Plaza at Viera Health Park

BREVARD COSMETIC SURGICAL GROUP: Dr. Frank Venzara, center, and Dr. Robert Bashore, left, with Physician Assistant Dan Daniels, right, in one of their two fully equipped surgical suites. Drs. Venzara and Bashore are Board Certified Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons, and have over 50 years cumulative experience. Mr. Daniels is a member of the American Academy of Physician Assistants and holds privileges with several local hospitals

Dr. Venzara will open his second Brevard County office in the the Medical Plaza at Viera Health Park with his partner, Dr. Robert Bashore.

Dr. Bashore graduated from the Florida Institute of Technology and Thomas Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He interned in General Surgery at David Grant Medical Center, Travis AFB, California and completed his residency at Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio. Dr. Bashore served his residency in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at Wilford Hall, Lackland AFB, Texas, where he went on to serve as Assistant Professor.

He was certified by the American Board of Surgery in 1985 and the American Board of Plastic Surgery in 1988. Dr. Bashore is a member of many professional societies including the Fellow American College of Surgeons and the American Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons.

Both physicians practice as Board Certified Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons and have a combined over 50 years experience. They have established a strong partnership based on sound surgical principles, coupled with a genuine passion for reconstructive and cosmetic surgery.

The staffers at Brevard Cosmetic Surgery Group’s Merritt Island, and soon to be Viera Health Park, offices are a highly effective group that offers a professional yet approachable atmosphere.

For more information call 321-452-3882 or log on to www.BrevardPlasticSurgery.com