Florida doctors: Telehealth parity would pay dividends in defeating COVID-19

With doctors’ offices among places to avoid in dodging COVID-19, proponents are lobbying Gov. Ron DeSantis and Florida health officials to promote telehealth as a way to get more people to see more physicians in virtual settings. Among unresolved obstacles: disparities between reimbursements for telehealth services and those delivered in-person. The Florida Medical Association (FMA) wants DeSantis to issue an emergency order mandating reimbursement parity for telehealth and in-person services. More from The Center Square and Health News Florida.

Children’s mental health bill passes legislature

Florida’s students now have access to additional resources and services to support their mental health needs. With the passage of HB 945: Children’s Mental Health, sponsored by State Rep. David Silvers (D-District 87), Florida’s schools will be better equipped to support students facing mental health issues. [Source: Town Crier]

Gov. DeSantis tells hospitals not to perform any non-emergency surgery during COVID-19 pandemic

Gov. Ron DeSantis is prohibiting all hospitals, surgery centers and doctor's offices from doing non-essential elective medical procedures in order to conserve supplies amid the coronavirus pandemic. Friday, DeSantis issued Executive Order 20-72, regarding non-essential elective medical procedures. More from WTXL and WCTV.

Florida medical students find out where they'll be performing their residencies

Match Day is a life-changing day for medical students. It’s the day when graduating medical students at the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine (HWOM) and around the country find out where they will be spending the next three to seven years in residency training. “Words can’t describe how this moment feels,” wrote HWCOM student Wendy Tamayo on her Instagram page. “I’ve spent the majority of my young adult life studying and striving to become a physician. It is such a special moment that I share with my family and friends." [Source: FIU News]

Florida senior long-term care facilities brace for coronavirus challenges

South Florida became the focus of Florida’s fight against COVID-19 this week. About half of the confirmed cases in the state are in Miami-Dade and Broward Counties. At least 19 nursing homes and other long-term care facilities have suspected cases of the coronavirus. The governor imposed visitation restrictions to protect residents. [Source: Health News Florida]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Two Florida boys who both had open-heart surgeries form bond [Florida Times-Union]
On a brisk recent morning, 1-year-old Everett and 4-year-old Korbin were all smiles, playing with iridescent bubbles bursting out of a machine in Korbin’s Tallahassee front yard. It was hard to tell amid their laughter and play, but the boys both recently underwent open-heart surgery. Their operations a day apart, on Jan. 7 and 8, the two boys recovered in hospital rooms around the corner from each other inside University of Florida’s Shands Hospital. Now, the two are like brothers — and their moms have forged a friendship in the thick of it all.

› 12 medical centers form brain tumor research collaborative [Florida Trend]
Twelve institutions across the United States and Canada formed a collaborative designed to improve long-term survival and quality of life for patients with malignant brain tumors. University of Florida Health will lead the ReMission Alliance Against Brain Tumors, which will create an unprecedented research community to advance brain tumor clinical trials and immunotherapy research.

› Florida Department Of Health employees: Let us work from home [WLRN]
Employees at the Florida Department of Health, the state agency that is managing the response to COVID-19, are not being allowed to work from home, even if their jobs are involved in research or other kinds of administrative work, several employees told WLRN.

› BayCare consolidates coronavirus drive-thru testing sites to one per county [WUSF]
BayCare Health System is consolidating its drive-through COVID-19 testing sites to one high-volume location per county effective Monday. According to a release, officials say they are reducing the number of locations in West Central Florida from seven to four.