Florida has seen a rise in tuberculosis cases. How can it be stopped?
More TB cases have been recorded in Florida and other parts of the U.S. since 2021, the year after COVID struck, though the federal agency still considers the country to have a low infection risk. Recent federal data shows that Florida recorded more than 600 cases of TB in 2024, making it the state with the fourth-highest number of reported cases. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]
Opinion: Florida’s mental health system is failing; people keep paying with their lives
Florida’s mental health system is failing. In places like Miami-Dade, people with mental illness are jailed eight times longer - at seven times the cost. We spend $625 million a year locking up people who need treatment. And when families ask for help, we’re told to pay what we can’t or wait for a crisis. We need more than triage and 72-hour holds - we need long-term, affordable treatment. [Source: Tallahassee Democrat]
Legislation to provide farmers with 'medical benefit plans' heads to DeSantis' desk
A proposal that would allow the Florida Farm Bureau to offer largely unregulated health coverage to farmers is headed to Gov. Ron DeSantis. The bill would clear the way for “medical benefit plans” that would not be subject to the same state and federal regulations as health insurance. Supporters said the proposal is designed to help improve access to health coverage in rural areas. [Source: News Service of Florida]
After years of failed attempts, lawmakers repeal what critics call Florida's 'free kill' law
Under the 1990 law, people who are 25 or older cannot seek what are known as “noneconomic” damages in medical malpractice cases involving deaths of their parents. Also, parents cannot seek such damages in malpractice cases involving the deaths of their children who are 25 or older. Supporters of the repeal have said the law prevents people from getting justice for deaths caused by medical malpractice. More from Health News Florida and WPTV.
One year later: Florida's 6-week abortion ban reshapes healthcare and politics
It’s been a year since Florida enacted its six-week abortion ban, one of the most restrictive abortion laws in the country. Since then, reproductive healthcare providers, patients and advocacy groups have grappled with its far-reaching effects. Data from the state’s Agency for Health Care Administration shows a steep drop in procedures: 64,854 abortions were recorded in 2024, mostly in Miami-Dade and Broward counties. So far in 2025, just 8,682 procedures have been reported year-to-date. [Source: NBC Miami]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› St. Petersburg’s Bayfront hospital earns first ever A grade for safety
When Orlando Health purchased St. Petersburg’s flagship hospital in 2020, Bayfront was struggling. Nurses unions reported understaffing and equipment shortages that reportedly had led to high infection rates and unnecessary deaths. The 480-bed hospital had a D ranking for safety. Five years on, hospital leaders are celebrating Bayfront’s first ever A grade.
› Florida plastic surgeon has become a viral TikTok sensation for singing patients to sleep
When a patient is in the operating room awaiting surgery, an anesthesiologist might recommend they count backward from 100 as they slip into unconsciousness. But cosmetic plastic surgeon Dr. William Vinyard sings to his patients and holds one of their hands as they get prepped for anesthesia. "I believe music is medicine," Vinyard says.
› South Florida hospitals say patient safety rankings are rigged, and sue nonprofit
Five South Florida hospitals are suing a national watchdog group, accusing it of crafting misleading safety rankings that endanger patients as part of a “brazen pay-to-play scheme.” Good Samaritan Medical Center in West Palm Beach, Delray Medical Center, Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center, West Boca Medical Center and St. Mary’s Medical Center in West Palm Beach are all named in the federal suit against The Leapfrog Group, a nonprofit that has analyzed hospital data for more than 20 years.
› There aren’t enough doctors in Polk County, but the health care landscape is changing
Although new medical facilities are on the way, Polk County had less than half as many doctors and dentists per 100,000 residents as the Florida average in 2023. “Polk County is a provider-shortage area,” Taylor Freeman, a community health project coordinator at the Florida Department of Health, said at a State of the County forum hosted by Polk Vision on Thursday.