There are positive signs amid Florida's dismal trend on nursing exams
You may have read a recent study that found that Florida had the nation’s lowest passing rate on the exam required for nurses to receive their licenses. The pathway to become a registered nurse or practical nurse includes taking the National Council Licensure Examination, or NCLEX. In 2024, Florida had an 84.9% passing rate on the NCLEX-RN exam, compared with the national rate of 91.2%. [Source: WUSF]
After Florida’s 6-week ban, abortions declined 28% in 2024, data shows
Florida’s ban on abortion beyond six weeks of pregnancy has led to the first decline in abortions since Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022, a result supporters of the ban hoped for. The statewide total of 60,755 abortions in 2024 was down 28% from 84,052 in 2023, according to reports to the Florida Agency for Healthcare Administration. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]
Doctor wanted: Small Florida town offers big perks to attract a physician
For a rural community, this town of 1,750 people has been more fortunate than most. A family doctor has practiced here for the last 30 years. But that ended in December when Mark Newberry, MD, retired. To attract a new doctor, Havana leaders took out want ads in local newspapers, posted notices on social media, and sweetened the pot with a rent-free medical office equipped with an x-ray, an ultrasound machine, and a bone density scanner -- all owned by the town. [Source: ABC News]
Lawmakers proposed fix for Florida’s dental crisis faces opposition
Florida ranks last in the nation for the percentage of children who have seen a dentist in the past year. And 65 of its 67 counties have areas designated as dental deserts, where there are too few dentists to meet demand. Even when patients are within reach of dental clinics, many cannot get treated since roughly 8 in 10 Florida dentists refuse to accept Medicaid patients, a 2023 state Department of Health survey found. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]
New Florida survey reveals our confusion on heart health. Here are the supplements and meds that work
Does fish oil truly improve heart health? How about aspirin or statins? A newly released Cleveland Clinic online survey of 251 Florida adults found that many don’t know what can harm or improve their heart health. While 72% of Floridians are aware that stress can negatively impact heart health, about two in five do not recognize that alcohol consumption and lack of sleep also have detrimental effects, the survey found. [Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› Nicklaus Children's Health System, Florida International University announce pediatric academic affiliation
Nicklaus Children's Health System and Florida International University, through its Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, announced a strategic affiliation to create the region's only pediatric academic hospital that will enhance expert pediatric medicine in South Florida and beyond. This collaboration will expand physician training, research, and patient care, improving the health of children in South Florida and beyond.
› Advocates for treating mental health and substance use join forces at the Florida Capitol
Mental health and substance use continues to be a serious concern in Florida, and the issue drew nearly 100 advocates for treatment to Tallahassee on Wednesday to mark Behavioral Health Awareness Day Melanie Brown-Woofter, the president and CEO of the Florida Behavioral Health Association, which organized the gathering, says mental health touches everything.
› Why Florida State created an AI-focused nursing degree
The Florida State University College of Nursing has launched what it calls the nation's first AI-focused Master of Science in Nursing program and is creating an AI Innovation Consortium. Jing Wang, Ph.D., M.P.H., R.N., dean of the nursing school, recently spoke with Healthcare Innovation about why it is so important to begin infusing AI tools and concepts into nursing and medical education.
› State readies to award $100M to hospitals for behavioral health teaching programs
To bolster the health care workforce and improve access to mental health treatment, the Legislature last year agreed to establish behavioral health teaching hospitals and appropriated $100 million in the state fiscal year 2024-25 budget for grants to fortify their efforts. Tampa General Hospital, UF Health Shands Hospital, UF Health Jacksonville, and Jackson Memorial Hospital, which submitted grant applications for $100 million in behavioral health teaching funds, should hear from the state soon about how much money to expect.