Amid Florida's doctor shortage, the nursing shortage also grows

| 4/25/2022

Amid Florida's doctor shortage, the nursing shortage also grows

In 2019, the state was about 17,100 nurses short, according to a report commissioned by the Florida Hospital Association and Safety Net Hospital Alliance of Florida. By 2035, that shortfall is predicted to hit 59,100. Over the past two years, the pandemic has accelerated the crisis, depleting the ranks of bedside nurses and creating what Neil Finkler, chief clinical officer for the Central Florida division of AdventHealth, described to state lawmakers as a “great existential threat” to health care delivery. [Source: Florida Trend]

Floridians are getting medical marijuana cards in record numbers

The number of Floridians who’ve obtained medical marijuana cards has soared, more than doubling in recent years. The medical marijuana registry shows 707,000 people in Florida are legally approved as of mid-April, climbing from 300,000 in January 2020. The most common medical conditions for which Floridians seek a card are post-traumatic stress disorder or extreme anxiety, as well as chronic pain. [Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel]

COVID-19 infections once again on the rise in Florida

Florida’s pandemic respite appears to be over. COVID-19 infections are once again climbing across the state, and a new variant could be responsible. The state recorded nearly 3,000 cases per day, on average, over the most recent seven-day period from April 15 to Friday. That’s nearly double the 1,600 average daily caseload from two weeks earlier, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]

Florida’s top court clarifies time limit for health-care suits

The time limit for filing a medical negligence suit in Florida is paused once a potential plaintiff mails a presuit notice to likely defendants, not when the defendants receive it, the state’s top court said. Florida law generally gives medical negligence plaintiffs two years from the date of the allegedly wrongful conduct to file a lawsuit against providers, the Florida Supreme Court said. But a special pleading rule requiring plaintiffs to give health-care providers notice of an intent to sue pauses that time period for 90 days, the court said. [Source: Bloomberg Law]

Florida pediatricians group rebuffs Florida guidance on health care for transgender children

The Florida chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, or FCAAP, announced it is "urging reconsideration" on the part of the Florida Department of Health following the agency's guidance discouraging gender-affirming care for transgender children and teens. On Wednesday, the state health department advised against providing social gender transition care, which helps a child adopt gender-affirming hairstyles, clothing, name, pronouns and more to match their gender identity, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. [Source: WTSP]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Northeast Florida hospitals in need of blood donations [WJXT]
There’s a growing need for blood donations—both nationwide and in Northeast Florida. Hospitals are seeing a higher demand for blood and you can help ease the search. Right now, hospitals like Baptist Health like to have several days’ supply of blood -- three days is a good number. But some are dealing with supplies of a day or two.

› Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital announces new center for complex care [Florida Trend]
Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital today announced the launch of a new complex care center to enhance access to highly specialized pediatric care in South Florida. A new alliance with Boston Children’s Hospital will provide Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital patients throughout South Florida with more coordinated access to specialized and streamlined care planning among providers at both institutions. Both children’s hospitals will work together to provide a more unified team-based approach on diagnosis and treatments to manage the rarest and most complex conditions.

› Tampa health care firm promotes COO to president [Business Observer]
DAS Health Ventures Inc., a Tampa-based provider of IT and management services for the health care industry, has named COO Michelle Jaeger president. Jaeger will retain her role as COO, and David Schlaifer, who was president, will remain CEO, according to a statement.

› HCA Florida Capital Hospital in Tallahassee opens its new rehabilitation center [Health News Florida]
The newly rebranded HCA Florida Capital Hospital has opened its latest addition. The ribbon- cutting ceremony took place Wednesday. Hospital CEO Alan Keesee said the $23 million, 27,000-square-foot rehabilitation center will mean better patient outcomes. "The purpose of rehabilitation is to really, after you've had an acute stay at a hospital, to help you get back to your life and family," Keesee said.

Tags: Health Care eNews

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