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Wednesday's Daily Pulse

What you need to know about Florida today

| 8/9/2017

Florida faces $20 million cut to services that combat opioid crisis

Florida is losing $20 million in federal funding for mental illness and substance abuse treatment, which could hurt those on the front lines of a crisis that is claiming lives and costing money across the state. In southeast Florida, the opioid crisis claimed more than 1,000 lives during 2016. “This is a bigger issue, in my opinion, than Zika,” said State Rep. Matt Willhite (D-Wellington). “We got national attention over Zika, but this is hurting and killing people far more than Zika ever will.” More from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel and the Naples Daily News.

Florida Trend Exclusive
Medical Advances in Cardiac Care

Part 2 of our series on cardiac care in Florida looks at medical advances including tiny pacemakers, 3D mapping of the heart, stents that disappear and much more.

Dr. Fadi Matar, medical director of Tampa General's cardiac care catheterization lab department

"Avoiding surgery," examines how Tampa General Hospital's six cath labs deploy stents, replace valves, plug holes and clip leaks. When Tampa General performs a trans-catheter aortic valve replacement, the patient “typically can go home in a day or two, instead of getting open heart surgery and staying in the hospital for a week or more,” says Dr. Fadi Matar, medical director of Tampa General’s cath lab and an associate professor of medicine at the University of South Florida. Full story here.

More from Florida Trend about medical advances:
» The disappearing stent » Tiny pacemakers
» Cancer and cardiac care » 3-D Mapping

Changing tides of U.S. policy may sink Cuban tourism hopes

Since President Obama loosened U.S. travel restrictions, Cubans have been waiting and making room for an American invasion they have long yearned for: tourists. In June, President Trump announced he would undo some key aspects of the diplomatic thaw, including enforcing the ban on tourism, with some exceptions. [Source: PBS]

Credit card debt breaks pre-crisis record. Florida holds lessons.

For Floridians, one of the painful rear-view lessons of the Great Recession was not to allow credit card debt to grow fat and hairy in times of plenty. After the financial meltdown, Sunshine Staters paid the price in 2010 with the nation’s second highest delinquency rate, meaning they fell at least 90 days behind on credit-card bills. [Source: Palm Beach Post]

MacDill and other Florida bases in good shape to weather closing efforts

Thanks to strong military-civilian partnerships, the presence of three major commands and key missions performed at its military facilities, Florida is in good shape to weather a new round of base closings, said Anthony Principi, speaking at the Florida Chamber Foundation's Military, Defense & Veterans Opportunities Summit in Orlando. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Tallahassee residents address food insecurity with little free food pantries [WUSF]
In an effort to help those who struggle with food insecurity the latest Leadership Tallahassee class has created what it calls “Little Free Food Pantries.”

› IT firm selects Tampa for first Florida location [Bradenton Herald]
Gov. Rick Scott stopped in Tampa on Tuesday to celebrate the opening of Think Anew’s first Florida location. The Mississippi-based company specializes in providing information technology infrastructure and support to health care companies.

› Orlando airport tops 43 million annual passengers for first time [Orlando Sentinel]
Orlando’s airport reported Tuesday that in its race against overcrowding, crowding has crept ahead with an annual passenger count that has topped 43 million for the first time.

› Tech and business stars set to attempt to solve Miami’s traffic mess [Miami Herald]
What if entrepreneurs, engineers, corporations, legal minds and governments came together to build mobility solutions that could help Miami and be used by other cities? It’s an experiment that is already being tested.

Go to page 2 for more stories ...

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