A Florida law takes effect that requires the state to hit certain cleanup levels of toxic ‘forever chemicals’

The use of PFAS, short for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances that are a possible carcinogen, has spread to a variety of products that touch daily life: non-stick coatings, food products, air particles and foams. Researchers continue to discover new ways that PFAS enter our environment and bodies. There are currently over 12,000 known variants, with PFOA and PHOS being the two most commonly tested chemicals by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. [Source: WUFT]

Two Florida physicians have come up with a device to prevent drownings

The Florida Department of Children and Families says more children under 5 die by drowning in Florida than in any other state. This is something pediatrician Dr. Phillip Matar knows firsthand. Back when he was a medical resident, he was part of a team that worked to revive a little girl who had drowned in the family pool. The girl didn’t survive and when her mom heard she had died, the mother had a seizure and had to be taken away to Bayfront Hospital, across the street. [Source: WUSF]

Federal appeals court deals a legal blow to infant neurological injury fund

The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday refused to reconsider an April ruling by a three-judge panel that cleared the way for the lawsuit against the Florida Birth-Related Neurological Injury Compensation Association. The program, which sought a rehearing before the full appeals court, argued that it should be shielded from the lawsuit because of sovereign immunity. In a May motion seeking the rehearing, the program, commonly known as NICA, pointed to potentially broad implications of the three-judge panel’s ruling. [Source: News Service of Florida]

‘True cost of aging’ index shows many seniors can’t afford basic necessities

Fran Seeley, 81, doesn’t see herself as living on the edge of a financial crisis. But she’s uncomfortably close. Each month, Seeley, a retired teacher, gets $925 from Social Security and a $287 disbursement from an individual retirement account. To make ends meet, she’s taken out a reverse mortgage on her Portland, Maine, home that yields $400 monthly. So far, Seeley has been able to live on this income — about $19,300 a year — by carefully monitoring her spending and drawing on limited savings. But should her excellent health worsen or she need assistance at home, Seeley doesn’t know how she’d pay for those expenses. [Source: Health News Florida]

Amazon buying One Medical is only its most recent dive into the health care industry

"We think health care is high on the list of experiences that need reinvention," Neil Lindsay, senior vice president of Amazon Health Services, said in a statement last week. One Medical is a membership-based primary care practice with nearly 200 locations across the country that also offers virtual services. The company had roughly 767,000 member patients as of May. "There is an immense opportunity to make the health care experience more accessible, affordable, and even enjoyable for patients, providers, and payers," Amir Dan Rubin, One Medical's CEO, said in a statement. [Source: NPR]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Florida A&M University to expand nursing program [WTXL]
Florida A&M University is looking to help close the health care labor gap by expanding their nursing programs. FAMU started its RN to BSN nursing program with just five students in 2021. It's quickly grown and 30 students are now signed up to start classes this fall.

› Monkeypox in Florida: Which counties have confirmed, probable cases? [Naples News Daily]
Two months after a presumptive positive case was announced here May 22, the state department of health has reported 273 confirmed or probable cases in 16 counties.

› How will restricting access to abortion impact mental health? [Tampa Bay Times]
Here’s what we know after the end of Roe v. Wade.

› Pasco, Citrus, Hernando Departments of Health and WIC Recognize World Breastfeeding Week [Florida Department of Health]
The Florida Department of Health in Pasco, Citrus, and Hernando counties, and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) are celebrating World Breastfeeding Week 2022 from August 1 – 7. This year’s theme is Step up for Breastfeeding: Educate and Support.