An experimental treatment for an endovascular condition will be tested at Sarasota Memorial Hospital. The local institution will assess the safety and effectiveness of using the Indigo Aspiration System to treat deep vein thrombosis.

That’s a new Computer Assisted Vacuum Thrombectomy system, a catheter-based process to speed up the detection of blood clots and then remove them using an aspiration pump. The hope is to both find and extract the clots in a single session without the use of clot-dissolving medication or performing open surgery.

“DVTs can pose significant risks, including fatal complications such as pulmonary embolism, if left untreated,” said Dr. Jason Wagner, a vascular surgeon heading up Penumbra’s multicenter BOLT study at SMH. “Advances like Penumbra’s Indigo Aspiration System provide another way to address and remove dangerous clots through CAVT before they can trigger a life-threatening event.”

Deep vein thrombosis can result in deadly pulmonary embolism. The condition kills some 300,000 people across the U.S. each year. But some of the first lives saved from the fate could receive treatment at SMH. 

The hospital will be one of 40 research sites testing the treatment on patients. Officials encourage local patients experiencing their first instanced of unilateral lower extremity deep vein thrombosis and who are symptomatic for at least two weeks, to call SMH’s Research Institute at (941) 917-2225. The research center conducts tests for a number of medical treatments, including for including cardiology, infectious disease, gastroenterology, neurology, oncology, pulmonology, urology and vascular conditions.

The Food and Drug Administration also has a clinical trial website set up. 

Photo courtesy SMH: Dr. Jason Wagner

Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections Ron Turner announced that his office has revised a total of 12 voting precincts and added nine new polling locations in advance of the 2024 election cycle. At the conclusion of the 2022 General Election, Turner asked elections office staff to begin studying each of Sarasota County’s 99 voting precincts to assess voter population size. With continued growth in the county, Turner wanted to ensure that voters continue to have convenient and efficient access to the voting process. The study resulted in the creation and/or revision of precincts 106, 128, 311, 312, 313, 314, 417, 425, 430, 501, 527 and 543. With the changes, there are now a total of 103 precincts in Sarasota County. “Statistically speaking, Sarasota County has been recognized as one of the nation’s fastest growing regions,” Turner said. “One of my jobs is to understand where the growth is occurring and plan accordingly, so voters have a positive experience in the voting booth.” In addition to the revised voting precincts, the elections office added nine polling locations in high growth areas of the county. Turner also purchased new voting equipment and plans to hire extra poll workers to meet demand.“This project took more than a year to complete from start to finish. It was time-consuming, but ultimately, it was worthwhile,” Turner said. “We have more than 320,000 registered voters in Sarasota County, so expanding our capacity to ensure voters have a smooth voting experience is a major priority.” Any voter whose precinct and/or polling location has changed will receive a notification in the mail from the elections office in the coming weeks. urner reminds voters that 2024 will be a busy election year, with the March 19 Presidential Preference Primary kicking things off. He also wants voters to know that this presidential primary will be for registered Republican voters only since Florida is a closed primary state. Individuals have until Tuesday, February 20 to register to vote or update their party affiliation. For more information, visit SarasotaVotes.gov or call 941.861.8600. 

 Halfacre Construction Company, a Lakewood Ranch-based commercial construction company, recently broke ground on the new Mosquito Management Facility for Sarasota County. Located at 16500 Honore Ave. in Nokomis, the $12.8 million construction cost project will be a one-story, 19,822-square-foot storm-hardened building that will feature an administration area, laboratories, negative atmosphere testing area, chemical storage, CO2 trap storage, trap repair and battery storage area, insectary, chicken coop for baby chicks, mature chicken coop, aquaculture facility to breed and raise mosquito-eating fish, aquaculture plant and vegetable garden. The aquaculture facilities will serve a dual purpose that includes both mosquito management and tours for educational purposes.  Currently, the county division occupies nine buildings on Ashton Road at a site shared with the County Fleet Division and the administrative staff of Sarasota County Area Transit. The new facility in Nokomis will allow for the staff to more efficiently serve the growing population of South County and communities east of I-75. Halfacre Construction Company celebrated the launch of the project with a commemorative groundbreaking ceremony on Friday, Jan. 12. The project launched earlier this month, with an expected completion date of spring 2025. Sarasota County Mosquito Management is dedicated to protecting and promoting public health by managing mosquito populations through environmentally sound and fiscally responsible practices.  

The national law firm of Shumaker is proud to announce three newly elected members of the firm’s Management Committee as of January 1, 2024. The newly appointed members include W. Reed Hauptman—who previously served on the Management Committee—, Andrew S. Culicerto, and Michele Leo Hintson. All three bring a wealth of legal experience, strategic vision, and a commitment to their new roles. As Management Committee members, Andy, Reed, and Michele will actively contribute to shaping Shumaker's strategic direction, fostering client relationships, and advancing the firm's commitment to delivering unparalleled legal services. Andy has not only been elected to our firm's Management Committee, but he was also recently elected Managing Partner of Shumaker’s Charlotte, N.C, and Greenville, S.C. offices. In addition, he previously served as the firm’s Real Estate, Construction and Development Business Sector Co-Chair. Practicing law for more than two decades, Andy devotes the majority of his time to representing clients serving the construction industry and other complex business disputes. In practice for 25 years, Reed’s principal areas of practice are banking and commercial law, real estate finance and development, land use planning, and business law. He has extensive experience in representing large and small businesses and developers in a wide range of commercial transactions, including business formation and funding. Reed is most active representing parties in the acquisition, disposition, leasing, construction, and development of real property and has substantial experience in public and private financings to include commercial loans, tax credit financings, Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) loans, and state and federal loans and grants. Michele is a seasoned business litigator and Florida Supreme Court Certified Circuit Court Mediator with more than 20 years of experience who dedicates her practice to representing individuals in a variety of business disputes, with a focus on development, construction, and commercial matters. Michele formerly served as the firm’s Litigation and Disputes Regional Service Line Leader. Seen as a leader in the community, she is Chair of the Pasco Economic Development Council (EDC) Board of Directors, where she plays a pivotal role in overseeing Pasco EDC's mission of stimulating balanced and diversified business growth in Pasco County. The firm is led by the Management Committee, comprised of nine partners, as well as the Chief Operating and Chief Financial Officers.  

Tervis, the nationally loved and family-owned drinkware company founded in 1946, will kick off its extended partnership with the Association of Pickleball Players (APP) at the first APP Tour event in Punta Gorda this week. The partnership with the pickleball tour, which began in 2023, designates Tervis as the official and exclusive water bottle of the APP. Founded in 2019, the APP serves professionals, senior professionals and amateurs in the fastest growing sport in the United States. The first and only tour officially sanctioned by USA Pickleball, the 2024 APP Tour has 12 announced tournament stops and kicks off in Punta Gorda, Florida on January 17 through January 21. The five-day season kick-off event launches at the newly renovated PicklePlex, where fans can watch the best pro pickleball players in the world compete, as well as the AARP Champions and AARP Masters Division competitors, and hundreds of amateurs. Tervis will be in attendance at the Punta Gorda event with a booth set up for spectators to stop by and learn more about the well-known drinkware brand, as well as purchase pickleball-themed tumblers. Through its partnership, Tervis will immerse itself with in-venue branding and visibility, including signage, social media promotion and inclusion in APP Tour broadcast productions — spanning coverage on CBS Sports Network, ESPN, ESPN2 and more linear broadcast partners to be announced by the APP, as well as livestream coverage on APPTV and ESPN+. For more information on the APP’s 2024 tour schedule, visit TheAPP.global.  

The Bradenton Area Convention & Visitors Bureau (BACVB) is underway with a $48 million renovation and expansion of the Bradenton Area Convention Center.  Built in 1985, The Bradenton Area Convention Center is undergoing a full renovation that includes the addition of a 14,000 sq. ft. ballroom with pre-function space. The additional square footage enables the convention center to attract corporate and association conventions from Florida, the Southeast and beyond. The expansion and renovation is anticipated to be completed in the second quarter of 2025. Managed by the Bradenton Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, the convention center sits just off the Manatee River with easy convenience to downtown Bradenton and the stunning sugar-sand white beaches of Anna Maria Island. As the only full-service convention center of its size in a 150-mile radius from St. Petersburg to Naples, the reimagined 14,000 sq. ft. ballroom will seat 900 conference goers with the capability of being split into two equal sections with operable walls. Two additional outdoor event spaces allow for alternative event space, while the existing exhibit hall is set for new paint and an epoxy for the existing flooring. The interior design was inspired by the real, authentic touches of Florida’s West Coast. Driftwood, the turquoise waters, sugar-sand beaches of the gulf and boating are reflected in the textures and colors often seen around the Bradenton Area.  Connecting to the convention center will be a new 252-room premium upscale, full-service Marriott hotel. A climate-controlled corridor will provide a comfortable walkway for conference goers to get from the new Marriott Palmetto Resort and Spa to their events in the convention center. The new hotel will offer visitors and conference goers the best in high-end amenities, including a ground floor restaurant and lounge, VIP rooftop bar and lounge, outdoor resort-style pool, outdoor event space and concierge services, as well as a beach club located off Haben Boulevard. More than 10,000 square feet of meeting space will be available within the hotel that will complement the convention center.  The Marriott Palmetto Resort & Spa is anticipated to open spring of 2024. For more information, contact Kolby Gayson, Marketing & Communications Director for the Bradenton Area Convention & Visitors Bureau at kolby.gayson@bacvb.com or 941-290-8412.   

Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) announced that The Bellwether Group based in Sarasota, has been named to Forbes Magazine’s 2024 list of America’s Best-In-State Wealth
Management Teams, for a second year in a row. Forbes Best-In-State Wealth Management Teams ranking was developed by SHOOK Research and is based on in-person, virtual, and telephone due diligence meetings to measure best practices, client retention, industry experience, credentials, review of compliance records, firm nominations; and quantitative criteria, such as: assets under management and revenue generated for their firms. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, a global leader, provides access to a wide range of products and services to individuals, businesses and institutions, including brokerage and investment advisory services, financial and wealth planning, cash management and lending products and services, annuities and insurance, retirement and trust services. 

Pictured: (L to R) Rochelle A Nigri, Richard T. Williams III, Aimee Cogan, Scott Rockwell and Kathy Francoletti.

Sarasota Memorial is joining up to 40 other research sites across the nation testing a new, endovascular  option for patients with deep vein thrombosis (DVT), a complicated condition that endangers nearly 1 million people in the U.S. each year. DVT occurs when blood clots develop in the deep veins of the body, usually in the leg. DVTs can become deadly when blood clots break loose and become lodged in the lung, a life-threatening complication known as a pulmonary embolism (PE). DVT/PE is the third most common vascular disease, behind heart attacks and strokes, and kills as many as 300,000 people in the U.S. each year. Vascular surgeon Jason Wagner, MD, principal investigator of Penumbra’s multi-center BOLT study at SMH, said the clinical trial will assess the safety and effectiveness of treating DVT with the Indigo® Aspiration System used to perform Computer Assisted Vacuum Thrombectomy (CAVT). This catheter-based endovascular system uses computer-assisted technology to accelerate clot detection and remove clot using a dedicated aspiration pump, aimed to complete procedures in a single session, without the need for clot-dissolving medications or open surgery. Adults experiencing their first episode of unilateral lower extremity DVT, and who are symptomatic for 14 days or less, are eligible to enroll in the study. For information about the trial and enrollment criteria, call Sarasota Memorial’s Research Institute at (941) 917-2225 or visit the FDA clinical trial webpage at: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05003843. 

 Architecture Sarasota announces the launch of “Downtown Sarasota: Hindsight, Insight and Foresight,” a four-part speaker series conceived to spark an informed and constructive community-wide discussion about downtown’s future. Beginning on January 24, at Art Ovation Hotel, the series will explore downtown Sarasota's evolution over the last two decades with four distinguished speakers—Andrés Duany, David Houle, Mitchell Silver, and Victor Dover. Speakers will address vital topics, including the current downtown master plan and how it was shaped two decades ago; how downtown has developed since then; the macro-level forces affecting the city; effective current downtown planning practices; and insights drawn from successful urban planning in other locales. Tickets are $35 for the series or $10 per lecture and can be purchased at ArchitectureSarasota.org. For more information, call 352-219-4122. Art Ovation is located at 1255 N. Palm Ave., Sarasota. 

 Centex has started presales for new single-family homes in The Strand at Cedar Grove, an intimate gated enclave of 244 attractively priced homes with private amenities and a desirable location in The Woodlands area of North Port. Interested homebuyers can inquire about becoming one of the first homeowners at The Strand by visiting our nearby community, Cedar Grove to learn about presales.  Or visit us online at: www.Centex.com/TheStrand. Centex is also pleased to announce it has begun construction on model homes illustrating the national builder’s six innovative consumer-inspired floor plans. The Strand at Cedar Grove’s one- and two-story floor plans are created for modern lifestyles and a variety of budgets with open concept designs for families of all sizes, an emphasis on outdoor living and versatile spaces to meet today’s needs and those of tomorrow. Offering two to five bedrooms, two to four-and-a-half bathrooms, homes have 1,660 to over 3,400 square and two-car garages. Plan-specific flex rooms give buyers boundless opportunities for home offices, hobby rooms, dens, home gyms, additional bedrooms and more. Spacious main living areas blend gathering rooms, kitchens and casual dining areas for everyday living and entertaining and are balanced with private spaces for a secluded retreat. Well-appointed kitchens feature generous cabinetry and counterspace, center islands and walk-in pantries. The owners’ suites have walk-in closets and spa-inspired bathrooms with dual-sink vanities and glass-enclosed showers. Centex also offers opportunities for buyers to personalize their home by extending indoor rooms and garages, adding second-floor lofts and bedrooms, and elevating outdoor living with pools, spas, expanded lanais and zero-corner glass doors. The Strand’s private amenity campus will offer a neighborhood pool, covered poolside cabana, playground and half-court basketball. New-construction homes at The Strand at Cedar Grove start from the $320,000s. Located within the established, family-friendly master-planned community of The Woodlands in North Port, The Strand’s main gated entry is on Panacea Boulevard with a secondary entrance within Cedar Grove. The community is located four minutes east of the I-75 interchange at Toledo Blade Boulevard and 10 minutes north of U.S. 41. It’s also convenient to airports, well-rated schools, daily shopping needs, employment, healthcare, arts, entertainment and recreational activities, including Gulf of Mexico beaches, championship golf courses, parks and sports. For more information about The Strand at Cedar Grove by Centex, call or text 941-702-9358 or visit  www.Centex.com/TheStrand. 

Pictured: Cedar Grove provides homebuyers with a premier opportunity for new homes in top locations, coupled with versatile designs for every lifestyle.

TRAVEL BACK IN TIME | Uzi Baram, Director of Public Archeology at Selby Gardens, shows us there's a lot to learn from the past, January 2024. 

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