Advanced Medical Center Celebrates Earth Day 2009 Hosting e-Waste Collection Site in Collier County

Wednesday, April 25, 2009, 9am - 4pm

What to do with electronics when we have no more use for it? How does one safely and environmentally responsibly recycle e-waste (electronic waste)?

Americans own a lot of electronics. In fact, research from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reports that the average United States household owns 24 electronic products per household and that E-waste makes up about 2% of all waste generated in the United States.

To celebrate Earth Day 2009 and assist in the collection of e-waste in Collier County, Advanced Medical Center and the City of Naples Solid Waste Division will be hosting a FREE Electronics Recycling Event on Wednesday, April 22. from 9 am until 4 pm. The collection sites – for this one day event - will be located in the parking lot of Advanced Medical Center at 1250 Pine Ridge Road in North Naples, and at the City of Naples Solid Waste Division at 50 Riverside Circle (just off Goodlette Road and Central Avenue).  
       
According to Advanced Medical Center founder and medical director Gregory E. Leach, M.D., promoting good health and being environmentally conscious are equal partners and hosting the e-waste collection site is simply another way to embrace wellness for both patients and employees. “Earth Day is a call to action - a reminder that we should all be doing our part, that we should all be working together, helping to protect the environment.  The quantity of electronic waste that Americans generate is truly astounding. America is such a consumer driven “disposable” nation. Every few years we buy new computers, new TV’s, new cell phones, etc. but we really don’t know how to safely dispose of the old ones. Most Americans are aware that they cannot put electronic waste in a garbage can or set it by the side of the road for pick up (as electronics contain a variety of pollutants that would make our land fills unsafe) so the vast majority of people let it pile up in garages, storage lockers, and attics”, reports Dr. Leach. This FREE Electronics Recycling Event is a chance for everyone to drag all of their e-waste out of storage, dispose of it safely, and proudly say they made a difference on Earth Day. What could be better than that?” he added.

Once the e-waste is collected, items are evaluated for reuse. (i.e. clean hard drive to Department of Defense standards) and sold on secondary markets or donated to non-for-profit organizations. If there is no reuse, items are de-manufactured, that is, assets are recovered before disposal. Valued assets include valued gold, silver, reusable glass and cathode ray tube (CRTs) from old televisions. While the amount of valuable parts is small and newer units have less hazardous waste, removing materials helps keep waste out of the landfills.

“Reusing and recycling these materials from end-of-life electronics conserves our natural resources and avoids air and water pollution, as well as greenhouse gas emissions that are caused by manufacturing new products,” explains Keeth Kipp, owner of Mwaste, Inc., a Naples-based firm that specializes in recycling.

“For example, cell phones have a number of different metals in them which can be recycled – copper, gold, silver, and palladium. Take gold. If we recycled 100 million cell phones, 3.4 metric tons of gold could be recovered - allowing that amount of gold to enter back into production without being mined,” says Kipp. Because the mining and processing steps were avoided, 5 .5 million tons of loose soil, sand, and rock would not have to be moved and large quantities of waste also would be avoided.

Another result is that substantially less fuel would be used, dramatically reducing the emissions of greenhouse gases.

Organizers stress that e-waste recycling events are not hazardous (paint, chemicals, etc.) waste collection sites. Collier County accepts hazardous waste everyday at the landfill. The Earth Day e-waste event is co-sponsored by Sunshine Recycling Services, MWaste.com, Imageprojektions and Recycletechstore.com.

Located at 1250 Pine Ridge Road, Advanced Medical Center is an environmentally friendly Family Practice and Urgent Care facility that always welcomes new patients and out of town guests. For their patients convenience Advanced Medical center has extended hours and is open 7 days a week, and they have an on site laboratory, digital x-ray, and a generics-only pharmacy.

For more information, contact the City of Naples Solid Waste Division at (239) 213-04700 or call Advanced Medical Center at (239) 566-7676.

Naples Florida Weekly January 2009

Walk-In Clinics Becoming Big Business in Florida

Urgent care facilities increasingly ease the pain of non-emergency illness and injuries. Walk-in, urgent care medical centers are catering to a grwoing market in Southwest Florida by offering immediate care to patients who are having acute medical problems. For some, their primary care doctor might be too busy to see them, and an emergency room visit would mean hours of waiting and a high cost.

October 2008

Don’t Let Flu Season Get You Down —
Single best way to protect against the flu is to get vaccinated each year

Advanced Medical Center today announced that it will begin yearly flu vaccinations on October 1 and continue throughout the influenza season, into December, January, and beyond.

“Because the timing and duration of influenza seasons vary, influenza outbreaks can happen as early as October, although most of the time influenza activity peaks in January or later,” reports Gregory E. Leach, M.D., medical director at Advanced Medical Center.

While no appointment is necessary for individuals, scheduling an appointment usually reduces the time spent at the medical center. Corporate clients may arrange to schedule an AMC nurse to visit the workplace to immunize employees and co-workers (minimum of five employees) by calling Sean Waldron or Lori-Ann Martell at 566-7676. The charge per flu immunization is $20 per person.

Who should get vaccinated?
For the first time, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) now recommends flu shots for not only for adults and school aged children, but also infants over six months of age. The CDC is strongly urging all kids going back to school to get a flu shot. It’s one of the changes being made after last year’s bad influenza season. In addition, the Food and Drug Administration has also reformulated the vaccine to better combat the virus. The vaccine was largely ineffective last year, blocking only 40 percent of the strains of influenza virus, compared to the usual 70 to 90 percent protection rate.

“It’s not like the viruses are smart and sit back and say, 'How can I change this year?'” explains Dr. Leach. “We’re just talking about random mutational events and when you consider the infinite number of viral particles out there, it’s not surprising that you can get a mutation that just randomly imparts a competitive advantage to that virus.”

Previously, the vaccine was only recommended for high-risk kids and preschool children with weaker immune systems, but after seeing the dramatic rise in cases, the CDC says there is enough reason for parents to protect healthy kids, too, ages six months to 18 years old.

“I think a lot of parents are concerned that this is one more shot their child needs to get,” says Dr. Leach. “They think influenza is just a cold. It’s not. It’s significantly different in kids and has been associated with pneumonia and brain infections. It is an essential shot because younger children are at greater risk for getting sick and seeing a doctor or requiring hospitalization.”

Dr. Leach also stresses that kids up to eight years old who have not been previously vaccinated need two flu shots, at least four weeks apart. He wants parents to remember to take their children back for that second injection; otherwise they aren’t truly protecting their children from the flu..

Naples Florida Weekly October 2008
Neopolitan Family October 2008

SAVING THE PLANET…
one x-ray, one light bulb and one cloth towel at a time

Ice caps are melting, coral reefs are shrinking and islands are sinking…what to do? Learn to be a part of the solution says Dr. Gregory Leach, owner and medical director of Advanced Medical Center in Naples, Florida.

Promoting good health and being environmentally conscious are equal partners at Advanced Medical Center in North Naples. As a result, this primary-care center is cutting-edge “green” in the local medical community.

“Being green is not about being perfect; it’s about being conscious and trying to do something,” says Dr. Leach. “Every two seconds, a forest the size of a football field is destroyed – all for things like paper towels,” he cites.

Dr. Leach and his wife, Sally Leach, wanted a building that would stand the test of time, construction-wise and aesthetically while still raising awareness about being environmentally conscious.

“The patient is the product and part of the healing is coming into a pleasant environment. It really makes a difference,” Dr. Leach believes. “This is a very process-driven business and we wanted a building to emulate that process and that is what makes it healing,” he adds, referring to the floor plan layout for efficiency and to reflect patient flow during their visit.

The contemporary two-story building at 1250 Pine Ridge Road embraces wellness for both patients and employees, where eco-friendly and patient-friendly principles were incorporated at every step during the 2 1/2 years to bring the project from concept to reality.

The building is organized around two intersecting corridors. The top-lit, double height main entry lobby along the southern bisecting corridor serves the family practice while granting visitors access to additional lease space at the second floor.

The exterior features sloped walls to further distinguish the geometric volumes. Projecting window walls and horizontal sun screens add dimension to the facade.

The 28,000-square-foot building received fast-track permitting review and impact fee assistance from county government in concert with an EDC mission of expanding health and life sciences facilities.

Walk into the waiting room and natural light pours into the expansive, high-ceiling room where patients have room to breathe. The contemporary furnishings are made with low VOC and recyclable materials. The exterior landscaping features indigenous plants that can thrive without pesticides or fertilizer. Only drip irrigation is used and crushed shell was used in lieu of mulch because it lasts longer and does a better job of filtering water that goes into the ground. Plus, heavy rains do not wash it away.

The floors in the hallways are polished concrete or covered with non-toxic carpeting likewise non-toxic finishes were used on the walls. In the employee kitchen, the appliances are energy efficient and a reverse osmosis system is used for drinking water. Paper towels are shunned in favor of hand cloths, washed on site with cloth patient gowns using biodegradable cleaning products.

Over 70 percent of the building has natural daylight lighting and there are a lot of energy-efficient light bulbs. Large windows filter out UV rays and permeate light naturally,
The rectangular design of the building allowed for more natural lighting, which helps promote productivity and well-being. Advanced Medical Center occupies the entire 13,600 square feet on the first floor and there is 9,000 square feet available to lease on the second floor.

Only recyclable paper is used for patient brochures, business cards and other products. Patient charts are electronic medical records (EMR) which eliminates paper waste. There are not the typical racks and racks of paper charts.

Moreover, patient charts won’t get misplaced and electronic records are more secure for patient privacy. Digital x-rays eliminate the need for processing huge sheet of film and the contaminating products associated with developing the film.

“We are probably 80- to 90-percent paperless and will get better,” Dr. Leach reports. “We have strong recycling.”

Some of the exam tables can adjust low to the floor to make it easier for elderly or disabled patients to access; some other tables for pelvic exams can be warmed for better comfort. All told, there are 19 examination rooms, a private surgical suite and four surgical bays (for minor injuries such as lacerations).

Advanced Medical Center has an on-site laboratory which allows for quicker test results. Likewise, the practice has a generics-only pharmacy so patients don’t have to go to a retail store and wait.

In addition to Dr. Leach, there are three other doctors and four nurse practitioners. The staff wears headsets to communicate with each other – which are time and energy efficient – a priority at the medical center.

Instead of private offices, the doctors with Advanced Medical Center have work stations in one large room to reflect the collaborative nature of the practice and to improve communication.
“We treat illness but promote health,” says Dr. Leach. “I believe we are heading in the right direction and I’m hoping we are setting the bar for where medicine should be going.”

Advanced Medical Center is a family practice that welcomes new walk-in patients, provides urgent care and occupational health services, such as drug screening and company physicals. Open seven days a week.

CHARISMA: History Heroes

Sally Leach expected to love Seaside, a developer-created take on small town living. But when she and her husband, Dr. Greg Leach, arrived there on an anniversary trip to the Panhandle 10 years ago, she hold him to keep driving.

"It wasn't real," she says. "It didn't feel right."

She didn't have that same reaction when arriving at the pre-Civil War Panhandle town Apalachicola. Both pilots, Greg and Sally were impressed that the small community with two-story Victorian houses and a charming downtown also had three World War II military runways. They also discovered a historic house they couldn't forget.

Children's author Alexander Key (Escape to Witch Mountain) once owned the Queen Anne-style Key House, built in 1893. Sally was smitten after seeing the sweeping black cypress staircase and paneling, and five fireplaces. When Greg asked her what she wanted for Christmas, she said, "That house."

They began flying to Apalachicola twice a month, sleeping in the living room while they scraped paint and wallpaper, living without a kitchen and using a five-gallon paint bucket for a shower for more than a year. They used reclaimed wood to replace unavailable heart pine and black cypress boards, and had a carpenter set up on the porch with a lathe turning posts to match. Sally made the eight-hour drive from Naples many times towing a trailer full of furniture, hitting antique stores along the route.

They noticed a historic Classic Revival cottage down the street they feared would be destroyed. They bought it and hired full-time restorers, who took two years to do the job.

Since the Leaches built the state-of-the-art, green designed Advanced Medical Center building in 2007 in Naples, they don't get to Apalachicola as much as they would like, but their hearts are still in the homes they rescued. They say they learned a lot about building something to stand the test of time by working with old houses, which were efficiently designed to take advantage of the climate.

"That old house inspired this [medical] building," Sally says. "When we were in the planning phase, we wanted it to stand the test of time, in addition to being a cool building and a landmark."

June 2008

Dr. Leach Attends Urgent Care Medical Conference.

Advanced Medical Center founder and medical director Gregory E. Leach, M.D., recently attended the Urgent Care Medical Conference, sponsored by the American Academy of Urgent Care Medicine (AAUCM) held in Baltimore, MD.

More than 500 physicians from across the country attended the annual three-day conference to earn continuing medical education (CME) credits in urgent care medicine.

“It’s important that physicians providing urgent care have the current knowledge, training and skills to provide this high level of care,” says Dr. Leach. Rather than physicians modifying previous training in family practice or emergency medicine to “fit” the unique environment of urgent care, it is better to concentrate training developed specifically for urgent care medicine, he says.

The highlight of the conference was the 3DMP Technology lecture, featuring 3DMP (Digital Database Driven Multi Phase) -- a new technology that records a 2-lead resting ECG for 82 seconds. The data is then used to produce a report that assigns a severity score relating to the presence of coronary artery disease (CAD). This procedure is similar to an EKG, but much more sensitive and specific.

Dr. Leach also attended lectures on Psychological First Aid, Pediatric Emergencies, and Bloodborne Pathogen Exposure Protocol and a symposium on Travel Medicine in the Urgent Care Setting.

Board certified in urgent care medicine, Dr. Leach reports that more than half of the care delivered in emergency rooms today is not related a true emergency. “In situations that are not life-threatening such as cuts, broken bones, cough-cold-flu symptoms, the public should be using urgent care centers,” he stresses. Often co-payments for urgent care are less than half of those for a visit to the emergency room, he adds.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Americans logged 103 million visits to hospital emergency departments in 1999, a 14 percent increase from the yearly number of emergency room visits in 1992. Of those, 30.5 million were for urgent care.

“Urgent care is not a substitute for emergency care,” stresses Dr. Leach. “In general, conditions that should be evaluated in an emergency department include deep cuts or bleeding that won’t stop; large bone fractures; problems related to pregnancy; knife or gunshot wounds; coughing or vomiting blood; chest pain; suspected stroke or heart attack; difficulty breathing, severe burns; loss of consciousness and seizures,” he advises.

As a medical specialty, urgent care medicine is the care of any patient of any age who has an immediate but non-emergent medical need. It involves diagnosis through history and physical exam primarily, occasionally supplemented by office-based laboratory or X-ray tests. Common complaints evaluated and treated within the scope of urgent-care medicine include: abdominal pain, allergy symptoms, cough, eye redness or irritation, fever of flu, headaches, minor lacerations, mild to moderate asthma, many infections (sinus, ear, respiratory, skin, bladder, kidney, intestinal), skin rashes, wounds, soft tissue injuries, small bone fractures (fingers, toes, hands, feet), sore throat, skin rashes, skin infections, sprains and strains and urinary tract infections, upper respiratory tract infections.

Currently there are approximately 20,000 physicians practicing urgent care medicine in the United States, and there are more than 10,000 dedicated urgent care clinics in the country. As with other medical specialties, a standardization of the specialty in several regards must take place to ensure patient-care quality.

Founded in 1997, AACUM is an organization dedicated to the standardization and advancement of the practice of urgent care medicine. Through professional development, continuing medical education for physicians and by supporting physician board certification through the American Board of Urgent Care Medicine, the AAUCM’s goal is to ensure excellence among practitioners of urgent care medicine.

The American Board of Urgent Care Medicine uses techniques which meet or exceed those utilized by other medical specialty boards – including an application process, review of any malpractice cases, review of patient care records, and a written examination..

May 2008

Ruth A. DuPont, M.D. Joins Advanced Medical Center – Physician’s Special Interest in Women's Health and Nutritional Medicine

Ruth A. DuPont, M.D. has joined Advanced Medical Center today announced founder and medical director Gregory E. Leach, M.D, effectively immediately.

“Dr. DuPont is an excellent addition to our medical team philosophy to ‘treat illness but promote health’,” explains Dr. Leach. “She is board certified by the American Board of Family Medicine -- the medical specialty that provides continuing, comprehensive health care for the individual and family – and is a Fellow in Integrative Medicine from the American Association of Integrative Medicine (AAIM), with a special interest in Women’s Health and Nutritional Medicine,” he adds. Family medicine integrates the biological, clinical and behavioral sciences covering all ages, both sexes, each organ system and every disease entity.

According to the AAIM, patients today are realizing that allopathic medicine cannot solve all of their health problems and anxieties. “Health is more than absence of disease,” believes Dr. DuPont. “A multi-disciplinary approach to medicine provides the maximum therapeutic benefit. The human being is a fusion of body, mind and spirit – one dependent upon the other for optimal quality of life.”

Fellow status in AAIM requires the physician to have met the requirements for designation of Diplomat and a minimum of three years of professional experience and training to achieve the appropriate number of points. Fellowship also formally recognizes excellence and achievement and identifies competence at the highest level.

Dr. DuPont is certified in Advanced Cardiac Life Support or (ACLS), the set of clinical interventions for the urgent treatment of cardiac arrest and other life threatening medical emergencies, as well as the knowledge and skills to deploy those interventions.

“Extensive medical knowledge and rigorous hands-on training and practice are required to master ACLS,” reports Dr. Leach. “Only qualified health care providers (e.g. physicians, paramedics, nurses, respiratory therapists, pharmacists and other specially trained health care providers) can provide ACLS as it requires the ability to manage the patient’s airway, initiate IV access, read and interpret electrocardiograms, and understand emergency pharmacology,” he continues.

Born in Arizona and raised in Indiana, Dr. DuPont graduated from Tri Central High School in Sharpsville, Indiana as class valedictorian. She later earned bachelor degrees in Biology and Psychology from Indiana University and completed medical school at Indiana University School of Medicine.

Dr. DuPont completed her residency at St Vincent's hospital in Indianapolis where she was chief resident during her final year.

Dr. DuPont’s professional affiliations include the American Academy of Family Practice, The North American Menopause Society, The Institute for Functional Medicine, The Center for Mind-Body Medicine and The Wilderness Medical Society.

Modern Medicine and a Partner for the Cause

So there you are again; wearing a wax-lined paper gown on a paper-draped exam table. Your clothes piled on a plastic chair next to the door. Posters detailing the progressive stages of ear infections and skin cancer decorate the walls. A box of rubber gloves, a decanter with cotton balls, another with tongue depressors, a box of tissues; you’ve taken inventory six times. With nothing to read except the label on the hand sanitizer bottle you wait for another uncomfortable discussion about why you’re there to see a stranger that will become more focused on the protocol of paperwork than looking in your eyes when you describe your symptoms.

Is this modern medicine? When did we go from lollypops to drug samples?

One doctor in Naples doesn’t think this is ideal healthcare, and that’s why his story is so important.

While Dr. Gregory Leach began practicing medicine over 20 years ago in Naples using the same knowledge, tools and resources that most doctors use, he couldn’t satisfy a developing dream to blend all the underlying factors that contribute to total wellbeing into one prescription until now.

The opening of a new medical facility for Advanced Medical Center was an opportunity for Dr. Leach to make a difference in the lives of those who worked with him and those that sought his service.

“As a healthcare provider and wellness advocate, it was important that I model what I was asking my staff and patients to adopt; health on the outside, and health on the inside,” said Dr. Leach.

With support from his wife Sally and a dedicated and trusting staff, Dr. Leach decided to build his idea of a modern medical facility that would not only redefine how healthcare is provided, but also be a catalyst for how businesses impact and respect the environment.

“We had outgrown our offices so it was time to look at our options,” said Dr. Leach. “We could open satellite offices, but that tends to create a disconnect between staff, patients and doctors. We could lease, but that meant moving outside our geographic scope and adapting our needs to a building – not vice versa.”

The Leaches wanted a state-of-the art medical facility, but they also wanted to improve energy and water efficiency, increase patient comfort, eliminate unnecessary waste, reduce toxins, streamline maintenance, and operate with minimal impact on the environment as possible.

Read the full article

NBC-2 News January 2008

Doctor builds "green" primary care center

View the video.

The Forum (CCMS Member Newsletter)
January 2008

CCMS Member Builds His Dream: An Eco-Friendly Facility
Take a dedicated doctor that has a vision to create a new standard of patient care and mix in a little enthusiasm and support from his wife and staff and now you've got one great recipe for success. That's how it began, and many in the community agree that Dr. Gregory and Sally Leach have accomplished an amazing feat with their state-of-the-art medical facility in a particularly challenging time.

"When it became obvious that we had outgrown our offices, Sally and I looked at our options," said Dr. Leach. "We could open satellite offices, but that always creates a disconnect between staff, patients and doctors. We could lease and build out, but that meant moving outside our geographic scope and adapting our needs to a building — not vice versa."

Read the full article.

Naples Daily News December 2007

Advanced Medical Center to show cutting-edge clinic to public.

"The contemporary two-story building at 1250 Pine Ridge Road embraced wellness for both patients and employees, where eco-friendly and patient-friendly principles were incorporated at every step during the 2.5 years to bring the project from concept to completion."

Promoting good health and being environmentally conscious are equal partners at Advanced Medical Center in North Naples.

From the recyclable material in the furniture to pharmaceutical representatives being told that paper-wasting marketing flyers are forbidden, the primary care center is cutting-edge "green" in the local medical community.

Read the full article.

Naples Daily News July 2007

Advanced Medical Center

Construction has been completed on the two-story, 28,000-square-foot Advanced medical Center at 1250 Pine Ridge Road. Dr. Gregory Leach of Advanced Medical Center said his practice occupies the entire first floor of the new facility. The building's owner, Logical Investments LLC of Naples, will occupy a 2,500-square-foot office suite on the second floor. An additional 3,600-square-feet of medical space and 5,400-square-feet of office space are available for lease. D. Garrett Construction of Naples is general contractor for the project. The building's environmentally friendly design provides for natural daylight throughout 70 percent of the building. Other conservation features include energy-efficient electrical systems including lighting, appliances and air-conditioning units. Exterior features include sloped walls, projecting window walls and horizontal sunscreens, and the landscaping was designed to include all native vegetation requiring minimal water and fertilizer.

Architect's comments: This medical office building designed for a prominent local doctor and his wife incorporates a family practice for their clientele, new walk-in patients, urgent care and occupational medicine, such as drug screening and company physicals.

The building is organized around two intersecting corridors. The top-lit, double height main entry lobby along the southern bisecting corridor serves the family practice while granting visitors access to additional lease space at each floor.

The exterior features sloped insulated aluminum panels, and pre-cast concrete panels with coquina-shell finish to further distinguish the geometric volumes. Projecting window walls and horizontal sun screens add dimension to the façade.

This two-story building, with more than 28,000 square feet, allows this 15,000 square foot practice ample room to grow and change as it evolves.

AIA jury comments: Clean forms and medical-like aesthetic through elegant use of materials. Forms clearly define the program. Nice interplay of volumes.