The Department of Veterans Affairs has acknowledged to U.S. Rep. David Jolly (FL-13) that it wrongly declared more than 4,200 people dead between 2011 and 2015, disrupting benefits to veterans and dependents….
Category: Health
UF researchers present inner workings of Ebola vaccine trial
An experimental vaccine combined with an innovative way of vaccinating people has resulted in an estimated 100 percent efficacy of the vaccine against the Ebola virus in West Africa — and the…
UWF warns of Zika fever, Santa Rosa case confirmed
Mission sent out by UWF to facility and students: Due to a case of Zika fever recently confirmed in Santa Rosa County, the University of West Florida has been closely monitoring potential…
Florida leads nation in HIV cases
In 2014, 6,132 people newly reported with HIV infection in Florida, 15 were among children younger than 13 years of age. Of the adult cases (those older than 13 years of age):…
Health advisory for Bayou Texar
Press release: Health Advisory for Bayou Texar at Bayview Park Tuesday, December 15, 2015 – 3:30pm Effective immediately, in response to bacteriological sampling, the Florida Department of Health in Escambia County, or…
Escambia County has little positive news for World AIDS Day
Tomorrow is World AIDS Day. It is dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection, and mourning those who have died of the disease. On…
Escambia County gets ‘F’ on premature births
The March of Dimes Prematurity Campaign aims to reduce preterm birth rates across the United States. The organization has set a goal of reducing the premature birth rate to 8.1 percent by…
LIP money back on the front burner
The state’s Medicaid director said today he hopes in the coming weeks to finalize an agreement with the federal government about details for the Low Income Pool, a major hospital-funding program that…
Teens dump smokes for e-cigarettes
By JIM SAUNDERS AND TOM URBAN THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA Florida high-school students have largely kicked the cigarette habit. But many have found another way to get nicotine fixes. A state…
UWF Foundation announces $100,000 endowment from Partnership for Public Health
Press release: Partnership for Public Health, Inc. – a non-profit corporation with a mission to support local organizations interested in improving public health – recently established a $100,000 endowment to support the…
HCA offers a solution to health care crisis
HCA, the for-profit health care system that Rick Scott once served as its CEO, has sent a letter to the governor offering a solution to replace the Low Income Pool. HCA has…
League of Women Voters challenges Scott on health care
The President of the League of Women Voters of Florida called Gov. Rick Scott’s announcement casting doubt on a Senate plan to help 800,000 of Florida’s low-income workers get health-care coverage “a…
Context Florida: Health care pits RINOS vs. Tea Partiers in budget fight
By Jack Stevenson The ideological fissure that cleaves the Republican Party nationwide will be on display in Tallahassee as the legislative leadership labors to bring the state budget in for a landing…
Florida lawmakers talk with feds about health care coverage
By DARA KAM THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA With a $5 billion health-care budget breach between the House and Senate halfway through the legislative session, Senate President Andy Gardiner dispatched two of…
Bipartisan health care bill praised
A Healthy Florida Works, a bipartisan coalition of business leaders, chambers of commerce, statewide business organizations and concerned individuals, today released an ad thanking Senate President Andy Gardiner and the Florida Senate…
Lawmakers eye major changes in mental health services
By MARGIE MENZEL THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA As Florida lawmakers study the impact of mental illness on the state’s troubled criminal-justice and child-protection systems, the House and Senate are proposing major…
PS podcast: Gaetz argues for Senate plan to help uninsured
On News Talk 1370 WCOA’s Pensacola Speaks, I talked with Sen. Don Gaetz on how the Florida Senate wants to provide health coverage for the uninsured. “Basically what we have is the…
Quint Studer named one of the most interesting entrepreneurs in healthcare today
The Becker Hospital Review has published its list of the nine most interesting and intelligent entrepreneurs in healthcare today. Quint Studer, founder of Studer Group, is second on the list. Quint Studer…
TaxWatch recommends more state funding for mental health
Seeing getting help for those battling mental issues as a public safety issue, Florida TaxWatch wants the state to increase funding for mental health service, pointing out that Florida ranks 49th in…
Florida Senate panel moves to expand health coverage
By JIM SAUNDERS THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA Trying to build momentum amid continued opposition from House leaders, a Senate panel Tuesday approved a plan that would expand health coverage to an…
