Florida facing doctor shortage

Florida is running out of doctors at an alarming rate according to a new study, and it's affecting patient care right now. The shortage is effecting every region of the state and impacts various specialty care programs from general surgery to oncology. More from WJHG, the Tampa Bay Times, and Health News Florida.

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Florida Trend Exclusive
Growing presence: A women-friendly market

There is a vibrant community of female entrepreneurs in the Tampa Bay area, and it's growing.

From 2002 to 2014, the number of women-owned businesses in the Tampa Bay region increased 50% to 81,700, and the number of people they employ rose 38%.

» Access full story (part of a regional news roundup for Southwest Florida)

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Requests pour in for water projects in Florida

Water-related projects totaling nearly $1.2 billion have been proposed as state lawmakers decide how to carve up a pot of money that voters want for land and water conservation and management. [Source: Miami Herald]

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Scientists employ 3D printing in fight against greening

Florida scientists are using a 3D printer to create a sort of hi-tech fly trap that could help save the state's multi-billion-dollar citrus industry from a deadly bacterial disease known as citrus greening. Read more from the AP and see a video from WPTV.

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Cloudy prospects for rooftop solar’s growth in Florida

The so-called Sunshine State hasn’t been a great place for homeowners to install solar panels. Florida ranks near the top for the amount of solar potential, yet comes in 15th for home solar systems. [Source: Bloomberg]

See also:
» Solar proponents pick up more backers, from the left and the right

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ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Amount of Florida students attending 'online school' doubles [My FOX Orlando]
The number of Florida students choosing to take all their classes full-time from a computer at home, instead of going to a brick and mortar school, has doubled over the past four years.

› It's a good time to be a South Florida industrial landlord [Daily Business Review]
Warehouse and distribution space emerged as one of the most attractive income-producing assets of 2014, thanks to rising rents, booming demand, low vacancies, interest from national tenants and multimillion-dollar improvements in South Florida ports and transportation infrastructure.

› HipPOPs gelato truck signs United Arab Emirates franchise deal [South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
The Dania Beach business that serves handcrafted gelato bars out of a mobile truck signed an international deal with the Food Truck Co. for it to be the exclusive franchisee in the United Arab Emirates.

› What FAA drone rules could mean for South Florida firms [South Florida Business Journal]
Florida stands to benefit more than almost any other state, as new regulations would bring 3,000 new jobs and $632 million in economic impact to the state by 2017, according to the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International.

Go to page 2 for more stories ...

› Miami chemical firm makes $3.5B acquisition [South Florida Business Journal]
Platform Specialty Products Corp. bought Dublin-based Arysta LifeScience for $2.9 billion in cash and $600 million of Series B convertible preferred stock.

› Prison overhaul gains traction in Senate [Pensacola Today]
The Senate Criminal Justice Committee gave a preliminary nod to a corrections overhaul that would make it easier for inmates to file complaints, create new penalties for rogue guards who abuse prisoners and establish a governor-appointed commission to oversee prisons and investigate wrongdoing.

› Florida fishermen take lionfish hunting to a new extreme [AFP]
Two species of lionfish -- Pterois volitans, which is the most common, and Pterois miles -- have officially become the first outsider finfish to establish a sizeable population in the waters off the United States.

› Local college leaders, students favor repeal of sales tax on books [Panama City News-Herald]
Students and leaders at local colleges are endorsing Gov. Rick Scott’s plan to make college textbooks sales-tax free. One of Scott’s top priorities during the upcoming legislative session that starts in March will be to make college more affordable.