Florida Trend | Florida's Business Authority

Florida healthcare providers, companies to face vaccination requirement

Florida healthcare providers, companies to face vaccination requirement

After announcing last month that it will require nursing-home workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19, the Biden administration said Thursday it will expand the requirement to hospitals and other types of healthcare facilities. The federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services said providers including hospitals, dialysis facilities, ambulatory surgical centers and home health agencies will have to meet staff vaccination requirements as a condition for participating in the Medicare and Medicaid programs. More from Fox 13 and the Orlando Sentinel.

Florida Trend Exclusive

Florida Poly researcher uses digital tech to help plastic surgeons perform better nose jobs

A Florida Polytechnic University researcher is using digital technology to help plastic surgeons perform better nose jobs. Along with his team of students, Oguzhan Topsakal, an assistant professor of computer science, has created a 3-D modeling tool enabling rhinoplasty surgeons to forecast a surgery’s outcome and subsequently learn how to perform more accurate surgeries. [Source: Florida Trend]

How Baptist Health South Florida is becoming 'the Amazon Prime of healthcare'

In August 2020, Miami-based Baptist Health South Florida initiated a $100 million digital transformation project, which CEO Brian Keeley said would help the system achieve its goal of becoming the "Amazon Prime of healthcare in South Florida." Tony Ambrozie, the system's senior vice president and chief digital officer, provides an update on how the project is going. [Source: Becker's Hospital Review]

Florida health experts concerned by huge demand in parasite drug

A drug primarily used to treat animals is gaining traction with some who think they can use it as a treatment for COVID-19. Florida health experts say a new demand for ivermectin is causing a "scary trend": a huge spike in illnesses among those who are using the medication wrong, with many finding the product at farm supply stores. [Source: WEAR]

Santa Fe College plans new nursing program amid a looming shortage

Santa Fe College is launching a new nursing program this coming spring as the demand for nurses continues to increase amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. “We’re really excited,” said Paul Broadie, the president of SFC. “It’s gonna fill a need, a very important need, and it’s gonna reach a whole new market of students.” Although SFC has offered a nursing program for over 50 years, the aptly abbreviated “ANEW” program will take place on evenings and weekends. [Source: Gainesville Sun]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Florida spine surgeon and device company owner charged in kickback scheme
A Fort Lauderdale orthopedic surgeon and designer of costly spinal surgery implants was arrested Tuesday and charged with paying millions of dollars in kickbacks and bribes to surgeons who agreed to use his company’s devices. Dr. Kingsley R. Chin, 57, is the founder, chief executive officer and owner of SpineFrontier, a device company based in Malden, Massachusetts. He and the company’s chief financial officer, Aditya Humad, 36, of Cambridge, Massachusetts, were each indicted on one count of conspiring to violate federal anti-kickback laws, six counts of violating the kickback statute and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, officials said.

› Health First boosts its minimum wage to $15 an hour, effective Oct. 1
Scott Frazier says he was excited after reading a recent memo from his employer, Heath First, indicating that the company will be raising its minimum wage to $15 an hour, effective Oct. 1. Frazier — who checks in people at Health First's COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic in Melbourne — has been making $12 an hour, and the $3-an-hour raise will boost his pay by $120 a week.

› Will vaccine mandates help or hurt nursing home staffing in Tampa Bay?
Since the delta variant began to spike in Florida, Su Suriano has doubled down on efforts to encourage her staff to get vaccinated. As the administrator of Manor Care Health Services of Palm Harbor, a nursing home in Pinellas County, she’d heard the concerns of her employees, many of whom are young and come from various racial and ethnic backgrounds.

› Healthcare Trust of America buys Boca Raton medical offices for $50M
Healthcare Trust of America bought the 1905 Medical Center in Boca Raton for $50 million, marking continued investor interest in healthcare-related real estate. The Scottsdale, Arizona-based real estate investment trust purchased the 106,135-square-foot building at 1905 Clint Moore Road, records show.