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2022 Florida budget includes $49 billion for health care spending

2022 Florida budget includes $49 billion for health care spending

The final state budget for the 2022-23 fiscal year includes nearly $49 billion in taxpayer funding for health care related spending in Florida. Florida had more funds to work with primarily because of an influx of federal funds from President Biden's American Rescue Plan, as well as an improved state economy. [Source: WQCS]

Opioid overdoses are at historic highs in Florida, a new report says

A new report from the nonprofit Project Opioid says that opioid overdoses are at historic highs in Florida. The primary culprit is fentanyl. The report says that overdose deaths in Florida have increased by 190% since 2015, although the rate slowed some between 2020 and 2021. The data show that prescription opioids are not responsible for the increase. [Source: Health News Florida]

Column: Physician-led teams are the secret to safe, efficient and more affordable health care

In Florida, Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) can now practice medicine independently, without the supervision of a physician, within certain parameters. Prior to the passing of scope of practice expansion legislation, only an MD or a DO were permitted to practice medicine independently. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]

To help curb substance use disorders, state offers Medicaid-participating docs free continuing education

In an attempt to reduce the impact of substance use disorders in the state, Medicaid-participating doctors, physician assistants and advanced nurses can tap into free online continuing medical education (CME) credits offered by the University of Florida until August 2023. The online program shows doctors how to screen, briefly intervene and refer patients to treatment. [Source: Florida Politics]

Florida ranked No. 10 for syphilis in US

When it comes to health and infections, the United States has a big problem besides ending the COVID-19 pandemic. That problem is STDs, particularly gonorrhea, syphilis, and chlamydia. A new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ranked all 50 states by how common different venereal, or sexually transmitted diseases are, among state populations. Florida ranked No. 10 for syphilis. [Source: WFLA]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› American Rescue Plan program gives over $1M to Panhandle health care providers
The Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced Wednesday that two health care providers in the Panhandle will be receiving a combined $1.14 million in grants from a program funded through the American Rescue Plan. The Community Facilities Emergency Rural Health Care Grants program is allocating $43 million to health care providers across the country as part of its rollout, impacting an estimated 2.2 million Americans.

› Health care firm pushes the boundaries on technology in the industry
After spending years in the health care industry as a general practitioner, Dr. Monica Bolbjerg saw the opportunity for technological advancement and capitalized on it. “I clearly saw a need to optimize workflows for a practice and how I could empower my patients,” she says. In 2015, Bolbjerg’s Bradenton-based company Qure4u was introduced to the medical practice industry through its MyCarePlan virtual care platform.

› Florida Poly researcher creating VR tool to help doctors in the OR
A Florida Polytechnic University researcher is creating a virtual reality tool to help doctors and physicians in training. Doga Demirel, assistant chair of the university's computer science department, is working with several universities to create VORTeX, which stands for virtual operating room team experience. University of Central Arkansas, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Harvard Medical School's teaching hospital, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, are all participating.

› 'Politicians are recklessly and inappropriately meddling': Florida doctors react to abortion ban
In a response to a new state law which will ban abortion after 15 weeks, Florida physicians are speaking out. Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the bill, HB 5, into law Thursday morning. The legislation bans abortion if a doctor finds the gestational age of a fetus is more than 15 weeks. Previously, Florida law banned abortions after 24 weeks. The only exceptions to the ban include if the mother is at risk of death, or "irreversible physical impairment," or if the fetus has a fetal abnormality.