Senate President Bill Galvano (R-Bradenton) today announced the appointment of Mrs. Donna Flanagan of Bradenton to the Alzheimer’s Disease Advisory Committee.
“With decades of practice as a Speech and Language Pathologist, Donna has firsthand experience helping our fellow Floridians face the challenge of Alzheimer’s Disease. Donna and her husband, former Representative Mark Flanagan, are lifelong friends, and as such I am aware of their long-term commitment to the community,” said President Galvano. “My wife Julie and I continue to be impressed by Donna’s passion for utilizing her experience in such a specialized field to serve others in our community. Alzheimer’s is a horrible disease with devastating impacts on families across our state. Donna will work diligently to ensure our state is doing as much as we can to support those who are suffering and their families.”
House Bill 449, sponsored in the Senate by Senators Kelli Stargel (R-Lakeland) and Senator Audrey Gibson (D-Jacksonville), revised the membership of the Alzheimer’s Disease Advisory Committee and requires the Department of Elder Affairs (DOEA) to collect and report pertinent information on the impact of Alzheimer’s disease in Florida. The bill, signed into law on June 27, 2019, requires the Committee to submit a report annually to the Governor and Legislature that includes information and recommendations on Alzheimer’s disease policy, state-funded efforts relating to Alzheimer’s disease, and updates to the Alzheimer’s disease state plan. The legislation also requires the DOEA to update the Alzheimer’s disease state plan triennially beginning on or before November 1, 2020, and establishes a memory disorder clinic at Miami Jewish Health Systems.
