Doctors Rock Out to Save Lives and Continue Skin Cancer Prevention Efforts

FLORIDA HOSPITAL North Pinellas (photo courtesy Florida Hospital North Pinellas

Tarpon Springs, Fla. – Six bands, each featuring one local physician, are eagerly practicing to win the title of “Doctor Idol Tampa Bay” and help raise funds for skin cancer awareness and prevention efforts. On Nov. 9, these bands, local celebrity judges and one local celebrity emcee will welcome guests to Doctor Idol, an event presented by Florida Hospital North Pinellas and the Helen Ellis Memorial Foundation.

During the event, each band will perform for 15 minutes. Then, celebrity judges will give their critiques and allow audience members to cast votes. Judges will include WTSP’s news anchor Reginald Roundtree, Florida Hospital North Pinellas’ Director of Surgery Julie McCullough and Florida Hospital North Pinellas’ Dr. Alan Graves. Local Fox 13 reporter Charley Belcher will join the event as the celebrity emcee.

“Last year’s event was an extraordinary success, and we are excited for another entertaining night that is benefiting a great cause,” said Terry Smither, executive director of the Helen Ellis Memorial Foundation. “These physicians are not only passionate about helping their community; they are also very talented musicians that put on a great show.”

This second-annual event will benefit Operation Sunshine as it continues visiting locations throughout Pinellas and western Pasco thanks to a mobile unit, vehicle courtesy of Sun Toyota. In just one year, Doctor Idol Tampa Bay has helped Operation Sunshine visit more than a dozen locations and conduct free skin cancer screenings for nearly 400 people.
“These screenings have helped numerous residents detect skin cancer early enough so they can seek treatment before the cancer develops further,” said Dr. Douglas Reintgen, a world-renowned surgical oncologist with the Florida Hospital North Pinellas Surgical Institute and USF’s Director of Cancer Initiatives. “One person dies of melanoma almost every hour, and Operation Sunshine is striving to reduce that number and help raise awareness for all types of skin cancer.”

Doctor Idol will be held Saturday, Nov. 9 at the Innisbrook Resort & Golf Club in Palm Harbor. Individual tickets for Doctor Idol are $200 and include a music-inspired dinner. Group and corporate tables are also available. Those interested in attending can purchase tickets at DoctorIdolTampaBay.org<http://www.doctoridoltampabay.org/> or by calling (727) 943-3651. Individuals can vote in advance for their favorite Doctor Idol by visiting the website.

About Florida Hospital North Pinellas:
Florida Hospital North Pinellas, located in Tarpon Springs, is a member of The Florida Hospital network of the Adventist Health System, the largest health care provider in the state. The Florida Hospital network cares for nearly one million residents and visitors each year. As a 168-bed, full-service hospital, Florida Hospital North Pinellas serves both the Pinellas and Pasco communities of west central Florida. For more information, please visit our website: FHNorthPinellas.com<http://www.fhnorthpinellas.com/>

About The Helen Ellis Memorial Foundation:
The Helen Ellis Memorial Foundation was established in 2000 to address the needs of Florida Hospital North Pinellas and the community through fundraising programs. The mission of the Foundation is to strengthen the relationship between the community and carry out the hospital’s stated mission of providing faith-based, compassionate, quality health care to the community. Visithemhfoundation.org<http://hemhfoundation.org/products-page/donation/ditb/> to learn more.