Physician shortage expected to worsen amid COVID-19 pandemic impact

A shortage of primary care physicians in Florida and nationwide is expected to worsen while the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is not looking favorable. The Kaiser Family Foundation recently ranked states based on the number of communities that face health professional shortages. Florida comes in fifth. At the top of the list is California, followed by Texas, Missouri and Alaska. Below Florida in sixth place is Michigan, followed by Illinois, Georgia, Arizona and Washington. [Source: Naples Daily News]

AARP report points to COVID-19 improvements in Florida nursing homes

Florida has made improvements in curtailing the spread of COVID-19 in nursing homes, according to an AARP report released Thursday. In the four weeks ending Oct. 18, Florida nursing homes reported an average of two active COVID-19 cases for every 100 residents, better than the nationwide average of 2.8 active cases per 100 residents and a significant improvement from a prior rate of 4.5 cases per 100 residents. [Source: News Service of Florida]

Florida’s minimum wage increase may help home healthcare aides, may hurt providers

In 2019, Florida had 76,040 home health and personal care aides, according to PHI, formerly known as the Paraprofessional Healthcare Institute, a national advocacy organization for care-workers and their clients. The Home Care Association of Florida has reservations about raising the minimum wage so quickly, said Kyle Simon, director of government affairs and communications for the agency. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]

For first time since summer, Florida reports more than 10k new coronavirus cases in single day

With the nation’s total coronavirus caseload now topping 11 million infections, Florida’s Department of Health reported 10,105 new coronavirus infections — the highest single-day total seen since July 25. State health officials also attributed 30 more deaths to the virus on Sunday, bringing Florida’s overall death toll throughout the pandemic to 17,734 lives lost. Since March 1, the day Florida’s first coronavirus infection became public, 885,201 people within the state have become infected. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]

Increase in Type 2 diabetes in children caused by pandemic

Distance learning, stress, eating junk food and lack of exercise have led to increases in Type 2 diabetes during the COVID-19 pandemic and it has some experts worried about the increase in children. Dr. Mauricio Flores, a pediatric endocrinologist at Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital in Wellington, said the increase in kids is concerning because it reflects an increase of diabetes in the general population. “It feels like we are in an obesity pandemic on top of the (COVID-19) pandemic,” he said. [Source: Health News Florida]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Boca Regional Hospital unveils neuro-interventional suite [Boca News Now]
Marcus Neuroscience Institute’s new advanced neuro-interventional suite features state-of-the-art technology to provide minimally invasive treatments, where patients will benefit from speedier, more precise care when facing vascular and neurological conditions such as stroke and brain aneurysms. The new suite is part of an ongoing expansion of Marcus Neuroscience Institute, located at Boca Raton Regional Hospital, part of Baptist Health South Florida.

› Hospital system hires new head of strategy, innovation [Business Observer]
Lee Health, one of the largest public health care organizations in Florida, named Lisa Martinez vice president of strategy and innovation — a new position. Martinez will lead the health system’s strategic planning process, which includes analyzing industry trends and business models; developing strategies to improve patient experience while reducing total cost of care; and defining business models and payer strategies that align human, financial and technology resources, according to a statement.

› UNF Athletic Department partners with local health care providers [Jacksonville Daily Record]
The University of North Florida Athletic Department established a joint venture partnership with Ascension St. Vincent’s, Brooks Rehabilitation and Southeast Orthopedic Specialists that includes financial, marketing and service elements. The five-year agreement began Nov. 1 and provides UNF student-athletes access to medical care in preseason, in-season and postseason.

› Aventura Hospital and Medical Center is the first community hospital in Florida to offer augmented reality guided spine surgery [Miami's Community Newspapers]
Aventura Hospital and Medical Center is the first community hospital in the Southeast Region and Florida to use a groundbreaking augmented reality (AR) guidance system that allows spine surgeons to “see through” a patient’s anatomy as if they have “x-ray vision.” The technology is the first AR guidance system to be used in surgery and is currently approved for use in open and minimally invasive spine implant procedures.