Goddess Rising Empowers Women

For the past several months, my friends and I have been raising money to help Roxanne Martinez, a 30-year-old new mother who beat cancer and job loss while pregnant.

Supporters in more than 20 cities hosted fundraisers to benefit Roxy’s cancer treatment fund. Roxy’s younger brothers called the movement, Team Roxy.

When my pal, Yanira Robinson, told me that her Zumba instructors were willing to host a Zumbathon for Roxy in Central Florida, I was thrilled.

When the day of the Zumbathon came along, I (in typical form) had overbooked myself and was exhausted and stressed.

I was supposed to present a resume workshop for a young women’s organization, attend a blogger conference and make it to a magazine launch party on the very same day.

Something had to give, but it wasn’t going to be the Zumbathon.

Within 30 seconds of meeting Yanira’s instructors, Jessica Sanchez and Judy Suarez of Goddess Rising Fitness, I knew I was going to have a blast – and literally work my butt off.

The ladies went all out for Team Roxy. Donned in matching outfits, the instructors kept us dancing and laughing throughout an intense two-hour workout.

I felt the toxins and stress leaving my body and smiled through the burn.

Afterward, we fueled up on delicious sandwiches, fresh fruit, deli meats and cheeses. Not only was Goddess Rising an incredible host, they donated 100 percent of the event proceeds to Team Roxy.

I had to learn more about these amazing women. Like many good stories, this one begins with struggle.

After a successful 11-year retail career, Goddess Rising founder Jessica Sanchez was laid off.

“I remember thinking, ‘Well now what am I going to do?’” Jessica recalls. “I just knew that I never wanted to be dependent on a company ever again.”

That night, Jessica tossed and turned in her bed. Around 1 a.m., she had the answer. Pole dancing fitness.

“I had always wanted to try pole fitness, but never had the time,” Jessica says. “Well, now I had all the time in the world.”

She did her research and found a studio owner to teach her all about pole dancing. Then pregnant, the woman had her baby and went on maternity leave. When she returned, she discovered a new and improved Jessica.

“By this time, my body had started to reflect the time I was spending,” Jessica says.

The studio owner encouraged Jessica to teach pole dancing, which she did for a few months. Before long, Jessica decided to go out on her own.

“I knew that there was nothing like this in Deltona, and I started Goddess Rising with just the clothes on my back,” Jessica remembers.

She bought a few ties, shirts and chairs and began looking for studio space.

After a studio opened near her parents’ home, Jessica stopped in to see if the studio offered ballet classes for her daughter. By the time Jessica left, she had talked the owner into letting her teach a sexy chair dancing class.

“At the beginning, everyone told me, ‘Yeah, I’ll be there! Count me in!’” Jessica says. “But on the first day only one girl showed up.”

Jessica put on a smile and conducted the class for the sole participant, and went home completely disappointed.

But she kept at it, and soon the class started to grow week-by-week.

That’s when Judy Suarez shimmied into the picture.

“She tried the class, and I noticed how great she was at Zumba," Jessica says. "I suggested that she get Zumba certified, and Judy told me she’d consider it.”

Judy turned out to be a go-getter and returned two weeks later as a certified Zumba instructor.

Jessica was elated.

She hired Judy to manage Goddess Rising’s Zumba classes. In about one year, Goddess Rising has grown to 60 members.

In June, Goddess Rising began holding its 15 weekly classes in Studio 13 Dance Academy on Deltona Boulevard.

The name Goddess Rising Fitness was inspired by the goddess rising pole move.

“This is about allowing the goddess inside you and sexy side of your personality to rise confidently,” explains Jessica, who requires that her students dress at some level of sexiness.

Oversized shirts and worn-out sweat pants don’t cut it at Goddess Rising Fitness.

Jessica and Judy have watched the goddess rise from within their students. Lou is one example, Judy says.

“When Lou first started classes, she’d watch us do the moves and say, ‘My butt or my waist doesn’t move like yours,’” Judy says. “Now that she’s been here a year, she brings it!”

Though Lou didn’t intend to lose weight, she returned from a trip to the Keys ecstatic, Judy recalls.

“She came in saying, ‘I have muscles! I have muscles!’ “Judy says.

Another student posted a photo of herself in a bikini and thanked Jessica and Judy for her healthier body.

In addition to helping its students, Goddess Rising has remained active in the community by performing in numerous community festivals and offering Zumbatomic classes for kids.

They are supporting an upcoming Volusia County back-to-school school supplies event and planning for breast cancer awareness month in October.

In the future, they plan to apply for grants to expand Zumba to local schools.

Jessica daydreams about having her own studio, completely equipped with poles.

“With Zumba, you’re having too much fun to realize that you’re working out. You immediately receive the benefits of a healthier heart, and better sleep,” Jessica says. “I don’t know about you, but I’d much rather shake my butt for an hour than run on the treadmill!”

Kirkman Medical Center puts patients first

Since opening Kirkman Medical Center last March, Dr. Srinivasan Pillai has provided high-quality health care to both Central Florida residents and visitors. From immunizations to screenings to treating non-life threatening illnesses, Pillai and his staff offer compassionate care in their state-of-the-art facility.

Pillai serves about 40 to 50 patients per week at Kirkman Medical Center, and warmly welcomes walk-in patients and visitors who cannot see their primary physicians.

Kirkman Medical Center is equipped with a lab and X-ray technology, so that patients can conveniently receive multiple services under one roof. Currently, the center is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., but clinic hours are between 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Clinic hours may be extended as demand increases.

An Experienced Physician
While Pillai originally considered becoming an engineer, he pursued medical school at his parent’s encouragement. He ranked in top ten of the 400,000 students who competed for medical college admission in his home state.

Pillai trained at Howard University Hospital in Washington, D.C., and at Jackson Park Hospital in Chicago. He has hospital, clinic, nursing home and private practice expertise. Pillai worked in an emergency department in Minnesota, and also boasts intensive care unit (ICU) experience. While working in a rural area, Pillai had the opportunity to work closely with billers, and learned coding best practices that have helped him open his practice in Orlando.

Board certified in family medicine, Pillai is a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians. Pillai has special interest in diabetes, hypertension, heart failure, asthma/COPD, preventive cardiology, urgent care and hospital medicine. In addition to serving patients at Kirkman Medical Center, Pillai works part-time at Florida Hospital and Orlando Regional Medical Center.

“Medicine can be truly rewarding,” he says. “I feel mentally satisfied, and good about improving the lives of my patients.”

Compassionate Care
Pillai understands the specific needs of his patients.

“My patients need their doctor to be accessible to them,” he says. “They want to be seen in a reasonable time. Patients who visit my practice can reach me when they need me, and don’t have to worry about overbooking. They can also come in with urgent matters.”

The staff maintains electronic patient records that allow Pillai access at all times.

“I can review patient records securely and remotely online, whether I’m at home or on call,” he says.

Pillai believes that physicians should be empathetic.

“Doctors must do more than offer professional recommendations; we must truly hear the issues in order to customize a treatment plan for each patient,” he says.

Pillai offers extended evening hours to accommodate busy families and working adults. He is planning to offer weekend clinical hours in the near future.

Success Stories

When a patient arrived with swelling, Dr. Pillai was able to diagnosis her in under two minutes.

“I spoke with the patient, reviewed her records and examined the swelling. She had kidney problems, and was consuming too many fluids,” he says. “I restricted the patient’s fluid, and the swelling went away.”

When another patient visited Kirkman Medical Center complaining of a swollen foot, Pillai took an X-ray of the man’s foot and found no broken bones. The problem was due to issues with gout.

“The man saved both time and money by coming to my practice,” Pillai says. “If he would’ve have gone to the emergency room at a hospital, he would have had to wait for hours to be seen. If he would have gone to another practice that did not have X-ray equipment, he would have needed to make an additional trip to have this done.”

When a solider visiting from Iraq during the holidays came to Pillai with a twisted ankle, the doctor agreed to see him even though he arrived right before closing time. Pillai was able to confirm that the man hadn’t broken any bones. The man was treated for a minor sprain, and was sent on his way.

Kirkman Medical Center is currently welcoming new patients, and can answer questions from patients enrolling in Medicare. Visit the medical center at 882 S. Kirkman Road, Suite 108 A, Orlando, FL 32811, or call (407) 298-4045. Find information online at www.kirkmanmedicalcenter.com.

Kirkman Medical Center is presently accepting Medicare HMO patients from Humana, WellCare and Freedom Health. In addition, the center will soon be accepting Medicare HMO patients from Physicians United Plan (PUP) and Universal Health Care in the future.

Orlando Physician Offers Health Tips for Seniors

In the month of New Year’s resolutions and ambitious goals for the year, many Central Florida residents seek to take control of their health. This is definitely true for seniors.

In fact, Nova Southeastern University released information on a study about older people with complex health issues in last month’s edition of The Qualitative Report. The researchers found that the largest group of seniors interviewed, 33 percent, expressed the desire for a change in their health status. Local physician Dr. Srinivasan Pillai says that seniors can take purposeful steps to improve their health in 2010.

Since opening Kirkman Medical Center last March, Pillai has provided high-quality health care to both Orlando residents and visitors. From immunizations to screenings to treating non-life threatening illnesses, Pillai and his staff offer compassionate care in their state-of-the-art facility.

Pillai serves about 40 to 50 patients per week at Kirkman Medical Center. Many of his patients are senior citizens receiving Medicare benefits. Pillai recommends that seniors take three basic steps to take charge of their health in the new year.

1. Believe in the power of prevention. “Never think that all diseases are simply consequences of age,” Pillai said. “Many diseases are preventable. Even if you are diagnosed with a specific condition, you can still take steps to prevent associated complications.”

2. Take advantage of annual health screenings. “Medicare has excellent screening recommendations that seniors should follow,” Pillai said. “These include cardiovascular, colon cancer, diabetes, cervical, prostate, breast and bone mineral screenings.”

3. Ask questions to get educated about your health. Pillai strongly advocates patient education. “I ask the patient questions and answer any questions he or she may have. I try to ask the patient how he or she would like to handle the situation, whether it be through prescription medication, exercise, diet, etc,” Pillai said. “Education can truly change things. Hospital care drives up healthcare costs, and if we can keep people out of hospitals, costs will go down and families and seniors will fare better.”

Kirkman Medical Center is presently accepting Medicare HMO patients from Humana, WellCare and Freedom Health. In addition, the center will soon be accepting Medicare HMO patients from Physicians United Plan (PUP) and Universal Health Care.

Kirkman Medical Center is located at 882 S. Kirkman Road, Suite 108 A, in Orlando. Prospective patients may receive more information by stopping by the clinic Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m., calling the clinic at (407) 298-4045, or visiting the Web site at www.kirkmanmedicalcenter.com.