General Practitioners

• Emergency Care
  Pamela Sherwood graduated from University of South Carolina with a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing. She previous worked as an RN in ICU for 2 years and then the Emergency Room for over 15 years at Community Hospital (Medical Center of Trinity) in New Port Richey. After leaving the ER, Pam taught in the RN program at Pasco Hernando College for about 5 years focusing on advanced medical-surgical nursing. She then decided to further her education and attended the University of South Florida, graduating as a Family Nurse Practitioner with a Master’s in Nursing. Pam worked as a Nurse Practitioner and supervisor at the Pasco County Department of Health in the HIV/AIDS program as well as in the Family Planning Program and STD Program. Pam recently retired after 20 years of service. Pam is certified by the American Nurses Credentialing Center as a Nurse Practitioner and the American Academy of HIV Medicine as an HIV Specialist. She also works for Pasco Kids, Inc as a rape victim examiner. Her awards include Nurse of the Year from The Body.com in 2005, and Community Nurse of the Year from the Good Samaritan Clinic in 2010. In Pam’s spare time, she enjoys boating with her family and dogs. She also loves judging women’s gymnastics as a certified National Gymnastics Judge.
• Infectious Diseases
  In 2004, Dr. Laartz opened the doors of a private practice in Infectious Diseases, soon to be called West Coast Infectious Diseases.  He holds a title of Affiliate Associate Clinical Professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases at US and also is on the faculty of Nova Southeastern College of Medicine. He also has been active as a member of Ryan White Council, Six Sigma Quality Programs, the Morton Plant Physician Leadership Training and the Northwestern University Alumni Admission Council. He currently is the Director for Infection Control at Florida Hospital North Pinellas and Baycare Alliant Hospital. He has attained the status of Fellow of the Infectious Diseases Society of America and is a member of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America as well as the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.  He is also active in global health, having served on a mission to India and has provided medical care in the Caribbean.  He provides corporate consultations in infection prevention in any industry where customers or employees are at risk of developing infections, such as healthcare, food service, sports teams, or corporations with overseas travel.
• Immunizations
  Through West Coast Travel Medicine Consultants, LLC at both of our locations, patients can obtain critical travel counseling and advice, immunizations, and malaria prophylaxis prescriptions.

Internists

• Internal Medicine
  Dr. Laartz received his undergraduate degree and a master’s degree from Northwestern University where he was a National Merit Scholar. He graduated in the highest quartile of his medical school class at the University of Iowa in 1998. During medical school, he was one of the leaders of an educational group called the Medical Student Ambassador Program. At the University of South Florida, he completed residency in Internal Medicine in 2001 and fellowship in Infectious Disease and Tropical Medicine in 2003.  Always a leader, he was a member of the Housestaff Committee and was Chief Fellow for the Division of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine in 2002-2003.