recovery Archives -

March 2, 2021March 2, 2021

A “hip” approach to state-of-the-art care

Dr. Leone’s specialized surgical approach, combined with personalized care, linked to faster recoveries for hip and knee patients.

More than a decade ago, Dr. William A. Leone, head of The Leone Center for Orthopedic Care at Holy Cross Health in Fort Lauderdale, made an intentional and compassionate decision, transforming the patient care model for his orthopedic practice. It was founded on his vision of providing state-of-the-art orthopedic care while treating every patient with how he would want his family members, and himself, cared for.

Dr. Leone’s unique integration of clinical, surgical, and technological expertise, combined with caring, personalized attention from him and his entire staff, have helped restore mobility and improve the quality of life for thousands of patients from throughout the United States and around the world. He cares for people in their 80s and 90s who refuse to relinquish their independence and opt for surgery to regain their quality of life. He also treats patients in their 20s and 30s who desire an active lifestyle and want to feel “normal” again.

His comprehensive and patient-centered approach begins with the initial consultation and persists throughout the entire post-operative period. Patients are guaranteed increased availability with Dr. Leone and his entire staff, work with a designated and responsive patient liaison, and are educated on what to expect throughout the entire process. This ensures each patient’s entire experience is as positive and comfortable as possible, resulting in successful results and faster recoveries.

“A wonderful trend I’ve seen over my extensive career is that each year my patients are getting well faster and recovering easier than ever before. My surgical procedures are more precise and reproducible and today’s implants are vastly improved compared to years prior,” said Dr. Leone. “Combined with less invasive and more anatomically-sparing surgical techniques and my emphasis on preempting, preventing, and down-regulating pain have all led to patients getting well faster than ever before and regaining their quality of life.”

To avert pain, medication begins prior to surgery, special anesthetic techniques combined with local injections and nerve blocks, gentle soft tissue handling with precise soft tissue balance, and post-operative medications from different families of drugs taken on a schedule, have all made a world of difference. One of the reasons Dr. Leone’s patients recover so quickly is that they are well prepared for their surgery. When patients go into surgery knowing what to expect before, during, and after their surgery, they are less anxious, recover quicker with more confidence, and have an overall superior experience.

“In my experience, a respected, well-informed patient not only has a faster, smoother recovery but also a much better experience, which contributes to a superior outcome,” said Dr. Leone. “Choosing the right surgeon with the right team and at the right hospital is critically important. Education combined with confidence are key ingredients for success.”

Dr. Leone encourages anyone considering hip or knee surgery, to browse his website. He’s written more than 100 blog articles; some are shared thousands of times each month. There is a section on “Frequently Asked Questions,” and he’s particularly proud of the hundreds of inspiring testimonials from patients who share their gratitude and inspiring stories.

The Leone Center for Orthopedic Care provides superb, highly personalized, orthopedic care for people with arthritic hip and knee conditions and for patients who develop problems with a prior joint replacement. Dr. Leone offers patients the latest, most-promising innovations for joint replacement surgery in a compassionate, patient-focused setting. He has performed over 13,000 joint surgeries throughout his career, restoring mobility and improving the quality of life for thousands of patients from around the globe.

The Leone Center for Orthopedic Care at Holy Cross Health is located at 1000 NE 56th Street in Fort Lauderdale. For more information or to schedule a consultation, please call 954-489-4575 or visit holycrossleonecenter.com.

February 19, 2021January 22, 2021

How COVID-19 Stimulus Payments will Affect Your 2020 Tax Return

Many taxpayers who received stimulus payments in 2020 wonder how it will be treated when the time comes to file their 2020 tax returns, whether they got the correct amount, or why they did not get it in the first place.

Economic Impact Payments or stimulus payments received in 2020 and early 2021 are not taxable income. Keep notices 1444-B you received regarding your stimulus payments with your 2020 tax records, you will need to provide them to your tax preparer. If you did not keep (or have lost) the notices, you will need to request an Account Transcript for 2020 either online through your IRS “Get Transcripts” account or via phone for mail delivery. It may take several weeks to get transcripts in the mail nowadays, however, your tax preparer can help you obtain transcripts much faster.

Anyone who did not receive stimulus payment(s) or their payment was not the correct amount due to reduced income in 2020, a change in marital filing status, or a change in the number of dependents – including those who are not normally required to file a federal tax return – will need to claim it as a recovery rebate credit on their 2020 federal income tax return. Remember, if you can be claimed as a dependent on someone’s return, you are not eligible for stimulus checks or rebate credit, even if you were not claimed as a dependent.

You may be eligible for a recovery rebate credit if you did not receive a second stimulus payment, and you and your spouse file jointly and only one spouse has a valid SSN. Such couples with a non-immigrant status spouse who has an ITIN or no tax ID, were not eligible for the first round of stimulus payments.

You do not need to complete information about the recovery rebate credit on your 2020 federal tax return if you received the maximum amount of benefits as follows:

$1,200 plus $500 for each qualifying child you had in 2020 for the first round and $600 for you and $600 for each qualifying child for the second round, or
$2,400 for joint filers in 2020 plus $500 for each qualifying child you had in 2020 for the first round and $1,200 plus $600 for each qualifying child for the second round.

If you received a stimulus payment greater than the recovery rebate credit calculated on the 2020 return (due to increased income in 2020, for example), in most cases you still get to keep the original payment. The excess does not need to be repaid to the IRS. Exceptions include death of the taxpayer or a spouse before receipt of the payment, and nonresident alien status in 2020.

If you did not receive stimulus payments and instead claim recovery rebate credit on your 2020 tax return, and owe money to the IRS, this credit will first offset your 2020 tax liability, and the remainder, if any, will be applied to your prior tax debt. You will not receive a refund, even though economic impact payments were protected from garnishment and federal and state offset programs.

If you are not sure how to calculate a recovery rebate credit, find a professional tax preparer to help you out.

Irina Bobrova is an Enrolled Agent who represents taxpayers before the IRS to resolve their IRS problems.

January 22, 2021December 30, 2020

Preserving the once nearly extinct Florida panther

Bang! There’s a thud on the front of your car. You’ve hit something. You pull over, stop, and see that you’ve hit and killed a panther crossing the road.

It’s been happening about twice a month lately, enough to worry wildlife biologists because the Florida panther is an endangered animal.

Because we built roads and housing developments in panther habitat, humans and automobiles have become a serious threat to a panther’s life and safety. By mid-August, at least 15 panthers were killed by cars this year. One was hit by a train. In 2019, automobiles took the lives of 24 panthers.

It’s unlikely you’ll encounter a panther on suburban roads in Broward or Palm Beach counties. But drive west on Alligator Alley (Interstate 75) and you’re in panther territory, primarily in Southwest Florida, east of Naples, around Big Cypress National Preserve and Everglades National Park. Occasionally, Florida panthers have been spotted further north.

Despite the threat from automobiles, the panther population is growing. Back in the 1980s, state wildlife officials estimated there were fewer than 30 Florida panthers alive. Today, from 120 to 230 grown panthers are roaming Southwest Florida.

There were so few panthers many years ago because no one really cared much about protecting them.

Ashlee O’Connor, who speaks at schools and to community groups for the state wildlife conservation commission, says people hunted them without any limit. Then, in 1958, the state began protecting panthers, designating them endangered animals. The federal government followed in 1967.

Still, O’Connor says, we didn’t know much about the Florida panther in the 1980s. Since then, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) have been partners in various ways to protect and preserve the Florida panther, which is a subspecies of puma.

A number of extensive steps have been taken to protect panthers.

To prevent the cats from getting hit by cars on I-75, 60 wildlife
crossings and bridges were built under and over the highway where there’s fast-moving traffic. Fences along I-75 help prevent the panthers from crossing elsewhere. A panther wouldn’t have much of a chance if hit by a car traveling 70 mph.

Speed limits were reduced on rural roads in panther habitat. Road shoulders were widened in some places to give drivers a better view, and a chance to see a panther that’s about to cross the road. Rumble strips were installed where panthers often cross and slow the speed of cars considerably. Roadside “panther warning” signs were installed.

These days, wildlife experts are still learning more about panthers’ habits and range by tracking them from the air. Normally, they fly over panther habitat three times a week in airplanes equipped to pick up signals from a radio collar previously put on the cat after it had been captured.

A male panther will typically roam an area about 200 square miles. Female panthers, on the other hand, typically stay within an 80-square-mile area.

To study the health of the panthers, veterinarians need to examine a number of them each year and must capture them to do it. They use a trained dog to track the panther. Eventually, the cat climbs a tree. The team sets up a net and an inflated air cushion under the tree to catch the animal after it’s shot with a tranquilizer dart.

A veterinarian anesthetizes the animal and begins a complete examination. The vet inoculates the panther against diseases, takes a blood sample, de worms the panther if necessary, tattoos an I.D. number in its ear, inserts a microchip under the skin (just as it’s done with your dog or cat), and fits the panther with a radio collar for tracking.

One of the vaccinations is against feline leukemia that can be fatal to panthers and picked up from domestic cats.

In the wild, panthers survive by preying on a variety of animals, including deer, calves, goats, and smaller animals like raccoons and rabbits.

Adult panthers are at the top of the food chain and have no natural predators. It’s a different story for the kittens, though.

They are prey for other animals and die for a number of reasons.

People sometimes ask if such an extensive effort to preserve a species of animal is worth it. Ashlee O’Connor points to the panther’s place in the check and balance of the natural environment and considers the preservation of Florida panthers a kind of reparation for taking some of their habitat in the first place.

Whether what’s being done is enough cannot be certain. “Many factors play into the recovery of a species,” O’Connor says. “There’s a breeding population now. I think we’re on our way to a recovered population. We’re making progress, but we’re not there yet.”