FACILITIES SPOTLIGHT

THE HARRIS FAMILY MEDICAL CENTER was established by Harris Corporation to provide high-quality, primary health care services to participants in the Harris Corporation Health Plan.

HFMC provides one-stop medical care for patients of all ages, with the integration of the Medical Center, on-site pharmacy and lab and the University Center Imaging.

Lynn Sprunger

LYNN SPRUNGER likes to tell the story of a couple who joined the Wellness Program at Harris Family Medical Center hoping to lose weight and increase their stamina. Nine months later, between them they’d lost more than 100 pounds. “They were able to go on a hiking trip for the first time,” said Sprunger, director of operations at HFMC.

They serve as a success story for their own determination, as well as for Harris Corp. As the Space Coast’s largest employer, the company has a major investment in the wellness of its employees and the community. So it follows that the company would be proactive in helping its employees maintain their health.

To that end, the company operates health services and wellness programs through its corporate-sponsored health clinic. Harris Family Medical Center provides access to primary-care physicians, a full-service pharmacy and a diagnostic imaging center.

The company estimates that 60 percent of the adult population connected to Harris in Brevard County has used HFMC, which opened in November 1997. Results of third-party evaluations of patient satisfaction have been positive. “That tells us that we’re on the mark. Certainly, we’re meeting the employees’ needs,” said Ron Wyse, director of employee benefits for the company.

AS THE SPACE COAST’S largest employer, Harris has a major investment in the wellness of its employees and the community. So it follows that the company would be proactive in helping its employees maintain their health.

The hiker couple took part in HFMC’s Wellness Program, which teams a patient with a registered nurse to develop a personalized diet and fitness plan. More than 700 patients are enrolled in the program, Sprunger said.

When patients join the free program, HFMC asks that they make a one-year commitment. Patients fill out a health-risk assessment, have blood work done and meet with a nurse for a one-on-one counseling session. The nurse works as a sort of health coach to help the patient hammer out goals and a path to accomplish them. “We don’t give them a plan and tell them this is what you need to do,” Sprunger said.

Many patients enrolled in the program are working on lowering their blood pressure, losing weight, controlling diabetes, or a combination of the three. They might be given a food diary and asked to record all that they eat and drink. Or they might agree to walk 10,000 steps a day, as measured by an HFMC-issued pedometer.

If people balk at making major changes, the nurse might make a basic suggestion to start with, Sprunger said. “We’ll take a can of soda out of your diet every day. Just one soda,” she said.

Progress is monitored through further evaluations and more blood work, both as a way to oversee health and encourage more progress for patients whose results are improving. “They tend to be more successful if they actually see the printed number, rather than us just saying, ‘Your cholesterol is down,’” Sprunger said.

The program is part of HFMC’s range of services which also include:

Primary Care
The clinic employs four full-time and one part-time physician to serve as primary care doctors. Mental health services are available through a psychologist, psychiatrist and a social worker who specializes in adolescents.

Pharmacy
Harris employees know a good deal when they see one. The Harris pharmacy fills 75 percent of all prescriptions Harris employees and family members have filled in Brevard, the company said. The pharmacy charges a $7.50 co-payment for generic drugs and $22.50 for preferred brand, compared with $10 for generic and $30 for preferred brand for outside pharmacies. If the prescription is written by a HFMC doctor, the patient can buy a three-month supply of the medication at one time.

University Center Imaging
Though not a Harris-owned center, University Center Imaging operates adjacent to the facility and provides diagnostic imaging to HFMC patients. The center recently added digital mammography to its services.

Wellness Sessions
In addition to the Wellness Program, HFMC offers informational sessions on topics of concern. The schedule generally follows national wellness observances, sponsoring, for example, breast cancer awareness talks during October. The center also responds to patient concerns. “If we have a run of patients who come in with osteoporosis, we’ll put together a lunch and learn,” Sprunger said, referring to the center’s lunchtime educational sessions.

After the MRSA staph infection killed a Central Florida high school football player in September, the office was flooded with calls from concerned parents. Medical director Dr. Marissa Rocourt gave a presentation on the condition to help dispel misinformation.

MEET THE HARRIS MEDICAL CENTER STAFF

Dr. Chrieki

Milad Chrieki, M.D.

• Board Certified in Family Practice
• Lvov State Medical School, Lvov, Ukraine 1988
• Residency in Family Medicine, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY (1992-1995)
• Faculty Development Fellowship, Clinical
• Assistant Professor, State University of New York Buffalo, NY (1995-2003).

Dr. Fisk

Perry Fisk, R.Ph

• College and Degree: Xavier University of Louisiana, BS Pharmacy
• Professional Organizations: Brevard County Pharmacy Association
• Personal interests: chess, guitar, travel and sports

Dr. Kirwin

June Kirwin, R.Ph.

• College and Degree: University of Florida, BS Pharmacy
• Lvov State Medical School, Lvov, Ukraine 1988
• Professional Organizations: Florida Pharmacy Association, Brevard County Pharmacy Association, Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy
• Personal interests: bicycling, travel, cooking

Dr. Rocourt

Marissa Rocourt, M.D.

• Robert Wood Johnson Medical School Piscataway, NJ 1996
• Residency in Internal Medicine Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital / St. Peter’s University Hospital, New Brunswick, NJ  (1996-1999)
• Member of American Medical Association (AMA)

Dr. Sum

Suzanne Sum, R.Ph

• College and Degree: BS UF Chemical Engineer; UF College of Pharmacy
• Professional Organizations: Florida Pharmacy  Association
• Personal interests: Shopping, working out

Dr. Toth

Paul Toth, R.Ph.

• College and Degree: Xavier University of Louisiana, BS Pharmacy
• Professional Organizations: Brevard County Pharmacy Association
• Personal interests: chess, guitar, travel and sports

Dr. Wolfington

Michael Wolfington, D.O.

• Nova Southeastern University of the Health Sciences, Miami, FL 1992
• Florida Hospital, Orlando, FL Chief Intern, Internship
• St. Vincent’s Hospital Family Practice Residency Program, Jacksonville, FL 1993-1995
• Member of American Medical Association (AMA)

Dr. Wright

Nadine Ramdeen-Wright, M.D.

• University of The West Indies Medical School Jamaica, West Indies (1997)
• Yale University Bridgeport Hospital Program Bridgeport, CT (2001-2005)
• Dr. Wright was born in Jamaica and immigrate to the United States in 2000.

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