In the United States, there are approximately 3.7 full-time teachers, K-12. (National Center for Education Statistics)

Teachers spend nine to ten months of the year with the nation’s children.

Today’s universities prepare teachers by advocating that they will become in loco parentis—Latin for “in the place of a parent.” Originally, the adoption of this concept began in Manchester, England 1855 at the Cheadle Hulme School begun for the welfare of orphans.

A teacher then is “to parent children with both love and discipline.”

Charlie Santos is such a teacher. Employed by Martin County Schools for ten years, he teaches history at Jensen Beach High School.

Each day Charlie Santos does not just teach a history lesson: he prepares, expresses passion for his field of expertise and remains aware of student needs.

He has identified students in the midst of difficulties—divorce, death, depression, anxiety and has shown them that it is important to talk about what’s going on, even receive help. Students trust teachers who care.

Charlie Santos is the son of Portuguese immigrants. The family arrived in the 1960s escaping a political dictatorship and an economic ceiling. Santos followed his mother (a 30 year Spanish teacher) into the field of education. Fluent in Portuguese and Spanish, Santos also speaks some French and Italian; he adds that language fluency aids in the study of history. Santos states that teaching is his calling.

Hailing from Port Jefferson, New York, Charlie Santos and his wife, Laura, moved to Florida to begin a family and live out the American dream. Today they are the parents of two boys, Daniel, age 8 and Michael, age 4. Laura is a stay-at-home mom. The family has resided in St. Lucie County since 2004.

Each year Charlie Santos has been a part of the fabric of a school which has risen in ranking not just in Florida but also within the United States. JBHS was ranked one of the top 500 high schools in the nation 2011 by Newsweek’s study “America’s Best High Schools,” and was placed in the top 15 in 2011 by the International Center for Leadership in Education.

Good schools are the result of great teachers and parents who are interested in seeing their children succeed.

Success upon student graduation is not just academic, nor is it just athletic. Success upon high school graduation means being prepared for the next step in life, whether it is the work force, the military, parenthood, or entrance to a university.

Charlie Santos desires to evoke the greatest change in education. This August he is running for a seat on the School Board of St. Lucie County. Santos states that not one board member is a teacher. “What’s lacking is someone who is and has been in the classroom implementing educational policy, and knowing what works, and what doesn’t.”

As a parent and a caring teacher, he is concerned about the children in his neighborhood.

He would like to see St. Lucie County schools become the envy of others and people move to Florida because of the high level of education available in the State.

He knows from experience that mentorship will be what will make the difference in children’s lives. Charlie Santos is a Hometown Hero –an educator who cares enough to walk alongside students and parents, in good times and bad.

HAVE A HERO TIP? Hometown Heroes are in every town and city. They are regular people who have made a positive difference in their community, impacting others for the better. Send your Hometown Hero tip to Kelly Jadon kfjadon@gmail.com or find her online at kellyjadon.com.

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Jensen Beach - Dr. Benita Thomas has found that it matters not where one resides, but the ability to overcome the diagnosis of metabolic syndrome relies more upon access to knowledge.

Metabolic Syndrome is a combination of medical disorders in the body which are a downward slide toward morbidity. Cancer and cardiovascular risk goes up for those with metabolic syndrome.

Consisting of hypertension, diabetes (type 2) and high cholesterol, the American Heart Association reports that approximately 35% of the U.S. population fits the metabolic profile.

Metabolic syndrome affects both the medically served and underserved.

Communities which are served, are those with access to primary physicians. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HRSA) states that those which are underserved have shortages of primary care providers.

Dr. Benita Thomas, a board-certified family medicine physician, formerly with the Florida Department of Health in St. Lucie County, has found that it matters not where one resides, but the ability to overcome the diagnosis of metabolic syndrome relies more upon access to knowledge.

Dr. Thomas has served the underserved of St. Lucie County, Florida since 2006. She reports that approximately 40-50% of her patients have metabolic syndrome. More importantly, they get well.

BackStory: Following in the footsteps of her paternal and maternal grandfathers, Dr. Thomas determined to be a physician after returning to her parents' native India to volunteer as a college intern at the Ramabai Mukti Mission. There she shadowed a doctor who filled many specialists’ roles—OBGYN, primary care, pediatrics, and even surgery. The Ramabai Mukti Mission was created to help orphaned girls. The bare bones facility grew, becoming a clinic and surgery center. It made a positive difference in the community.

Returning to the U.S., Thomas graduated from Rutgers and completed medical school at Ross University in Dominica, West Indies. Her rotations were in England for one year, and then New York. Following this, she completed Residency in Miami at Jackson Memorial Hospital. She began working at the Camillus Health Concern in Miami.

Camillus too focused on the underserved. Dr. Thomas even helped the homeless living under the bridges in Miami where she and her nurse went to the people.

In the world of medicine, many physicians do not wish to serve the underserved. Dr. Thomas, however, has found the work invaluable, as it has taught her much.

Unable to refer the underserved to specialists, Dr. Thomas has often been the only physician available to her patients. Her medical philosophy focuses on the whole person as many factors are a part of a patient’s current health or illness. 'What is his financial situation? How about her emotional health? What is going on in the patient’s life?' Dr. Thomas attempts to get to the root of the matter, doing as much as she can herself. For example, in the past, she has uncovered depression and anxiety as the underlying conditions when heart palpitations were exhibited.

Dr. Thomas offers her own counsel on diet and exercise, joined with a prescription for Metabolic Syndrome. And she has seen her patients who have followed recommendations come off medicine.

When Dr. Thomas arrived at the Department of Health in St. Lucie County, she found that there was a need for information and more medicinal and financial assistance. She began to research. Her findings have given life-helping information to her patients.

A few of Dr. Thomas’s findings:

Medication: Few underserved patients can afford medication. Most have no insurance. Partnership for Prescription Assistance, Rx Outreach and later $4 generic programs were available to fill this gap.

Mammograms: When a lump was detected, but the patient had no money for a mammogram, Dr. Thomas contacted the Breast Health Navigator Program. This program covers the cost for the patient. It is funded by a grant, in part by the Komen Foundation and the Pink Tie Friends.

Lupus/Osteo and Rheumatoid Arthritis: A specialist is often necessary to oversee the care of a patient with these types of immune-modulated conditions. Dr. Thomas contacts the Arthritis Foundation, which sets the patient up with a rheumatologist. The visits are free if the patient qualifies.

The list continues for those who need a CT scan, insulin, and diabetic supplies.

Photo Credit:  Kelly Jadon — Photo Credit: Kelly Jadon

Dr. Benita Thomas will be joining the Martin Medical Group, a part of Martin Health System, beginning in October. Martin will be opening a new site for primary care at the Medical Pavilion at Treasure Coast Square in Jensen Beach, Florida. Dr. Thomas is excited to be a part of this opportunity. There will be an emphasis on "wellness," with links to such resources as a dietician, nurse case managers, diabetic educators, and a gym. Working as a team, these members will be of utmost help to Dr. Thomas and other primary care physicians in helping to manage metabolic syndrome in a cooperative way.

Dr. Benita Thomas is an exemplary physician. Her concern is always first for her patients. The time and knowledge she has provided them has saved lives and improved health.

Dr. Thomas resides in Jensen Beach, Florida. To contact Dr. Thomas about her research and programs, please email her at benitat@yahoo.com

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