Last week, State Surgeon General Dr. Scott Rivkees provided members of the Senate Health Policy Committee with an update on the latest available information regarding COVID-19 along with an overview of the extensive preparedness efforts currently being led by the Florida Department of Health’s (Department) fully-integrated public health system. InContinue Reading

skin cancer

The Spring Swing® Sun Safety Tour is a partnership between Moffitt and the Tampa Bay Rays offering free skin cancer screenings at specified baseball spring training venues throughout Florida. Screeners look for early signs of skin cancer and promote sun safety with help from Moffitt’s Mole Patrol® team. Free giveaways include Blue Lizard sunscreen,Continue Reading

Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute (FCS) will expand access to comprehensive cancer treatment and opportunities for patients to participate in cutting-edge cancer research with the opening of its FCS Cancer Center and Sarah Cannon Research Institute Drug Development Unit in Lake Mary later this month. The newly constructed 25,000 square-footContinue Reading

This week, the Florida Department of Health (DOH) announced the allocation of $6.6 million from the Overdose Data to Action (OD2A) Grant to 14 Counties to assist local communities in the fight against all-drug overdose and opioid abuse. The Department’s receipt of the $58.8 million OD2A grant was first announced on OctoberContinue Reading

iHeartMedia Tampa’s 95.7 The Beat, Tampa Bay’s No. 1 station for Hip Hop, R&B, and Throwbacks, announced this week its inaugural Sista Strut Breast Cancer walk that aims to bring awareness to the importance of breast cancer screenings in the African American community. The charity walk will take place Saturday, March 21 at 10Continue Reading

The Tampa Bay Vipers, Florida’s only XFL football team, will host the Houston Roughnecks at their first home game of the season. This game has been designated an Alzheimer’s Awareness game, with proceeds benefiting the Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s in Tampa. “We’re excited to team up with the Vipers on thisContinue Reading

Officials with the Florida Department of Health in Hillsborough County (DOH-Hillsborough) report investigating a confirmed measles case in an individual with recent overseas travel. The patient, an adult male, reported travel to South America in recent weeks. Healthcare providers, including hospital emergency departments, have been asked to have a heightenedContinue Reading

Representative Cary Pigman Explains on Florida Chamber Bottom Line Program  With 900 new residents moving to Florida each day, and 4.5 million more residents expected to call Florida home by 2030, it’s vital that Floridians have greater access to healthcare, particularly in rural and underserved communities. The Florida Chamber’s HealthcareContinue Reading

Governor DeSantis

Governor Ron DeSantis today delivered his second State of the State address, marking the opening day of the 2020 Legislative Session and reaffirming his commitment to providing Florida’s health systems with the resources needed to continue improving the health outcomes for Florida’s millions of residents and visitors. “For the betterContinue Reading

Patients with advanced melanoma who develop metastases in the leptomeninges, the fluid filled membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord, have an extremely dismal prognosis. Most patients only survive for 8 to 10 weeks after diagnosis. One reason for this poor prognosis is that very little information is known aboutContinue Reading

flu vaccine

The Florida Department of Health (Department) is strongly encouraging all unvaccinated residents to get their flu shot as soon as possible. Flu vaccination is the best way to prevent the flu and its potentially serious complications. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that, nationwide, for the 2019-2020 seasonContinue Reading

Tampa General Hospital (TGH) performed 585 organ transplants in 2019, eclipsing the previous record of 500 in 2011. This puts TGH in the top 10 busiest organ transplant centers in the nation.  Among the 2019 organ transplants include 358 kidney transplants, including 91 kidney transplants from living donors, 145 liverContinue Reading

The Hillsborough County Health Department issued a health advisory today for Bahia, Ben T. Davis, Cypress Point, Davis Island, Picnic Island and Simmons Park beaches based on the criteria for enterococci bacteria recommended by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This should be considered a potential risk to the bathing public.Continue Reading

This week, the Board of Directors of Moffitt Cancer Center accepted the resignation of its president and CEO, Dr. Alan List, and the center director, Thomas Sellers, for violations of conflict of interest rules through their work in China.  Moffitt initiated an internal review of team members’ collaborations with researchContinue Reading