Floridians' access to telehealth could suffer as state order expires

| 7/6/2021

Floridians’ access to telehealth could suffer as state order expires

Florida health-care providers are going back in time. The growing emergence of telehealth, or telemedicine, as a way to deliver health care has been a silver lining during the COVID-19 pandemic. But after Gov. Ron DeSantis let an executive order declaring a public-health emergency expire last week, many regulatory flexibilities that health-care providers received during the pandemic, including flexibilities related to telehealth, also expired. More from the Miami Herald and WINK News.

Florida’s new Parents’ Bill of Rights brings big changes to medical care for children

On the face of it, the Parents’ Bill of Rights, a bill sponsored by state Rep. Erin Grall, R-Vero Beach, seems self-explanatory — parents, not government or schools or doctors, have the right to direct the upbringing, education, health care, and mental health of their minor child. However, for parents and children, the law has a big effect on how medical emergencies at places like youth sporting events, playgrounds or public pools are handled. [Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel]

Florida Literacy Coalition funds health literacy for area families

The Florida Literacy Coalition, thanks to support from the Florida Blue Foundation, recently awarded a grant of $5,000 to the Sarasota-based Safe Children Coalition for its Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) program. The grant will help area families with young children to learn to make informed decisions about their health and healthcare by promoting health literacy about nutrition, preventative healthcare and healthy lifestyle choices. [Source: Sarasota Magazine ]

U.S. Supreme Court to hear Florida Medicaid dispute

The Supreme Court said it will take up a legal battle about how much money Florida’s Medicaid program should be able to recoup from a legal settlement. Medicaid, which is jointly funded by the federal and state governments, is operated through a maze of laws. But states are required to seek reimbursements of Medicaid payments for medical care if lawsuits result in settlements. [Source: News Service of Florida ]

By land or by sea, nursing school aims to make health care more accessible to seafarers

Port Tampa Bay and the University of South Florida College of Nursing have partnered on a project to bring a primary care clinic to the port — the first of its kind in the U.S. "There is not a primary care clinic, or an urgent care clinic on a port premises in the country," said USF College of Nursing Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs & Educational Innovation Dr. Tracey Taylor. "It was very shocking to me, and, in fact, very surprising because I understand how large support is, how much industry is here." [Source: Bay News 9]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› UNF team surveys 3,000 Florida health care workers to learn from the pandemic [Florida Times-Union]
University of North Florida researchers polled about 3,000 Florida health care professionals during the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic about how their work lives were being affected. A big takeaway was that many were not fully equipped to deal with telehealth conferences, which became much more common in 2020.

› Meridian Behavioral Healthcare receives grant to fund a new program in Levy County [WCJB]
Meridian Behavioral Healthcare was provided with a $450,000 grant to fund a new program in Levy County. The initiative would help people with mental health and substance abuse issues get treatment instead of jail time. This is the second time they have received money from the criminal justice, mental health, and substance reinvestment grant provided by Florida Legislature

› Sarasota Memorial, Blue Cross come to terms on new contract [WWSB]
An 11th-hour deal between Sarasota Memorial Hospital and Blue Cross and Blue Shield/Florida Blue has averted a shutdown of coverage for patients across the Suncoast, it was reported last week. “Today, Sarasota Memorial Health Care System reached a three-year renewal agreement with Blue Cross and Blue Shield/Florida Blue (BCBS),” the hospital announced in a news release.

› Jacksonville Walmart is primed for health care clinic expansion [Florida Times-Union]
A Walmart store will be getting a primary-care unit added to the facility soon. Jacksonville building officials issued a permit for a primary-care medical clinic to be added to the Walmart at 4520 Philips Highway. The clinic will bring an additional 6,510 square feet to the Walmart store and will cost about $1.02 million to construct.

Tags: Health Care eNews

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