House Approves SB 612 – the Emily Adkins Prevention Act
The Florida House of Representatives today authorized SB 612 by Sen. Clay Yarborough/Rep. Dean Black, legislation that would require the Agency for Health Care Administration and the state Surgeon General to establish a policy workgroup to understand how blood clots and pulmonary emboli impact Floridians. The Workgroup would consider recommendations regarding standard of care guidelines and determine how many Florida residents are affected. It would identify how data is collected and emerging treatments and therapies and would develop a recommendation for risk surveillance systems.
The issue was initiated by Doug and Janet Adkins, whose 23-year-old daughter Emily Adkins died unexpectedly in October 2022 of a pulmonary embolism – the result of a blood clot while recovering from a broken ankle. The “Emily Adkins Prevention Act” was sponsored in the House (HB 483) by Rep. Dean Black and in the Senate by Sen. Clay Yarborough (SB 612) and garnered bipartisan support, passing unanimously out of its respective committees and by both chambers. With the bill’s passage by the House and previously the Senate, SB 612 will now be sent to Gov. Ron DeSantis for his consideration.
“I’m grateful to the Adkins family for their willingness to share their story and bring this issue to the Legislature. This bill is about having a better understanding of blood clots, who it affects and how they can occur so we can save lives,” said Rep. Dean Black.
“Florida is once again leading the way on an important public health issue,” said Sen. Clay Yarborough. “This legislation will give other states a model to follow to help ensure that families have access to information and more standardized care to help prevent tragic outcomes.”
According to the National Blood Clot Alliance, over 900,000 Americans are diagnosed with a blood clot each year, with nearly half sustaining long-term health effects as a result. “Better awareness and screening can help prevent countless deaths and injuries,” said Leslie Lake, President of the Alliance. “As a pulmonary embolism survivor, this legislation gives me hope that we can bring this model to other states and get individuals the information they need to navigate the issues that can follow a blood clot diagnosis.”
“From the beginning, our goal was to raise awareness about blood clots and what can be done to prevent a pulmonary embolism,” said Doug Adkins. “This is an important issue that affects families across Florida and the country, and we’re grateful to Senator Yarborough and Representative Black for leading their colleagues in ensuring the passage of this bill and to the entire Legislature for helping us honor Emily’s memory.”
Together with their son Douglas, Janet and Doug Adkins established Emily’s Promise, a nonprofit foundation dedicated to the memory of their daughter and to raising awareness about blood clots and pulmonary embolisms. For more information about Emily’s Promise, visit www.emilypromises.com.
Janet and Doug Adkins have been long-time members of Florida Health Care Association. Prior to her passing, Emily worked in human resources with her father at Dayspring Senior Living in Hilliard, a town in Nassau County just northwest of Jacksonville. FHCA was proud to support this initiative, especially given that the elderly are at increased risk for pulmonary embolism because of both the conditions common to this age group, and the immobility that often accompanies them.
ABOUT THE FLORIDA HEALTH CARE ASSOCIATION
The Florida Health Care Association (FHCA) is a federation that represents 86% of the state’s nursing centers and other long-term care facilities that provide skilled nursing, post-acute and subacute care, short-term rehab, assisted living, and other services to the elderly and individuals with disabilities in Florida. The mission of FHCA is to advance the quality of services, image, professional development, and financial stability of its members. As Florida’s first and largest advocacy organization for long-term care providers and the elderly they serve, the Association has worked diligently since 1954 to assist its members with continuously improving quality of care and quality of life for the state’s growing elder care population. For more information about the Florida Health Care Association, visit http://www.fhca.org.
