Staff Reports
Last Call — A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida politics.
First Shot
The Florida Medical Association (FMA) has a new president.
Douglas R. Murphy Jr., MD was installed as 145th president of the FMA on Saturday. He is a practicing ob-gyn who has administered care for the Ocala community at a private practice for almost 40 years.
“Congratulations to Dr. Murphy as he leads our more than 25,000 members of the Florida Medical Association through these unprecedented times. As a longtime member of the FMA and a practicing physician, he is well prepared to represent our public policy and political efforts as we continue to serve as Florida’s strong and unwavering voice of medicine,” FMA CEO Tim Stapleton said in a written statement.
The other FMA officers for 2021-22 were decided. Serving as president-elect next year — he won’t take office until 2022 to 2023 — is Joshua Lenchus, DO who practices internal medicine in Fort Lauderdale.
Jason Goldman, MD will be the FMA vice president. He works in internal medicine in Pompano Beach.
The group’s secretary will be Lisa Cosgrove, MD. She works in pediatrics in Merritt Island.
Charles Chase, DO will be treasurer. He is an anesthesiologist from Winter Park.
Ashley Norse, MD will serve as speaker. She works in emergency medicine in Jacksonville.
Mark Rubenstein, MD is vice speaker. He works in physiatry in Jupiter.
Michael Patete, MD will stay on in his role as immediate past president. He works in otolaryngology in Venice.
At the meeting members of the FMA also passed a resolution supporting COVID-19 vaccinations for health care practitioners.
“The Florida Medical Association further renewed its commitment in combating COVID-19 — and its variant — as we work tirelessly to educate Florida patients on the lifesaving benefit of getting vaccinated. Physicians continue to see daily upticks in coronavirus cases in younger, unvaccinated patients, which is why it is even more important for all health care practitioners and medical support staff to receive the vaccine. FMA members have been at the front lines of this pandemic, and we must not allow COVID cases to reach 2020 levels,” Murphy said.
Evening Reads
“The anti-vaccine con job is becoming untenable” via Brooke Harrington of The Atlantic
“Where a vast global vaccination program went wrong” via Benjamin Mueller and Rebecca Robbins of The New York Times
“Can Fox News really be sued for vaccine misinformation?” via Daniel Novak for The Hollywood Reporter
“What empty offices mean for America’s cities — and workers” via Emily Stewart of Vox
“I was part of the July Fourth Provincetown “breakthrough” COVID cluster. It’s been a sobering experience.” via Joel Rozen for Slate
“A brazen scheme? ALEC software giveaway to GOP lawmakers violated FL campaign-finance laws” via Michael Moline of the Florida Phoenix
“Gymnasts say they need apparatus warmups back. That should be enough.” via Dvora Meyers of FiveThirtyEight
“How ‘race-norming’ was built into the NFL concussion settlement” via Will Hobson of The Washington Post
“Big tech companies are at war with employees over remote work” via Samuel Axon of Ars Technica
“Portland can’t find police for unit to fight rising murder rate” via Zusha Elinson of The Wall Street Journal
Quote of the Day
“The Governor should be doing what I’m doing: Promoting vaccines, going across our state having these real conversations with our communities that their numbers are through the roof — especially in our rural communities — not tying the hands of our local governments and our local school boards, who are just trying to do right by their people.” — Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, criticizing Gov. Ron DeSantis’ executive order blocking school mask mandates.
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