Pueblo Radiology reaches 4,000th 3D imaging patient

Dr. Judy Dean and Dr. Winnie Leung stand next to Pueblo Radiology’s digital 3D mammography imaging unit.

Since installing the only tomosynthesis (3D mammography) imaging unit in the Tri-Counties two years ago, Pueblo Radiology Medical Group recently tested its 4,000th patient using this state-of-the-art technology.

Tomosynthesis—which is a better form of mammography—improves accuracy in detecting breast disease while reducing the number of false positives and follow up examinations. The 3D images, as compared to the 2D images produced by conventional mammography, help radiologists evaluate the overlapping and complex structures of the breast, especially when there is dense breast tissue, according to Dr. Winifred Leung, medical director at Santa Barbara Women’s Imaging.

The other doctors at Santa Barbara Women’s Imaging—an affiliate practice of Pueblo Radiology—using this technology along with Dr. Leung are Dr. Judy C. Dean and Dr. Laurel Hansch.

“Large, multicenter trials performed in the United States and internationally have found that tomosynthesis reduces false positives by about 40 percent and increases the cancer detection rate by about 25 percent. Over the past two years, our Santa Barbara office has mirrored these findings.”

— Dr. Judy Dean

Tomosynthesis outperforms conventional mammography by allowing radiologists to see “slices” of the breast. In the 2D images produced by conventional mammography, overlapping breast tissue can simulate a mass or breast cancer. Seeing the thinner “slices” produced through tomosynthesis allows radiologists to see the breast more clearly, according to Dr. Leung.

“Just as digital mammography replaced film-screen mammography in the early 2000s. I foresee that tomosynthesis will replace digital mammography within the next 10 years.”

— Dr. Winifred Leung

Santa Barbara Women’s Imaging’s tomosynthesis unit is one of the few units in the United States with the added “C-view” software enhancement, which reduces the x-ray dose for tomosynthesis to essentially the same level as a conventional 2D mammogram.

“Patient health and care is our priority,” said Dr. Leung. “By reducing the x-ray dose as much as possible and avoiding unnecessary imaging, we can help protect our patients.”

Pueblo Radiology of Santa Barbara is located at 2320 Bath Street, Suite 113. Santa Barbara Women’s imaging—an affiliate practice of Pueblo Radiology—is located at 1525 State Street, Suite 102 in Santa Barbara. To contact Santa Barbara Women’s Imaging, call 805-560-8111.

Moby Dick general manager celebrates a decade at wharf restaurant

Miguel Flores—general manager at Moby Dick, a family-friendly restaurant on Stearns Wharf—celebrates 10 years at the ocean-front restaurant this year.

Mr. Flores grew up in Mexico City and came to San Jose as a teenager. He attended De Anza Community College and started working in restaurants as a bus boy. He moved to Santa Barbara on recommendation from a friend and got a job at Moby Dick after the same friend, who worked at the restaurant then, referred him. Mr. Flores started as a server.

“The minute I walked into the restaurant, I was in love,” Mr. Flores said. “It was early in the morning and still dark when I first walked in. When the sun rose, I said, ‘This is it. I don’t want to work anywhere else.’”

Now, 10 years later, Mr. Flores is general manager, managing more than 60 employees.

Under Mr. Flores’ leadership, Moby Dick has a re-vamped menu, with fewer, higher-quality options. All ingredients are local, purchased from The Berry Man, Inc., Jordano’s Foodservice, Harbor Meat & Seafood and the downtown farmer’s market, Mr. Flores said.

“Our business is better than ever,” Mr. Flores said. “We are breaking records.”

For more information, visit www.mobydicksb.com.

Ablitt’s Fine Cleaners to expand recycling program

Sasha Ablitt, of Ablitt’s Fine Cleaners and Launderers, next to the company’s bailer machine, which compresses film plastic for pick up by Trex.

As part of its 5-year anniversary of going green, Ablitt’s Fine Cleaners and Launderers plans to switch out their lights in January 2015 to save energy and be more eco-friendly.

This is an extension of Ablitt’s already robust recycling program.

“I have always been a recycler,” said owner Sasha Ablitt, whose parents founded the dry cleaners in 1984. “It’s always been part of who I am.”

In 2010, Ms. Ablitt set up a partnership with Trex, the world’s largest manufacturer of wood-alternative decking products. Trex buys bails of film plastic (the thin plastic used to cover dry-cleaned clothes) from Ablitt’s and turns it into plastic flooring. Since Trex’s first pick up almost five years ago, Ablitt’s has recycled more than 5,000 pounds of plastic through Trex, Ms. Ablitt said.

In addition to the film plastic, Ablitt’s also has programs in place to recycle paper, textiles and hangers. The Ablitt family also donates clothes if they are left at the dry cleaners for more than a year.

Last year, Ablitt’s recycled 25 percent of its waste. This year, it recycled 75 percent, according to a Marborg report.

“I am so proud of my staff for embracing and contributing to our recycling programs,” Ms. Ablitt said.

R.W. Ziegler joins board of Santa Barbara Family YMCA

R.W. Ziegler

Attorney and business consultant R.W. Ziegler has been named to the Santa Barbara Family YMCA Board of Directors.

“I was honored to be asked to be on the board of the YMCA, an institution with which I have been a member,” Mr. Ziegler said. “I admire the YMCA’s work in and contributions to the community and look forward to adding my contribution.”

The Santa Barbara Family YMCA—a largest branch of the Channel Islands YMCA—provides youth development, healthy living and social responsibility programs to men, women and children of all ages, races, religious beliefs, and economic status to develop and enrich the spirit, mind and body. The YMCA is located at 36 Hitchcock Way and 701 Haley Street in Santa Barbara.

Mr. Ziegler is the COO of Mesa Consulting LLC. Mesa’s services include helping to develop vision, strategy, marketing and business plans; facilitating succession and transition; implementing change management; facilitating organizational development; planning and reviewing compensation systems; conducting technology audits; selecting software and hardware and vendor selection; and overseeing implementation and training.

As a management and business consultant, he has lectured to such groups as the American Bar Association, Accountants Computer Users Technical Exchange, The Young Presidents’ Organization, Association of Legal Administrators and National Computer Conference.

Mr. Ziegler attended Carnegie-Mellon University and University of Pittsburgh majoring in mathematics and receiving a Bachelor of Science degree. He went on to complete graduate work in economics, business, and computer science at the University of Pittsburgh and earned his Juris Doctor degree from Duquesne University School of Law.

He has tried more than 1,000 non-jury and 25 jury cases and has been a member of the American Bar Association, American Arbitration Association, American Management Association, and has been admitted to the courts of Pennsylvania and California as well as the federal districts courts there, the U.S. Tax Court, and the Supreme Court of the U.S.

In addition to his work with the YMCA, Mr. Ziegler also volunteers with Surgical Eye Expeditions International and Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation.

ProHealth reaches 200,000 likes on Facebook

ProHealth’s Facebook page

Santa Barbara-based ProHealth, a nutritional supplement company dedicated to helping Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome patients, has reached 200,000 likes on Facebook—www.facebook.com/ProHealthInc.

Many of the 200,000 people following ProHealth’s page suffer from Fibromyalgia or know someone who does.

“Our whole philosophy—whether in business or on Facebook—is to help our people who suffer from Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome,” said Rich Carson, founder of ProHealth, who was diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in 1981. “We want our followers to be encouraged, receive trustworthy advice and know they are not alone.”

“My personal philosophy about healthcare is that our illness doesn’t define us, we define it,” Mr. Carson added.

Fibromyalgia patients suffer from long-term, body-wide musculoskeletal pain accompanied by fatigue, sleep problems, headaches and anxiety.

ProHealth’s Facebook page gives lifestyle, diet, physical movement and nutritional supplement advice and encouragement. While these don’t cure the disease, they empower patients’ bodies to deal with the disease naturally, Mr. Carson said.

For more information, visit www.prohealth.com.

EnduroShield glass coating protecting spire of One World Trade Center

EnduroShield will protect the glass on One World Trade Center’s spire from staining and etching.

EnduroShield—a revolutionary, permanent* non-stick, invisible treatment for glass that repels water, grime, and dirt—is protecting the spire of the newly open One World Trade Center.

The building, previously known as the Freedom Tower, reaches a symbolic 1,776 feet—commemorating the year the United States Declaration of Independence was signed—in part thanks to the 408-foot tall, 758-ton spire.

EnduroShield glass treatment was applied to the glass panels in the factory before they were installed into the spire’s steel frame structure. EnduroShield chemically bonds to the glass substrate, turning the glass into a high performance, hydrophobic and oleophobic surface, protecting the surface against staining and etching. The treatment also makes surfaces significantly easier to clean, reducing costs, and has a 10-year performance warranty. The spire will be used as a world-class broadcast antenna.

“We are honored that our product is helping protect part of such a symbolic and meaningful building,” said Adrian Ray, EnduroShield International Business Development Director.

In addition to commercial and industrial buildings, EnduroShield can also be used in homes for shower doors and windows, significantly cutting time spent cleaning. The consumer version, EnduroShield Home, is available at Home Depot stores across the country. For more information, visit www.enduroshieldusa.com. 

*Based on 10 years of simulated normal use and certified by TÜV Rheinland, Germany.