Floridians hesitant to trust AI for mental health support
A new survey shows most Floridians are still reluctant about using artificial intelligence to help with their mental health concerns. University of South Florida and Florida Atlantic University researchers created the survey to analyze 500 participants’ experiences with AI in health care. The survey didn’t mention names of AI platforms because it aimed to measure Floridians’ comfort with using AI rather than finding out which specific tools they use. [Source: Health News Florida]
New law brings managed care to people with intellectual disabilities
Gov. Ron DeSantis last week signed into law priority legislation for House Speaker Daniel Perez that addresses how people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) receive health care. There were fears in the IDD advocacy community that DeSantis was going to veto the bill but he signed HB 1103 into law without any ceremony or a press conference. He acted three days after receiving it and while the House and Senate met in an extended session to craft the next state budget. [Source: Florida Phoenix]
The price for an Affordable Care Act plan could surge next year in Florida
Extra subsidies put in place during the pandemic — which reduced premiums — are in place only through Dec. 31. Without enhanced subsidies, Affordable Care Act insurance premiums would rise by more than 75% on average, with bills for people in some states more than doubling. Florida and Texas would be hit especially hard, as they have more people enrolled in the marketplace than other states. Some of their congressional districts alone, especially in South Florida, have more people signed up for Obamacare than entire states. More from the Miami Herald and KFF Health News.
9-year-old girl has ‘miracle’ surgery at Florida hospital after shark bite
A 9-year-old girl whose hand was nearly severed in a shark bite is now able to move all her fingers, according to a social media post from her family. mergency responders from Lee County Emergency Medical Services and the Boca Grande Fire Department arranged for air transport within ten minutes of arriving at the scene. Lendel was airlifted to Tampa General Hospital, the region’s only Level I trauma center. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]
Less than 4% of dentists are Black. This South Florida family wants to change that
Roger Phanord and his twin sons, Kyle and Kevin, are practicing together at North Miami’s Phanord and Associates, a dental clinic with 12,000 active patients, a number Roger says is uncommonly high for a general practice. The three men are part of a small fraction of Black dentists in America, who make up less than 4% of all dentists in the U.S. Through mentorship, the family seeks to increase that number and help diversify their industry. [Source: Miami Herald]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› Florida's AG sues Chinese maker of patient monitors, alleging cybersecurity risks
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has filed a lawsuit against a Chinese medical device manufacturer and its Miami-based reseller, alleging deceptive business practices and citing cybersecurity risks. Patient monitors made by Contec Medical System contain a hidden “backdoor” that could allow unauthorized access and manipulation of medical data, according to a Monday press release from Uthmeier’s office.
› A traveler infected with measles flew into Miami. What are the next steps?
Miami has detected another case of measles, one of the most contagious diseases in the world, as the country nears record levels of infection. Health officials have confirmed that a person infected with measles arrived in Miami earlier in June from Boston. The travelers flew into Miami International Airport on JetBlue flight 639, according to the Boston Public Health Commission.
› Orlando Health's St. Pete hospital anchors its Tampa Bay expansion
Five years after Orlando Health acquired St. Petersburg-based Bayfront Hospital, the city’s oldest hospital is undergoing a $240 million transformation. Two buildings, approximately 200,000 square feet in total, are slated to open by fall, anchoring what Orlando Health leadership calls “Institute Square” — a major investment in specialty care that will include the new Orlando Health Cancer Institute in partnership with Florida Cancer Specialists, an orthopedic institute and a neuroscience institute with the region’s only Level IV epilepsy center.
› Mayo Clinic unveils $320 million center and groundbreaking new cancer-fighting tool
The Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville will soon open a groundbreaking $320 million integrated oncology facility that will provide multiple types of targeted radiation therapy, including the first carbon ion therapy program in the Western Hemisphere. The 228,000-square-foot Duan Family Building "offers new hope for patients battling aggressive, treatment-resistant cancers," according to the hospital.