Tackling Healthcare
Senate President Kathleen Passidomo wants to take steps during the 2024 legislative session to tackle healthcare access.
- On the “Deeper Dive with Dara Kam” podcast, the Naples Republican – with a net worth of $11.8 million – doesn’t believe expanding Medicaid will improve access. No, she thinks attracting more providers will do it.
“We do not have enough providers, whether it be physicians, nurses, technicians … facilities to handle our current population comfortably and easily,” Passidomo said. “You know, I hear oftentimes from constituents that if they want to have some kind of elective surgery, they have got to wait eight months to a year to get in.”
Why this matters: Pensacola has had three hospitals for decades and healthcare outcomes haven’t improved much, particularly in the pockets of poverty. The hospitals have construction bonds to pay, and the poor aren’t a priority as the statistics show.
- The poor aren’t worried about elective surgeries.
- The issue is affordability – due to the lack of insurance coverage.
Dig Deeper: Passidomo doesn’t see expanding Medicaid eligibility as an option.
- “That’s not an answer,” Passidomo said. “Whether you have insurance or you don’t, if we don’t have any doctors to treat you — in the middle of the state there’s a lack of medical professionals — that’s where we need to focus on. And so, the whole Medicaid thing is just a distraction to what we should be looking at.”
The “Deeper Dive with Dara Kam” podcast is a feature of The News Service of Florida and City & State Florida. Listen to the Passidomo interview here.
Don’t Count on Beach Trolley on Northside
Due to extreme traffic on Pensacola Beach Friday, July 7, and Saturday, July 8, trolley service to the access road stops at Grand Marlin, Radical Rides, Laguna’s, Quietwater Beach and the Boardwalk will be temporarily suspended until 6 p.m. each day.
However: The trolley service will maintain its other stops.
On Saturday, July 8, starting at 6:30 a.m., the SRIA will have four buses in addition to the three open-air trolleys running and will extend their service area to Park East until 6 p.m. Following that, the three open-air trolleys will resume normal operations until midnight.
On Friday and Saturday, buses and trolleys will service passengers from Park East and Park West to Casino Beach throughout the day. Post-show, trolleys servicing Portofino Resort/Park East will be staged on Via de Luna directly across from Santa Rosa Island Authority (facing east). Trolleys servicing Park West will be staged on Ft. Pickens Rd. adjacent to The Sandshaker (facing west).
After the show: Passengers who wish to return to their vehicles as soon as the air show ends must be on the first fleet of buses leaving Casino Beach after the show. Due to traffic that occurs immediately following the air show, riders should expect to wait as long as 90 minutes for the trolleys or buses to return to Casino Beach if they are not on the first trip out.
The Century Town Council continues to break the state’s Sunshine Laws, not sending out public notices of its meetings for six months.
NorthEscambia.com challenges the lawbreakers. Read more.