Florida's obesity rate may be 10% higher than originally thought

| 6/19/2018

Florida's obesity rate may be 10% higher than originally thought

A new study by the University of Florida finds more people in Florida may be obese than researchers originally thought. A national health survey put the overall obesity rate of Floridians at 27.8%, but a new study based on clinical data shows a rate of 37.1%. Researchers at the University of Florida and Florida Health in Orlando gathered those figures from data from 12 million patients' health records. See the study from UF Health, here. Also read more at WWSB and the Panama City News Herald.

Hospitals worry about "confusing picture" on health website

Asserting it would help hold down health-care costs, Gov. Rick Scott’s administration created a database of paid insurance claims that allows people to shop for costs of medical procedures. But consumers won’t be able to find price information on 71 hospitals for a variety of health care services. [Source: WUSF]

Florida nursing program emphasizes primary care

As the healthcare system shifts to one that emphasizes value over volume, an important question becomes, "What should the nursing roles of the future look like?" To improve access to care, a project at Florida Atlantic University aims to educate nurses in primary care delivery. [Source: Health Leaders Media ]

Pre-existing conditions latest flashpoint in Nelson-Scott battle

As the campaign heats up between Sen. Nelson and Gov. Scott, health care, particularly the issue of pre-existing conditions, is becoming more of a focus. The state of Florida has joined an anti-Obamacare lawsuit that could take away guaranteed coverage for millions of people with pre-existing conditions. More from the Tampa Bay Times and the Lakeland Ledger.

Floridians worried about Zika, but they didn't necessarily protect themselves

Most Floridians knew about the Zika virus and how it spread—but that wasn't enough to get them to protect themselves, according to a new study in the journal Risk Analysis. Even though more than 8 in 10 Floridians reported knowing about the virus and that it could spread through mosquito, less than half did anything to stop it. [Source: Health News Florida]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Florida health system accused of illegally poaching physicians from competitor [Becker's Hospital Review]
Physicians Regional Medical Group, Physicians Regional Medical Center-Pine Ridge and Physicians Regional Medical Center-Collier Boulevard, all based in Naples, Fla., sued Naples-based NCH Healthcare System in federal court June 12 for allegedly stealing physicians from its practice.

› A Miami judge wrote a letter of support for a Medicare fraud. Now, she faces discipline [Miami Herald]
A Miami-Dade judge, lauded for working with drug-addled defendants, has agreed to a public reprimand after she improperly wrote a letter of support for a mental-health worker convicted of federal Medicare fraud.

› University of Florida and ArtPlace America launch national initiative for arts and public health [UF News]
At the intersection of public health, arts and culture lies the potential for building stronger and healthier communities in America. The University of Florida Center for Arts in Medicine in partnership with ArtPlace America is launching “Creating Healthy Communities: Arts + Public Health in America."

› Sarasota Memorial taps leader for its Venice hospital [Sarasota Herald-Tribune]
Its proposed new campus in Venice exists only on paper, but Sarasota Memorial Hospital announced on Thursday that the executive chosen to lead the satellite facility is a veteran Florida health care administrator who already lives in Sarasota.

Tags: Health Care eNews

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