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Commissioner Adam Putnam Provides Update on Florida Wildfire Activity

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Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam today announced that there are currently 33 active wildfires in Florida burning 33,605 acres.

Significant Wildfires in Florida:

  • Greenway, Collier County: 17,957 and 95 percent contained.
  • Firebreak, Gulf County: 8,080 acres and 90 percent contained.
  • Old Blade Line, Polk County: 450 acres and 60 percent contained.
  • Mud Dauber Road, Polk County: 139 acres and 100 percent contained.

The Florida Forest Service is urging residents to be cautious with fire and heat sources and to remember the following:

  • Develop and implement a family wildfire action plan;
  • Call 911 or a local Florida Forest Service field unit office immediately in the event of a wildfire;
  • Obey Florida’s outdoor burning laws;
  • Never burn on windy days;
  • Always keep a water source and suppression tools on hand when burning yard debris;
  • Never leave an outdoor fire or hot grill unattended; and
  • Avoid parking vehicles on dry grass.

The Florida Forest Service, a division of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, manages more than 1 million acres of state forests and provides forest management assistance on more than 17 million acres of private and community forests. The Florida Forest Service is also responsible for protecting homes, forestland and natural resources from the devastating effects of wildfire on more than 26 million acres.

Florida Health Plans Reject Over 8,500 Claims for High Cholesterol Treatment

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Health plan report card analyzes 2017 PCSK9
inhibitor claims for managed care organizations

The non-profit Institute for Patient Access released a new Health Plan Coverage Report Card revealing that Florida insurers denied coverage for over 8,500 patient claims for cholesterol-lowering drugs known as PCSK9 inhibitors. Thedata, captured from January to December 2017, reflects PCSK9 inhibitor claims for Florida managed care organizations, including commercial plans, Medicare, Medicaid and managed Medicaid.

Key Florida Findings:

  • 29% average rejection rate
  • 8,584 rejections
  • 27% appeals rate
  • Highest rates of rejection: Federal Employee Benefit Plan (84%), Florida Blue (51%), Tricare Military Health SVC SYS (51%), Express Scripts (47%)
  • Lowest rates of rejection: Aetna (18%), Humana Health Plan (12%)

PCSK9 inhibitors block the PCSK9 protein from destroying a receptor on the liver that clears bad cholesterol. By prolonging the life of the receptor, the drugs increase the amount of LDL cholesterol that’s cleared from the body. Research shows that the drug allows some patients to get their LDL levels down an average of 59 percent. Data also show that PCSK9 inhibitors can reduce the risk of heart, stroke and death.

The therapies are approved for:

  • Patients with the genetic disorder familial hypercholesterolemia (FH), who are born with severely elevated LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels, putting them at increased risk for early, aggressive cardiovascular disease
  • Those with atherosclerotic heart or blood vessel problems who don’t adequately respond to traditional treatments.

STATEMENT FROM ALLIANCE FOR PATIENT ACCESS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR BRIAN KENNEDY:

“This report is deeply troubling for patients and their providers. Health plans are blocking heart patients from accessing the medication that their physicians prescribe. These are patients who are at risk for adverse cardiac events like heart attack and stroke and who don’t respond adequately to traditional cholesterol-lowering statins. This report shows that health plans are cutting costs at patients’ expense.” 

STATEMENT FROM SETH BAUM, MD, PREVENTIVE CARDIOLOGIST IN BOCA RATON, FLORIDA: 

“I know first-hand about the barriers my patients face in accessing these life-saving medications. As a physician I am frustrated when I prescribe medications to patients who need them – only to have their health plan flatly reject them. These patients are at high risk for heart attack and stroke and these medications can help reduce their chances of a cardiac event; yet health plans continue to get in the way. We must find a way to make sure patients have access to these novel and FDA-approved medications.”

The Institute for Patient Access report card highlights the 10 Florida health plans that process the most PCSK9 inhibitor claims, ranking them based on the percentage of rejections issued. The least patient-friendly plans were the Federal Employee Benefit Plan at 84 percent, Florida Blue at 51 percent, Tricare Military Health SVC SYS at 51 percent, and Express Scripts at 47 percent. Aetna and Humana Health Plan had the lowest rejection rates at 18 and 12 percent respectively.

This report card is one in a series released by the Institute for Patient Access to highlight barriers to patient access.

To view last year’s Florida report click here.

Florida PSC Recognizes April as Water Conservation Month

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April is Water Conservation Month, and the Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) urges Floridians to curb their water use to save and protect one of Florida’s most precious resources.

“Water conservation is critical. Floridians use about 6.4 billion gallons of fresh water daily, which translates into billions of gallons of wastewater through showers, laundry, dishwashing, and other activities,” said PSC Chairman Art Graham. “And, as temperatures rise this spring, so will water use. Begin conserving now to lower your water usage and your water bill.”

Implement these simple strategies to help save one of our greatest resources and, as a result, save money, too:

Outdoors

  • Follow local water restrictions and only irrigate lawns when needed.
  • Choose landscaping suited to your location.
  • Use a hose nozzle to prevent water waste.
  • Use a rain barrel to store rainwater for watering your yard or plants.

Indoors

  • Replace old showerheads with new low-flow models that work just as well, but use less water.
  • Run your washing machine and dishwasher only when full.
  • Fix water leaks and drippy faucets.

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection and many local governments participate in statewide water conservation efforts through the Florida Section of the American Water Works Association’s Water Use Efficiency Division (WUED).  The WUED works with the Governor and Cabinet each year to officially proclaim April as Water Conservation Month.

Need more tips on how to save water during Water Conservation Month? The PSC’s Drop by Drop brochure offers water saving tips for both inside and outside your home. The PSC’s consumer tip on xeriscaping can help you get started on a drought tolerant, worry-free landscape.

Governor Rick Scott Signs “Ponce’s Law”

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Governor Rick Scott today visited Ponce Inlet to sign SB 1576, “Ponce’s Law” which creates harsher penalties for animal abusers. “Ponce’s Law” is named for a 9-month-old Labrador retriever puppy found beaten to death in Ponce Inlet last year. This legislation allows a judge to bar someone convicted of animal cruelty from owning a pet, and makes it more likely that an offender would to go prison.

UNF Project Paints ‘Hope and History’ for Local High School Students

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The University of North Florida’s Center for Urban Education and Policy (CUEP) is launching a large-scale public art mural project to supplement Civil Rights Movement curriculum and teach Jacksonville’s high school students about local historical events like Ax Handle Saturday and the 1960’s Sit-Ins.

This initiative, “Hope and History: Learning from Our Past to Lead into Our Future,” will be discussed with the public 5 to 6:30 p.m. Friday, April 6, during the Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville’s Public Art Week event at The Eastside Brotherhood, 915 A. Philip Randolph Blvd.

The event will feature Dr. Rudy Jamison, CUEP community initiatives coordinator and UNF visiting assistant professor of educational leadership; Dr. Chris Janson, CUEP director and UNF associate professor of leadership, school counseling and sport management; Rodney L. Hurst Sr., local author and civil rights leader; Bruce Moye, Eastside Brotherhood president; as well as Roosevelt Watson III and Nicole Holderbaum, local artists. The high school students involved in the mural project will also speak about their experiences.

This project is part of a historically significant community-based learning curriculum that the CUEP developed to immerse students in understanding civil rights issues and meeting community leaders from a local perspective in order to foster a deeper understanding of historical, as well as modern, struggles against prejudice and oppression.

“Ax Handle Saturday is the quintessential public education and youth leadership development story where students fought for dignity and respect through sit-in demonstrations,” said Jamison. “Through this collaborative project, we hope to amplify a story of resistance in the spirit of hope, love, courage and agency.”

The high school students involved in the project are being guided by regional artists Roosevelt Watson III, Nicole Holderbaum and Suzanne Pickett as they conceptualize, prepare, design and implement their interpretations of regional events that occurred during the Movement into a large-sized mural that the students will paint on the side of the Brotherhood building.

For more information on the project, contact Dr. Rudy Jamison at (904) 386-8926.

The Center for Urban Education and Policy at UNF believes in empowering schools and communities by uniting strengths, inviting advocacy and inspiring innovation.

The Eastside Brotherhood is one of Jacksonville’s first African-American social clubs, founded by “OutEast” community members. As a central preserver of the historical Eastside, The Eastside Brotherhood is committed to a healthy, thriving community.

Local Nonprofits Gear up for the 2018 Giving Challenge

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Across our region, more than 630 local nonprofit organizations from Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte and DeSoto counties are gearing up to participate in the 2018 Giving Challenge, presented by the Community Foundation of Sarasota County. Starting on May 1st at noon, the exciting online 24-hour “give day” allows everyone in our community the opportunity to support the local nonprofits they love and have their donations matched dollar for dollar, up to $100 per donor for each organization they give to, thanks to support from The Patterson Foundation.

For the past few months, nonprofits have worked on fundraising plans, communications campaigns, and planned events around the Giving Challenge in order to leverage the opportunity to generate unrestricted funding and develop relationships with new donors.

Unrestricted funding can be hard to come by—nonprofits need it to operate effectively. By investing dollars into our community through local nonprofits, those who contribute during the Giving Challenge have demonstrated their passion for our region and added a vote of confidence for the impact that our organizations are achieving. Funds from the past five Giving Challenges have gone on to ensure that vulnerable families will be able to stay in their homes and have food on their table; seniors and veterans will get the vital care they need; students will have a greater array of cultural and scientific explorations to spark their curiosity; the natural beauty of our land and gulf will be preserved; and thousands of sheltered animals will get to find a loving home.

Since 2012, donors from throughout our region have shown their love for local nonprofit organizations by providing more than $28 million in unrestricted funding to support their missions through the Giving Challenge. The 2016 Giving Challenge set a new standard for generosity in our community, when more than $13.4 million was raised in just 24 hours to benefit more than 559 nonprofits listed on The Giving Partner.

This year, The Patterson Foundation is incentivizing donations with a 1:1 match for each unique online donor’s contributions – up to $100 per donor, per organization – with no limit to the number of individual matches a nonprofit can receive. This opportunity encourages organizations to engage new online donors as well as loyal returning supporters during this year’s event. Since 2012, The Patterson Foundation has provided more than $11.9 million for the Giving Challenge to date through matching donations and other donor incentives.

The local participating nonprofits, all of which have demonstrated transparency with published and up-to-date profiles in The Giving Partner, can also earn their share of $260,000 in grant prizes. Prizes will be awarded in categories including most unique donors, best giving challenge video and event, best nonprofit-nonprofit partnership, best nonprofit-business partnership, best overall campaigns, and many more.

Donations are tax-deductible. Anyone who wishes to give during the challenge can make a secure donation (minimum gift is $25) by debit or credit card at givingpartnerchallenge.org.

The 2018 Giving Challenge is presented by the Community Foundation of Sarasota County with giving strengthened by The Patterson Foundation.

About the Giving Partner

  • The Giving Partner is a partnership of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, Manatee Community Foundation and The Patterson Foundation.
  • The Giving Partner currently shares in-depth information on more than 650 nonprofits.
  • The purpose of the online tool, found at thegivingpartner.org, is to help donors, businesses, institutional funders like foundations, local governments and citizen philanthropists learn more about the causes they care about and access information about organizations based on what is most important to them.
  • There is no cost, user name or password required to use The Giving Partner.

About the Community Foundation 
The Community Foundation is a public charity founded in 1979 by the Southwest Florida Estate Planning Council as a resource for caring individuals and the causes they support, enabling them to make a charitable impact on the community. With assets of over $333 million in more than 1,400 charitable funds, the Community Foundation awarded grants and scholarships totaling more than $33 million dollars this past year in the areas of education, health and human services, the arts, animal welfare, and the environment. Since our founding, more than $217 million has been invested back into the community through grants and scholarships. For more information, visit CFSarasota.org.

Florida Receives $8.5 Million in Grants from the U.S. Department of Transportation to Modernize and Improve Bus Infrastructure

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The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) today announced approximately $264 million in project selections to improve the safety and reliability of America’s bus systems and enhance mobility for transit riders across the country. A total of 139 projects in 52 states and territories will receive funding from FTA’s Buses and Bus Facilities Infrastructure Investment Program. A list of the selected projects is available online.

“Every day, working families across America rely on buses, and these grants will ensure that these vital services continue to be both safe and efficient,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao.

The grants will fund projects to replace, rehabilitate, and purchase buses and related equipment as well as projects to purchase, rehabilitate and construct bus-related facilities, such as buildings for bus storage and maintenance.

“FTA is proud to help bring new and rehabilitated buses, facilities, and equipment to communities across the country,” said FTA Acting Administrator K. Jane Williams. “This marks a step forward in improving mobility for the millions of Americans who travel by bus to work, school, healthcare, and other services.”

Among the projects selected to receive funding:

  • The Miami-Dade County Department of Transportation and Public Works in Florida will receive funding to purchase Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses to replace older buses that have exceeded their useful life. The new buses will improve the efficiency and reliability of the bus service in the Miami area.
  • The Port Authority of Allegheny County in Pennsylvania will receive funding to purchase low-floor clean diesel buses. The new vehicles will improve transit service and reliability for residents of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County.
  • The Tennessee Department of Transportation will receive funding to help transit agencies throughout the state improve bus service by replacing older transit vehicles that have exceeded their useful life. The new vehicles will help improve transit service and reliability for residents throughout Tennessee.

Demand for FTA’s Buses and Bus Facilities Infrastructure Investment Program far exceeded available funds, as FTA received applications for 453 eligible projects totaling approximately $2 billion in funding requests from a total of 53 States and territories. Project proposals were evaluated based on criteria outlined in the Notice of Funding Opportunity. The selected projects will receive a combination of fiscal year 2017 and 2018 funds. More information about the program is available in this video.

Federal public transportation law (49 USC § 5339(b)), as amended by the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, authorizes FTA’s Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities Infrastructure Investment Program through FY2020.

Gov. Rick Scott to Highlight Investments in Florida’s Infrastructure

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MEDIA ADVISORY

Tomorrow, April 5th, Governor Rick Scott will announce funding for a transportation project that benefits the Jacksonville community and highlight a record $10.1 billion in transportation infrastructure included in his Securing Florida’s Future budget. Since Governor Scott took office in 2011, investments in transportation have increased by $3.3 billion.

WHAT: Transportation Budget Highlight

WHEN: 11:15 AM

WHERE: Shands Bridge Pier
4051 Old Shands Bridge Boat Launch
Green Cove Springs, FL 32043

UT Presents “Once Upon a Time”: Storytelling in the Classroom, on the Computer and Beyond April 12

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On Thursday, April 12, join The University of Tampa’s Susan Taylor Lennon and Chris Gurrie for an hour of storytelling at “Once Upon a Time”: Storytelling in the Classroom, On the Computer and Beyond. The event begins at 7 p.m. in the Scarfone/Hartley Gallery, and is free and open to the public.

Lennon, professor of speech, theatre and dance, and Gurrie, assistant professor of speech, will each share two to three short stories — tales of transformation, take-aways and triumph. Gurrie’s stories are the product of his time at the Fine Arts Work Center, where he studied on a University of Tampa Delo grant. Lennon has years of experience in story and movement. Their goal is to show the community what they have been working on as it relates to the power of story, connection and study.

Gurrie is an active public speaker and participates in invited lectures, workshops and conferences in the areas of faculty development, first-year life and leadership, communicating effectively with PowerPoint, and communication and immediacy.

Lennon has been a principal dancer and choreographer with the Tampa Ballet and director of the modern dance company Susan Taylor and Dancers. She performs her story-dances to audiences around the country. In these, she narrates original stories and animates them with dance. The stories are heard nationally on public radio stations.

This event is supported by the UT Department of Speech, Theatre and Dance and the UT College of Arts and Letters.

For more information, contact Gurrie at (813) 257-1711 or [email protected].

Gov. Rick Scott to Sign “Ponce’s Law”

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MEDIA ADVISORY

Tomorrow, April 5th, Governor Rick Scott will visit Ponce Inlet to sign SB 1576, “Ponce’s Law” which strengthens criminal punishments for animal abusers.

WHAT: SB 1576 Bill Signing

WHEN: 8:45 AM

WHERE: The Town of Ponce Inlet Council Chamber
4300 South Atlantic Avenue
Ponce Inlet, Florida 32127