Florida researchers are giving depressed, anxious people psychedelics

| 10/17/2023

Florida researchers are giving depressed, anxious people psychedelics

A therapy session with Patricia Brown starts like any other. She leads her clients into a peaceful, quiet room, draped in beige and generic, calming artwork. Then her clients lie down, close their eyes, put on a blindfold and headphones, and trip for six hours on psilocybin, the psychoactive chemical found in magic mushrooms. A growing number of clinical trials suggest single doses of psychedelics can have long-lasting impacts on the brain. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]

Florida Trend Exclusive
Breast cancer: Promising access

Before the Promise Fund Women’s Health Center opened in 2020 at a FoundCare site in Palm Springs in Palm Beach County, only 10% of FoundCare patients with orders for a mammogram received one. The Promise Fund non-profit has a patient navigator model that matches patients with personal health care advocates. The center also includes a 3D mammography machine donated by medtech company Hologic. Since it set up shop at the FoundCare location, the percentage of patients getting their mammograms has risen to 60%. [Source: Florida Trend]

Rare ‘flesh-eating’ bacteria, no stranger to Florida, spread north as oceans warm

Cases of V. vulnificus are rare. Between 150 and 200 are reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention every year, with about 20% resulting in death. Most are in states along the Gulf of Mexico, but, in 2019, 7% were on the Pacific Coast. Florida averages about 37 cases and 10 deaths a year. But a rise in cases nationally and the spread of the disease to states farther north. [Source: Health News Florida]

Florida's COVID-19 death toll climbs while cases decrease

Florida's COVID-19 death toll continues to climb, while new COVID-19 cases have dropped in recent weeks. The state Department of Health on Friday released a report that showed 91,590 Florida residents had died of COVID-19 since the pandemic started in 2020. That was up from 91,178 deaths in a report issued two weeks earlier. Because of lags in reporting, it is unclear when the additional deaths occurred. The Department of Health releases COVID-19 data every two weeks. [Source: WGCU]

Medicare enrollment is open now. Here’s what you need to know

Average premiums, benefits and plan choices for Medicare Advantage and the Medicare Part D prescription drug program will remain stable in 2024, good news for the estimated 33.8 million Americans projected to participate in the federal health insurance program for those 65 and older. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released 2024 premiums, deductibles and other key information in late September ahead of the annual open enrollment period, which begins Oct. 15. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]


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ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Health advocate fears hurdles in Florida's Medicaid 'unwinding' is jeopardizing kids' coverage [WUSF]
Health advocates are renewing calls for Florida to pause its Medicaid "unwinding" process. A coalition of 50 organizations sent a letter to Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday that also urges officials to reinstate children who have been disenrolled for procedural reasons, which can include missing a deadline or submitting incorrect forms. They cite recent state data that shows more than 250,000 youths 20 and younger were removed from Medicaid since April, when federal “continuous coverage” protections implemented early in the COVID-19 pandemic ended.

› South Florida doctor stays in Israel to assist civilians, soldiers in need [WSVN]
A South Florida doctor is answering the call for help after his vacation in Israel took a turn for the worse. As the war between Israel and Hamas broke out, Dr. Daniel Aghion decided to risk his own life and stay in Israel. The 42-year-old is now helping those in need.

› Health First awards 15 organizations grants totaling over $400,000 for wellness programs [Florida Today]
Health First has awarded more than $400,000 in grants to 15 Brevard County community organizations to support a range of health and wellness programs. The wellness grants will focus on addressing disparities identified in Health First's latest local Community Health Needs Assessment. Health First said it identified such things as improving access to health care; providing more physical activity and nutrition options for children; and addressing other social determinants of health.

› $300M health care supply organization CEO retires, successor named [Business Observer]
John Streger will become CEO of LeeSar and Cooperative Services of Florida, effective Nov. 20, after the retirement of CEO Bob Boswell. LeeSar and Cooperative Services of Florida are health care supply chain organizations. LeeSar is a nonprofit, with nearly $299.67 million in revenue in 2021, according to public tax filings.

Tags: Health Care eNews

Previous Health Care Updates:

A Florida health provider says better building design can help patients heal

FHSAA to potentially sanction esports in Florida schools

Florida home values have more than doubled in the past decade

Florida invests $850 million to advance Everglades restoration