Mar. 16--Florida is one of the worst-ranked states in the nation for getting federal money to spend on disease prevention, according to a new report.
The state came in 47th out of 50, receiving about $13.29 per person last year to spend on disease- and injury-prevention programs. Alaska, by comparison, was ranked first with $52.78 a person. Indiana was last with $12.74 for each resident.
The report -- from Trust for America's Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation -- warns that states need to make the most of federal grants to avoid cutting programs focused on obesity and diabetes prevention, food and water safety, and infectious-disease prevention.
"Public-health programs keep disease rates down, which in turn keeps health-care costs down," said Jeff Levi, executive director of Trust for America's Health. "It's going to be hard to get the economy healthy again if our workers and our health-care system are both sick."
The entire report is available at healthyamericans.org.
Little Clinic gets a little bigger
The Little Clinic has opened its eighth Orlando-area location in a Publix supermarket at 2100 Winter Springs Blvd. in Oviedo.
Most major insurers, including Aetna, BlueCross BlueShield of Florida, Cigna, Humana and United Healthcare, cover services dispensed at the clinic. Self-paying patients can expect the average service to cost $69.
The clinic, which provides care for people age 12 months and up, has nurse practitioners and physician assistants on staff. Hours are 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.
More information about the clinic is available at www.thelittleclinic.com.
Health First, Harris join forces
Health First in Brevard County has signed a 10-year agreement with Melbourne-based Harris Corp. to provide network and information-technology services for all of its hospital and related facilities.
The agreement includes software support, hardware support, help desk, training, network security and a 24-hour network operations center. Health First includes Cape Canaveral Hospital, Holmes Regional Medical Center and Palm Bay Hospital.
Find out health of long-term care
The 2007-08 annual report from state advocates for nursing-home residents is now available.
Compiled by the Florida Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program, the report documents more than 7,700 complaints from residents, families and concerned citizens last year. The East Central Florida division of the program, which serves Brevard, Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties, carried out 347 long-term facility inspections and 829 complaint investigations.
"The fact that so many seniors in long-term-care facilities are in need of assistance reflects a situation that deserves more attention," said Farrell Groves, chairman of the program's state council. "We can make Florida a better place to live for our frail elders if we create greater awareness of their rights."
The full report is available at ombudsman.myflorida.com.
Details of novel hip replacement
An orthopedic surgeon at Leesburg Regional Medical Center has performed the hospital's first hip-replacement procedure using an innovative technique designed to minimize pain and recovery time.
Dr. Carl Ollivierre did the surgery, which was performed on a special Hana Hip Arthroplasty Table designed for hip replacement, by approaching the hip joint from the front instead of the back or side. Ollivierre completed the surgery with just one incision.
"When compared to standard total hip replacement, the anterior approach results in considerably less pain and restrictions for the patient, and it produces a more stable hip," Ollivierre said.
Heart of Florida hailed for chest-pain care
Heart of Florida Regional Medical Center has been recognized by a national group for its response to chest-pain patients.
The Davenport hospital received accreditation from the Society for Chest Pain Centers, which evaluates hospitals for their expertise in assessing chest pain, diagnosing patients and treating them quickly.
"By seeking this voluntary accreditation, Heart of Florida, along with our cardiologists, have shown that we are committed to providing the very best cardiac care and to achieving the best possible outcomes," the Polk County hospital said.
Series focuses on varicose veins
South Lake Hospital will focus on varicose veins during its health-and-wellness series this month.
Jason Boardman, a surgeon, will speak about the causes, symptoms and treatment options for varicose veins on March 18 from 6 to 8 p.m. in the National Training Center, South Lake Hospital, 1109 Citrus Tower Blvd., Clermont.
The event is free. To register, call 352-394-4071.
About half of American women and 40 percent to 45 percent of men suffer from some sort of vein problem, according to data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Anika Myers Palm can be reached at apalm@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5022. Robyn Shelton can be reached at 407-420-5487 or rshelton@orlandosentinel.com.
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