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Thursday's Daily Pulse
What you need to know about Florida today
› Florida Blue named by Forbes as insurance industry's best large employer
Florida Blue, the state's Blue Cross Blue Shield plan, is pleased to announce it has been recognized by Forbes as one of America's 2021 Best Large Employers. Forbes' list of the top 500 large employers is broken down by industry and location. Florida Blue (ranked 45th overall) was the highest ranked large employer in the Insurance industry category. The second highest insurance company in the category was ranked no. 275.
› Brickell City Centre shops exude optimism
Like every other business in the hospitality and tourism industry, The Shops at Brickell City Centre felt the effects of the pandemic, but managed to power through and keep businesses intact. Still being a relatively new lifestyle commercial center, Brickell City Centre at 701 S Miami Ave. continued to finalize the leasing of initial first-generation spaces when the momentum was shut down for about six months back in March, said David Martin, the center’s retail vice president.
› Walmart Florida sells the MP1 banana variety from the Santa Elena Peninsula
Musatec, which was established in the Santa Elena Peninsula in October 2019, has already made the first export of the MP1 banana variety to the east coast of the United States, where they will be sold by Walmart Florida. This variety has a larger bunch, which has more fruit than the Barraganete banana, and it ripens faster.
› Orlando’s new mental health team to start taking on 911 calls from people in crisis instead of police
Mental health professionals, instead of police officers, will begin responding to some 911 calls in the city of Orlando this weekend, with a new pilot program kicking off Sunday aimed at better deescalating and providing services to nonviolent people in crisis. The new Community Response Team, made up of Aspire Health Partners licensed clinicians and social workers, will be dispatched in teams of two to some mental health crises calls, which officials hope will better meet the needs of the community and, in the long run, decrease calls for service and improve community-police relations.
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