Florida News Straight From the Source
Tomorrow, November 21st, Governor Rick Scott will honor Florida veterans with the Governor’s Veterans Service Medal and highlight investments in Florida’s military, veteran and families in his 2018-2019 Securing Florida’s Future budget.
WHEN: 9:00 AM
WHERE: Florida National Guard Armory
8551 West Venable Street
Crystal River, FL 34429
WHEN: 2:30 PM
WHERE: Florida National Guard Armory
605 S Bay St
Eustis, FL 32726
The University of Tampa has announced it will begin offering a master’s degree program in physician assistant medicine starting in Fall 2019.
The program is intended to engage in collaborative training that produces competent graduates who provide quality medical care to their communities. Physician assistants are licensed medical providers who practice medicine on health care teams with physicians and other providers.
UT’s PA curriculum is based on the medical model of education — focusing on in-depth study of disease processes, their diagnosis and treatment — and consists of 27 months of master’s level coursework. Basic science instruction in anatomy, physiology, genetics and other biological sciences are followed by a phase of general clinical medicine, specialty medicine, medical diagnostics, pharmacology and physical exam topics. The PA educational program of study also includes a yearlong clinical “hands-on” training phase consistent with the University’s commitment of “learning by doing.”
Applications for the Fall 2019 cohort will be accepted May 1 to Oct. 1, 2018, through the Central Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA).
The program is headed by Johnna Yealy, Ph.D., who will be focused on developing the curriculum and facility and guiding the program through its initial and lengthy accreditation process.
“Demand for physician assistants will increase as the U.S. population ages and as we see the trend of fewer primary and specialty care providers,” Yealy said. “UT is well positioned to provide outstanding training for physician assistant medicine studies in a new, modern facility.”
She added that UT is excited to provide undergraduates with a path to pursue graduate training in the provision of medical care consistent with the commitment to providing graduates with advanced understanding of their field of study. “This is an educational program of study that is heavily steeped in interprofessional training, which is consistent with the University’s commitment to developing a collaborative and interdisciplinary workforce,” Yealy said.
The PA program will partner with local organizations to provide the highest quality education. Students will have the opportunity to complete their anatomy training at The Florida InnoVation & Education (FIVE) Labs, which is an innovative facility designed to educate health care professionals located in Tampa. The second year of training will be spent in clinical sites, local hospitals and clinics, where students will have the opportunity to apply their medical knowledge and develop their clinical skills while guided by a licensed medical provider.
The PA program will be housed in the new 91,000-square-foot Graduate and Health Studies Building at UT, which is currently under construction. It will include 30,000 square feet of PA medical training space and will include state-of-the-art spaces, including simulation labs, a digital anatomy lab and all the latest health technology and equipment. The building will also have a state-of-the-art audiovisual system, the same as used in health care facilities, that is designed to capture clinical and learning events for future review and assessment by students from anywhere. This will help to facilitate a unique connectivity to other health care facilities, enhancing the student clinical experience. The simulation labs in the building will serve as a CAE demonstration site. CAE is a global leader in health care simulation. By serving as a demonstration site, the PA faculty and students will have access to the latest, most technologically advance health care simulators and training at all times. The building is expected to be completed in August 2018.
Forbes magazine ranked physician assistant on its list of “The 10 Most Promising Jobs of 2016.” LinkedIn listed physician assistant on its inaugural list “Most Promising Jobs of 2017,” and the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects the number of physician assistant jobs will increase 30 percent by 2018 with median annual wages of $101,480. The employment of physician assistants in the U.S. is projected to grow an additional 30 percent through 2024 — much faster than the average for all occupations.
UT has a long history of health care training, as its nursing program has long been renowned as one of the best in Florida. Typically, 100 percent of UT nursing graduates pass the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) on the first try. UT has offered the Master of Science in Nursing degree and four-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing programs for many years. Additional health science programs include allied health, athletic training and graduate exercise and nutrition science.
For more information about the program, including admission requirements, click here.
UT has applied for Accreditation-Provisional from the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA). UT anticipates matriculating its first class in August 2019, pending achieving Accreditation-Provisional status at the March 2019 ARC-PA meeting. Accreditation-Provisional is an accreditation status granted when the plans and resource allocation, if fully implemented as planned, of a proposed program that has not yet enrolled students appear to demonstrate the program’s ability to meet the ARC-PA Standards or when a program holding Accreditation-Provisional status appears to demonstrate continued progress in complying with the Standards as it prepares for the graduation of the first class (cohort) of students.
Governor Rick Scott today announced that Florida set another tourism record by welcoming the highest number of visitors of any nine months in the state’s history with 88.2 million visitors, according to VISIT FLORIDA. This represents a 3.3 percent increase over the 85.4 million visitors from the same period in 2016. This includes 77.6 million domestic visitors, 7.9 million overseas visitors and 2.7 million Canadians visitors. Governor Scott made the announcement at Azucar Ice Cream Company, a locally-owned ice cream boutique that has been nationally recognized as one of Little Havana’s top tourist destinations.
Governor Scott said, “Today, I am proud to announce that Florida has continued our record breaking success by welcoming more than 88 million visitors to our state over the first nine months of the year. Florida has had three record quarters in 2017, which would not be possible without our relentless work to market Florida as the top tourism destination. This includes VISIT FLORIDA’s aggressive marketing efforts to make sure families across the world knew that Florida was open for tourism following Hurricane Irma. We will work with the Legislature to invest $100 million for VISIT FLORIDA this upcoming session to continue this success and make sure Florida can continue to break tourism records.”
VISIT FLORIDA estimates that a record 27.9 million visitors traveled to Florida in the third quarter of 2017 (July-September), an increase of 3.3 percent over the same period last year. This Q3 number breaks down to 24.9 million domestic visitors, 2.6 million overseas visitors and 428,000 Canadian visitors coming to the Sunshine State. Total enplanements at Florida’s 18 major airports in Q3 2017 increased 2.4 percent over the same period the previous year, with 20 million passengers. The number of hotel rooms sold in Florida during quarter three of 2017 grew by 4.7 percent compared to quarter three 2016. During the same period, Florida’s average daily room rate (ADR) increased by 3.0 percent and occupancy by 2.9 percent.
Ken Lawson, President and CEO of VISIT FLORIDA, said, “Back-to-back-to-back record quarters in the first nine months of this year show the Florida tourism industry has great momentum. VISIT FLORIDA will not rest on our laurels, but will continue to be at the forefront of creating leading-edge, original marketing programs for our industry partners so that together we can make Florida the number one vacation destination in the world.”
To view additional Florida visitor data, go the Research page on VISIT FLORIDA’s media website.
*Preliminary estimates are issued 45 days after the end of each calendar quarter. Final estimates are released when final data are received for all estimates in the report.
Ahead of Thanksgiving, Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam and the Florida Forest Service are providing tips to ensure a safe holiday weekend.
The following tips can help prevent wildfire:
“By taking a few simple precautions, Floridians and visitors can take a proactive role in their wildfire safety this Thanksgiving holiday,” said Jim Karels, Florida State Forester.
Since January, the Florida Forest Service and its partners have responded to approximately 2,779 wildfires that have burned more than 200,000 acres. Visit the Florida Forest Service’s wildfire information webpage to view an interactive map of current active wildfires, drought and fire danger forecast information, and a list of current county burn bans.
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. Learn more at FloridaForestService.com.
For more information about the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, visit FreshFromFlorida.com
FDLE agents and the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office today arrested Steven Michael Truax Jr., 30, of 2006 East Johnson Avenue, Apartment #C, Pensacola, Florida for 32 counts of possession of child pornography.
In September 2017, FDLE agents received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) and obtained search warrants for Truax’s residence.
With the information provided by NCMEC, agents seized several electronic devices from Truax’s residence and located an application that contained over 200 child pornography videos featuring children in ages ranging from infants to young teens.
Truax was booked into the Santa Rosa County Jail. The case will be prosecuted by the State Attorney’s Office, First Judicial Circuit, in Escambia County.
November 1 marked the start of the Affordable Care Act’s fifth health insurance open enrollment period, which runs through December 15. To assist Floridians with getting covered, the Epilepsy Foundation of Florida (EFOF) will once again host enrollment sites throughout the state.
To arrange interviews with navigators or consumers, contact 352-219-6029 or [email protected]. NOTE: Due to the Thanksgiving holiday, navigation services will be reduced on Friday and Saturday, and closed on Thursday.
EFOF is Florida’s second largest provider of free in-person ACA enrollment assistance, and has been a federal Navigation grant recipient in every ACA open enrollment period. EFOF has discussed ACA enrollment in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, the Associated Press, and in statewide and local media. EFOF has educated and assisted more than 250,000 Floridians at thousands of events in 35 counties.
The below events this week are free and open to the public. Floridians can also call toll-free to schedule an appointment, at 1-877-553-7453.
BROWARD COUNTY
MONDAY November 20, 2017
9:00AM – 12:00PM and 1:00PM – 5:00PM Epilepsy Foundation of Florida, Broward Office – 512 NE 3rd Avenue, 3rd Floor, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33301 (ENGLISH/SPANISH/CREOLE)
TUESDAY November 21, 2017
9:00AM – 12:00PM and 1:00PM – 5:00PM Epilepsy Foundation of Florida, Broward Office – 512 NE 3rd Avenue, 3rd Floor, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33301 (ENGLISH/SPANISH/CREOLE)
WEDNESDAY November 22, 2017
9:00AM – 12:00PM and 1:00PM – 5:00PM Epilepsy Foundation of Florida, Broward Office – 512 NE 3rd Avenue, 3rd Floor, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33301 (ENGLISH/SPANISH/CREOLE)
COLLIER COUNTY
MONDAY November 20, 2017
9:30AM- 4:00PM Collier County Public Library South Regional Branch, 8065 Lely Cultural Parkway, Naples, FL 34113 (ENGLISH ONLY)
TUESDAY November 21, 2017
9:30AM – 4:00PM Greater Naples YMCA, 5450 YMCA Road, Naples, FL 34109 (ENGLISH ONLY)
WEDNESDAY November 22, 2017
9:30AM- 4:00PM Collier County Public Library South Regional Branch, 8065 Lely Cultural Parkway, Naples, FL 34113 (ENGLISH ONLY)
DUVAL COUNTY
MONDAY November 20, 2017
9:00AM – 4:30PM UF Health Jacksonville AKA Shands Hospital, Admissions and Financial Assistance, 2000 Boulevard Street, Jacksonville, FL 32206. (ENGLISH)
9:00AM – 2:00PM EMed Specialty Group, 2624 Atlantic Blvd., Jacksonville, FL 32207. (ENGLISH/SPANISH)
TUESDAY November 21, 2017
9:00AM – 4:30PM UF Health Jacksonville AKA Shands Hospital, Admissions and Financial Assistance, 2000 Boulevard Street, Jacksonville, FL 32206. (ENGLISH)
9:00AM – 2:00PM EMed Specialty Group, 2624 Atlantic Blvd., Jacksonville, FL 32207. (ENGLISH/SPANISH)
4:00PM – 8:00PM Orange Park Library, 2054 Plainfield Avenue, Orange Park, FL 32073. (ENGLISH ONLY)
WEDNESDAY November 22, 2017
9:00AM – 4:30PM UF Health Jacksonville AKA Shands Hospital, Admissions and Financial Assistance, 2000 Boulevard Street, Jacksonville, FL 32206. (ENGLISH)
9:00AM – 2:00PM EMed Specialty Group, 2624 Atlantic Blvd., Jacksonville, FL 32207. (ENGLISH/SPANISH)
6:30PM – 9:00PM Iglesia Adventista la Esperanza, 2014 Kenneth Street, Jacksonville, FL 32207 (ENGLISH/SPANISH)
ESCAMBIA COUNTY (All Times CST)
MONDAY November 20, 2017
10:00AM – 3:00PM Epilepsy Foundation of Florida, Pensacola Office, 2401 Executive Plaza Road, Suite 3A, Pensacola, FL 32504. BY APPOINTMENT ONLY – Call 1-877-553-7453. (ENGLISH ONLY)
12:00PM – 6:00PM Walton County Coastal Branch Library, 437 Greenway Trail, Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459. (ENGISH ONLY)
TUESDAY November 21, 2017
10:00AM – 3:00PM Downtown Branch – West Florida Public Library, 239 N. Spring Street, Pensacola, FL 32502. (ENGLISH ONLY)
12:00PM – 6:00PM Freeport Public Library, 75 US Highway 20 West, Freeport, FL 32439 BY APPOINTMENT ONLY. CALL 1-877-553-7453 (ENGLISH ONLY)
12:00PM – 6:00PM Fort Walton Beach Public Library, 185 Miracle Strip Parkway, SE, Fort Walton Beach, FL 32548. (ENGLISH/SPANISH)
WEDNESDAY November 22, 2017
9:00AM – 2:00PM Niceville Public Library, 206 North Partin Drive, Niceville, FL 32578. BY APPOINTMENT ONLY. CALL 1-877-553-7453. (ENGLISH ONLY)
SATURDAY November 25, 2017
10:00AM – 4:00PM Downtown Branch – West Florida Public Library, 239 N. Spring Street, Pensacola, FL 32502. (ENGLISH/SPANISH)
MIAMI DADE COUNTY
MONDAY November 20, 2017
9:30AM – 4:00PM Epilepsy Foundation of Florida, Miami Office, 7300 N. Kendall Drive, Suite 760, Miami, FL 33156 (ENGLISH/SPANISH)
12:30PM – 5:00PM Perrine Community Action Center, 17801 Homestead Avenue, Miami, FL 33161 (ENGLISH ONLY)
2:00PM – 8:00PM Kendall Regional Medical Center, Admitting/Receiving, 11750 SW 40th Street, Miami, FL 33175 (ENGLISH/SPANISH)
TUESDAY November 21, 2017
9:30AM – 4:00PM Epilepsy Foundation of Florida, Miami Office, 7300 N. Kendall Drive, Suite 760, Miami, FL 33156 (ENGLISH/SPANISH)
9:00AM – 12:00PM and 1:00PM – 6:00PM Sant La Haitian Community Neighborhood Center, Inc., 13390 West Dixie Highway. FL 33161 (ENGLISH/CREOLE)
11:00AM – 3:00PM Nanay Community Center, 659 NE 125th Street, North Miami, FL 33161 (ENGLISH/SPANISH). TRANSLATION SERVICES ALSO AVAILABLE FOR MULTIPLE LANGUAGES
2:00PM – 8:00PM Kendall Regional Medical Center, Admitting/Receiving, 11750 SW 40th Street, Miami, FL 33175 (ENGLISH/SPANISH)
3:00PM – 9:00PPM Miami Dade College North Campus, New Student Center Room 1173-06, 11380 NW 27th Avenue, Miami, FL 33167 (ENGLISH ONLY)
4:30PM – 8:00PM Aventura Hospital & Medical Center, Admitting Area, Office 1, 20900 Biscayne Blvd., Aventura, FL 33180 (ENGLISH/SPANISH)
WEDNESDAY, November 22, 2017
9:30AM – 4:00PM Epilepsy Foundation of Florida, Miami Office, 7300 N. Kendall Drive, Suite 760, Miami, FL 33156 (ENGLISH/SPANISH)
9:00AM – 5:00PM Branches – CFS North Lakeview, 11500 NW 12th Avenue, Miami, FL 33168 (ENGLISH/SPANISH/CREOLE)
1:00PM – 8:00PM West Kendall Regional Baptist Hospital, First Impressions, 9555 SW 162nd Avenue, Miami, FL 33196 (ENGLISH/SPANISH)
2:00PM – 8:00PM Kendall Regional Medical Center, Admitting/Receiving, 11750 SW 40th Street, Miami, FL 33175 (ENGLISH/SPANISH)
FRIDAY November 24, 2017
2:00PM – 8:00PM Kendall Regional Medical Center, Admitting/Receiving, 11750 SW 40th Street, Miami, FL 33175 (ENGLISH/SPANISH)
SATURDAY November 25, 2017
9:00AM – 4:00PM Kendall Regional Medical Center, Admitting/Receiving, 11750 SW 40th Street, Miami, FL 33175 (ENGLISH/SPANISH)
9:00AM – 4:00PM West Kendall Regional Baptist Hospital, First Impressions, 9555 SW 162nd Avenue, Miami, FL 33196 (ENGILSH/SPANISH)
PALM BEACH COUNTY
MONDAY November 20, 2017
6:00PM – 9:00PM Epilepsy Foundation of Florida, West Palm Beach Office, 3222 Commerce Place, Suite B, West Palm Beach, FL 33407 (ENGLISH/SPANISH)
10:00AM – 4:00PM Palm Beach County Library, Belle Glade Branch, 725 NW 4th Street, Belle Glade, FL 33430 (ENGLISH ONLY)
9:00AM – 12:00PM and 1:00PM – 5:00PM Jamroc, 256 SW Avenue B Place, Belle Glade, FL 33430 (ENGLISH/CREOLE)
WEDNESDAY November 22, 2017
6:00PM – 9:00PM Epilepsy Foundation of Florida, West Palm Beach Office, 3222 Commerce Place, Suite B, West Palm Beach, FL 33407 (ENGLISH/SPANISH)
SATURDAY November 25, 2017
9:00AM – 12:00PM and 1:00PM – 5:00PM Epilepsy Foundation of Florida, West Palm Beach Office, 3222 Commerce Place, Suite B, West Palm Beach, FL 33407 (ENGLISH/SPANISH)
10:00AM – 4:00PM Palm Beach County Library – Belle Glade, 725 NW 4th Street, Belle Glade, FL 33430 BY APPOINTMENT ONLY. CALL 1-877-553-7453 (ENGLISH)
9:00AM – 12:00PM and 1:00PM – 5:00PM Jamroc, 256 SW Avenue B Place, Belle Glade, FL 33430. BY APPOINTMENT ONLY. CALL 1-877-553-7453 (ENGLISH/CREOLE)
9:00AM – 12:00PM and 1:00PM – 5:00PM Pinecrest Rehabilitation Hospital at the Delray Beach Medical Center, 5352 Linton Blvd., Delray Beach, FL 33484 (follow signs to Navigator; office to the left of the desk). (ENGLISH/SPANISH)
10:00AM – 5:00PM Pompey Park Community Center, 1101 NW 2nd Street, Delray Beach, FL 33444 (ENGLISH ONLY)
Attorney General Pam Bondi is reminding consumers who rented a car from Avis, Budget or Payless between Jan. 1, 2010 to July 10, 2017 and were charged for e-Toll services to file a claim before the January deadline. The deadline to submit a claim is Jan. 7, 2018. Refund checks will be mailed in March 2018 to eligible claimants wrongfully charged for e-Toll services.
For more information about the claims process and to access the claim form, click here. In July this year, Attorney General Bondi’s Office reached a settlement with Avis Budget Car Rental System, LLC, which owns Avis, Budget and Payless. The settlement resolves allegations related to the rental car companies’ practices involving add-on fees for cashless tolls in Florida and other related add-on charges. As part of the settlement, the three companies are required to provide refunds to any consumers charged for e-Toll without sufficient disclosures, who have not already been reimbursed and who file a claim for a refund. For more information about the settlement, click here.
Prominent civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who gained national recognition representing the families of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Tamir Rice, and other victims of gun violence, is starring in a new six-part television series, “Who Killed Tupac?”
“Who Killed Tupac?” follows Crump and a team of investigators as he conducts, for the first time ever, a no-stone-unturned investigation 20 years after Shakur’s death. The series promises to bring to light confidential, exclusive documents, interviews, and information that will be used to both support and discredit some of the key theories that have surrounded the unsolved murder over the past two decades.
Crump will provide his own personal and legal analysis, based on the facts, to either corroborate or disprove those theories. He works closely with Mopreme Shakur, Tupac’s brother, over the course of the investigative series. The limited series investigates the 1996 murder of the prolific and controversial rapper and actor. It premieres on Tuesday, Nov. 21, at 9 p.m. ET/PT on the A&E Network.
“Tupac’s influence on society is still felt today, and the public is still keenly interested in finding out what really happened to him,” Crump said. “Some truly fascinating discoveries will be revealed each week.”
Crump will host a viewing party, which will be held at Xen Lounge in Studio City on Tuesday, November 21, from 7-9 p.m. PT and is open to the public.
Governor Rick Scott today attended the ribbon cutting ceremony for the L-8 Flow Equalization Basin, a major restoration project completed as part of the Governor’s $880 million Everglades water quality plan. Since Governor Scott has been in office, more than $1.8 billion has been invested by the State of Florida in restoring the Everglades.
To continue protecting Florida’s world-class beaches, award-winning and nationally acclaimed state parks, renowned springs and iconic Everglades, Governor Scott’s Securing Florida’s Future budget proposes more than $3.8 billion, including a record $355 million for the following Everglades restoration related projects:
The “right to a clean and healthy environment” proposed amendment to the Florida Constitution, drafted by Stetson University professors Clay Henderson and Lance Long, is one of only six out of 2,000 public proposed amendments advanced for further consideration by the Florida Constitution Revision Commission. The proposed amendment will be considered by the Florida CRC Judiciary Committee in Tallahassee on Nov. 28.
The “right to a clean and healthy environment” proposal or P23, sponsored by Commissioner Jacqui Thurlow-Lippisch, would amend the Florida Constitution to provide that “the natural resources of the state are the legacy of present and future generations” and “every person has a right to a clean and healthful environment, including clean air and water.”
Henderson, executive director of Stetson University’s Institute for Water and Environmental Resilience, proposed the right to a clean environment at a public hearing in Jacksonville earlier this year.
“Floridians have demonstrated time and again that protection of the environment is a fundamental value that should rise to a constitutional level of protection,” Henderson said.
“The proposed amendment provides Florida citizens with a constitutionally enforceable right to a clean and healthful environment,” said Long. “It does not create an independent right to bring legal action, but it does set a standard applicable to any action by a private or public party.” Long teaches legal research and writing, and environmental law and environmental advocacy at Stetson University College of Law in Gulfport, where he also serves as faculty adviser to the Go Green Committee on campus.
The proposal was drafted by a small group of environmental lawyers including Henderson and Long. Stetson law student Kai Su helped prepare the proposed amendment by researching similar provisions in other states. The proposed amendment was presented by Executive Director of Conservation Trust for Florida Traci Deen.
The Institute for Water and Environmental Resilience at Stetson University in DeLand focuses on water and environmental research in order to offer policy options to protect natural resources in Central Florida and beyond, combining student and faculty research across all university colleges – in partnership with other institutions and community stakeholders.
