Florida hospitals filling as coronavirus spread looms amid holiday travel

As Florida works to rebound, new federal data shows its hospitals are some of the fullest. That has frontline health workers alarmed as the holidays and an increased risk of spreading COVID-19 approaches. "We're seeing a very rapid rise in cases from Nov. 30 to Dec. 13," said Dr. Anil Suryaprasad, an internal medicine specialist in the Jacksonville area. "They are attributed to what has already happened as a result of the Thanksgiving holiday, and entirely expected that the same will occur over Christmas and New Year's." [Source: WFTS]

Florida physicians urge patience as COVID vaccine demand outweighs supply

Noting a limited amount of COVID-19 vaccine available for distribution in December, the state’s largest physicians association urged people Thursday to be patient. “There are far more health care providers and long-term care residents who qualify for the first round of the vaccine than there is vaccine available,” Florida Medical Association President Mike Patete, a Venice physician, said in a prepared statement. “Manufacturing, distribution, and administration still pose challenges and will require an extraordinary level of cooperation in order to ensure that everyone who wants the vaccine receives the vaccine as soon as it becomes available.” [Source: News Service of Florida]

See also:
» Florida will get the Moderna vaccine soon. Who can get it, where and how?

Committed: Improving Florida’s Baker Act For children is a challenge

For more than 15 years, the number of children who are referred for involuntary psychiatric evaluations under the Baker Act has increased at a faster pace than any other age group. The law was not designed to be used on children and many child advocates are pushing for change. They say there should be provisions to ensure children are treated differently than adults. In the fifth and final part of this series on the Baker Act, we examine the challenges faced by advocates who want to improve the law. [Source: Health News Florida]

Florida launches investigation into hacking of AHCA servers

Florida officials are acknowledging that state servers appear to have been compromised by overseas hackers who gained entry by imbedding malicious code into networking software. Two Florida officials said Friday that the hackers apparently infiltrated systems for the Agency for Health Care Administration and other agencies. The officials have knowledge of the matter but were not authorized to speak publicly about it. They say it's unclear what information the hackers may have taken. [Source: AP]

Mental health: A COVID-19 recovery challenge we don’t talk about

Although many COVID-19 survivors have been talking about the physical ailments that are accompanying their recoveries, some are just now starting to speak about a topic that may be more challenging to discuss: their mental health. All of us are experiencing stress due to COVID-19. We’re afraid we’ll contract it. We’re worried that the people we’re coming into contact with are carriers. We’re feeling isolated from our friends and families. But studies are showing the anxiety of people who contracted the virus is on a whole different level. [Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Academy opens center to train CNAs, place into area health care jobs [Business Observer]
Premier Nursing Academy has launched its second Florida location, this one in Bradenton. The new location is expected to graduate as many as 500 students in 2021 from the Bradenton and Sarasota areas. Premier Nursing Academy offers free, state-approved training to become a certified nursing assistant. The new campus makes Premier Nursing Academy’s no-cost training model available to more students and health care employers, according to a press release.

› Give Kids The World to reopen after 10-month shutdown [Orlando Sentinel]
Give Kids The World, the all-expenses-paid vacation village for critically ill children and their families, will reopen Jan. 17, 10 months after having to shutter operations because of COVID-19, its CEO announced Friday. “We are just so thrilled,” said Pamela Landwirth, the charity’s president and CEO, minutes after a call to board members, theme park executives and other wish-granting organizations to share the news. “We know that we can do this safely, and we know that children are out there waiting for their wishes, and we don’t want any more time to pass.”

› Miami native helps people who qualify as legally blind see again [Miami Herald]
For Miami native Vanessa Marino, a part-time filing job in the months before she started college two decades ago has led to a career as an optometrist that is rewarding in ways well beyond financial. Marino, who owns Marino Eye Care in southwest Miami-Dade, has established a niche in specialty scleral contact lenses for patients who have degenerative conditions such as keratoconus or who have corneal or ocular trauma.

› Orange County pilot program teams deputies with mental health clinicians [WUSF]
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office is teaming deputies with mental health professionals as part of its Behavioral Health Unit pilot program. The unit began responding to calls last week, the sheriff’s office said Thursday. The goal is to de-escalate situations, arrive at peaceful resolutions, and limit arrests and Baker Acts.