Tomorrow, February 15th, Governor Rick Scott will host a Fighting for Florida Jobs Roundtable with business owners, economic development leaders, tourism leaders, and community members to discuss the local economic impact of VISIT FLORIDA and Enterprise Florida.
WHAT: Fighting for Florida Jobs Roundtable
WHEN: 10:00 AM
WHERE: Process Map
13450 W Sunrise Blvd #160
Sunrise, FL 33323
UF applications hit a record high
Applications to the University of Florida reached a new record this year, with more than 34,000 prospective students vying for admission during the summer and fall semesters of 2017.
This year’s total application number – 34,553 – represents a nearly 8 percent increase over last year’s total of 32,026.
Of those who applied for summer and fall 2017, UF admitted 13,214 for a 38 percent acceptance rate – down from last year’s acceptance rate of 42.5 percent.
The latest numbers were released in connection with Decision Day, when applicants learn whether they have been admitted to UF. This year’s Decision Day was Friday, Feb. 10.
“This group of students is absolutely among the most competitive ever,” UF President Kent Fuchs said. “The growing interest in UF is a reflection of what an amazing place this is. Congratulations to those who were admitted. I look forward to seeing all of the new Gators this fall.”
Academically, the group admitted this year is a strong one. Its average GPA is 4.4, while its average SAT score is 1349 and its average ACT score is 30.
In addition to the traditional application track, UF offers Innovation Academy, which pulls students from 30 majors into a cohort that attends classes on a spring-summer schedule, and Pathway to Campus Enrollment, or PaCE, in which students complete a minimum of two semesters via UF Online before becoming residential students. Innovation Academy launched in 2013, while PaCE was created in February 2015.
Those who applied for summer/fall 2017 have until May 1 to notify UF of whether they intend to register for classes.
Decision Day at a glance
Application Numbers:
Nov 1 32,526
Post Nov 1 2,027
Total 34,553
Enrollment Goal: 6,600 Summer B/Fall
Admits = 13,214 (Fall = 10,074; Summer B = 3,140)
Fall Admit Profile
Average GPA 4.4
Average SAT 1349
Average ACT 30
Innovation Academy:
Total Admits 979
Pathway to Campus Enrollment – PaCE
Total Admits 2,420
Gov. Scott Discusses Economic Impacts of EFI and VISIT FLORIDA with Local Leaders
Business, tourism and community leaders attended Governor Rick Scott’s Fighting for Florida Jobs Roundtable today in Panama City to discuss the local economic impacts of VISIT FLORIDA and Enterprise Florida and the need to fight job killing legislation in the Florida House.
ICYMI: WESH: VISIT FLORIDA vital to Hurricane Matthew economic recovery
“VISIT FLORIDA Vital to Hurricane Matthew Economic Recovery”
WESH-ORD (NBC) – Orlando, FL
February 13, 2017
To view the clip, click HERE.
Documentary Portraying Life in Syrian Refugee Camp to be Shown at UT Feb. 21 Followed by Q-and-A With Filmmakers
The documentary After Spring, which provides a glimpse into a Syrian refugee camp in Jordan, will be screened at The University of Tampa on Tuesday, Feb. 21, at 2 p.m. in the Reeves Theater on the second floor of the Vaughn Center. The screening will be followed by a Q-and-A with filmmakers Steph Ching and Ellen Martinez at 4 p.m. The event, which is part of the Honors Program symposia series, is free and open to the public.
Executive produced by The Daily Show’s Jon Stewart, the film follows two refugee families and aid workers at Zaatari, the largest camp for Syrian refugees that is gradually evolving into a permanent settlement.
Ching and Martinez both served as directors and producers on the film.
Ching was associate producer and additional editor on the Emmy-nominated documentary Supermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon. She participated in relief efforts post-Hurricane Katrina and made several trips to Sichuan, China, to film testimonials with survivors of the 2008 earthquake.
Martinez was associate producer on Tested, a feature documentary about educational inequality in the New York City public school system. She was a director’s assistant and worked in the assistant director and production departments for various films in New York City. She has spent more than eight years in the Middle East and lived in Damascus, Syria, for four years.
For more information, contact the Honors Program at (813) 257-3545 or [email protected].
The University of Tampa is a private, residential university located on 110 acres on the riverfront in downtown Tampa. Known for academic excellence, personal attention and real-world experience in its undergraduate and graduate programs, the University serves 8,310 students from 50 states and 140 countries. Approximately 65 percent of full-time students live on campus, and more than half of UT students are from Florida.
ICYMI: Naples Daily News: Gov. Rick Scott promotes VISIT FLORIDA, Enterprise Florida
Gov. Rick Scott promotes VISIT FLORIDA, Enterprise Florida
Naples Daily News
Arek Sarkissian
February 13, 2017
Gov. Rick Scott met with Southwest Florida business leaders in Cape Coral on Monday to discuss the potential impact of a plan by the Florida House of Representatives to eliminate VISIT FLORIDA and Enterprise Florida from the state budget.
Brian Rist, owner of Fort Myers-based Storm Smart, was among those who joined Scott. Rist said he relies on Enterprise Florida to bring in business from outside the country. A House bill to close the agency would wipe out $3 million in international business, Rist said.
“I don’t think the people supporting this plan realize I can’t market like Enterprise Florida does internationally,” he said. “Would you ever think about cutting marketing out of your budget because you want to grow?
“Nobody would do that.”
Rist was joined by Lee County Hotel Association President Jeff Webb, who said VISIT FLORIDA uses taxpayer dollars to expose smaller hoteliers to visitors from around the world.
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Rist and Webb were the latest additions to a list of businesses that oppose the House plan that would cut 23 incentive programs.
The bill cleared its first committee last week with a 10-5 vote after more than an hour of testimony from business owners who ranged from tour boat captains to restaurant owners and semitrailer dealers.
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But what brought people to live in Lee and Collier counties will not insulate the region from tough times, said Eric Berglund, president of the Southwest Florida Economic Development Alliance.
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“We don’t want to be in the position we were just a few years ago,” Berglund said.
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“Those incentives they want to eliminate in this bill help us compensate for the areas where we may not be able to compete as well.”
Scott planned stops in Flagler Beach, in the district of the bill’s sponsor, Paul Renner, a Republican. He will make another stop Tuesday in Panama City, in the district of Rep. Jay Trumbull, another Republican who voted for the bill.
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Event Notification Service covers more than two million Floridians
The Agency for Health Care Administration (Agency) announced today that the Florida Health Information Exchange’s (Florida HIE) Event Notification Service (ENS) has expanded to cover more than two million Florida residents. The ENS provides timely and secure notifications of patient hospital encounters to health care providers and health plans, who use these notifications to improve the delivery of patient care.
Agency Secretary Justin M. Senior said, “The ENS bridges a critical gap by notifying providers and health plans about their patients’ hospital visits. Reaching two million Floridians is an incredible milestone for this service, and the use of ENS and other health information technology platforms will be a key element in improving quality and reducing the cost of health care across the state.”
Together eight Florida health plans – Aetna, Florida Blue, Humana, Magellan Complete Care, Molina Healthcare, Prestige Health Choice, Sunshine Health, UnitedHealthcare and Wellcare of Florida – receive alerts on nearly half of all Florida Medicaid enrollees. This patient-authorized exchange provides information essential to improving care coordination, promoting primary care utilization and reducing health care costs.
Over 20 Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) are also participating in ENS and together cover an additional 300,000 Florida residents. Each ACO is a group of doctors, hospitals, and other health care providers who voluntarily come together to provide high quality care to their Medicare patients. By keeping providers informed of patient hospital encounters, the ENS is making it easier to provide high quality care to Florida’s Medicare population.
The ENS was piloted in late 2013 and the dedicated service has delivered over 1.8 million notifications since its inception. For more information on this and other Florida HIE programs, please visit www.florida-hie.net.
The Agency for Health Care Administration is committed to better health care for all Floridians. The Agency administers Florida’s Medicaid program, licenses and regulates more than 49,000 health care facilities and 43 health plans, and publishes health care data and statistics at www.FloridaHealthFinder.gov. Additional information about Agency initiatives is available via Facebook (AHCAFlorida), Twitter (@AHCA_FL) and YouTube (/AHCAFlorida).
Economic impacts of Enterprise Florida and VISIT FLORIDA in Florida counties
This week, business, tourism and community leaders attended Governor Rick Scott’s Fighting for Florida Jobs Roundtables in Cape Coral, Tampa, Flagler Beach and Panama City to discuss the local economic impacts of VISIT FLORIDA and Enterprise Florida and the need to fight job killing legislation in the Florida House. See below for information on the local economic impacts of Enterprise Florida and VISIT FLORIDA.
Governor Rick Scott Appoints Two to Board of Orthotists and Prosthetists
Governor Rick Scott announced today the appointment of two to the Board of Orthotists and Prosthetists.
Paul Weott, 55, of Bradenton, is the owner of Orthotic and Prosthetic Centers, Inc. He succeeds Thomas Chmielewski and is appointed for a term beginning February 13, 2017, and ending October 31, 2020.
Lance Benson, 43, of Miami, is the executive managing director for Newmark Grubb Knight Frank. He fills a vacant seat and is appointed for a term beginning February 13, 2017, and ending October 31, 2020.
These appointments are subject to confirmation by the Florida Senate.
Senator Tom Lee tackles lack of options and rising cost of state employee health insurance in latest bill
Senator Tom Lee (R–Thonotosassa) announced today the filing of SB 900, directed at modernizing Florida’s State Group Health Insurance Plan (Plan), which provides benefits to more than 360,000 state employees and their families.
The state currently offers a Preferred Provider Operation (PPO) group-insurance plan and regional Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) plans. Employees pay the same premium for both plans ($50 a month for single coverage and $180 for family coverage), despite differences in benefit design and value of the products. The state also offers a high-deductible, low premium option – a popular choice in the private sector – which has a participation rate among state employees of slightly more than one percent.
“Our current plan offers limited choices and lacks the price transparency needed for employees and their families to make cost-effective healthcare purchases,” Senator Lee said. “This bill incorporates modern, innovative models for delivering high-quality healthcare at lower costs that will empower state employees to decide what benefits make the most sense for them.”
SB 900 requires the Plan, beginning in 2020, to offer four levels of coverage at different price and benefit levels – bronze, silver, gold and platinum – giving employees a choice to either purchase a plan at a lower price point and share in the cost savings, pay more for top-tier coverage, or choose something at the level of the state’s contribution. If the state’s contribution is more than the premium cost of the health plan selected by the employee, the employee may elect to use the balance to credit their flexible spending or health savings account, purchase additional benefits or increase their salary.
Senator Lee added, “If an individual decides they don’t want or need the full coverage offered by the state’s traditional plan, why not give at least some of the cost back to them in another way — maybe in the form of increases in their health-savings accounts, maybe in the form of more take-home pay?”
SB 900 also requires the Department of Management Services (DMS) to adjust the cost of existing products in the Plan to reflect the difference in the value of benefits. DMS will submit the recommended premiums to the Legislative Budget Commission for approval. DMS must also hire an independent consultant to assist in any modifications to the Plan. Additionally, the bill creates a price transparency program aimed at educating and informing employees about their healthcare choices, including quality and average price information for services and providers. Employees who choose low cost, high quality treatment will share in any savings generated by their choice.
“Our one-size-fits-all approach to insurance coverage hasn’t kept pace with what’s available in the private sector,” Senator Lee said. “This bill eliminates waste in our current system while promoting and improving consumer choice.”
