Drew Dixon
A proposed measure in the House would increase tracking and treatment of blood clots in the state.
Rep. Dean Black, a Jacksonville Republican, has filed the bill (HB 1421) in advance of the Legislative Session, which begins Tuesday. The “Emily Adkins Family Protection Act” would reflect recommendations by the Blood Clot and Pulmonary Embolism Policy Workgroup that was established as a result of the Emily Adkins Prevention Act enacted by the Legislature in 2023.
The measures are named after Emily Adkins, who died following a blood clot that resulted from a broken ankle in 2023.
The new measure proposed by Black, if approved, would established a statewide registry for blood clots, deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism reports in the Department of Health. The proposed registry would serve as a catalog to keep data on demographics such as age, gender and ZIP codes of Floridians who are suffering from blood clots who live independently or in assisted care facilities.
That information would remain private and would be published only for use in medical research or education.
“This bill builds on the work we have done with the Blood Clot and Pulmonary Embolism Workgroup and honors the memory of Emily Adkins,” Black said. “It will save lives in Florida and set an example for other states.”
The bill would also require health facilities that provide emergency rooms, orthopedic care, pregnancy services or cancer treatment to screen people for blood clots, pulmonary embolisms and deep vein thrombosis when treating those patients.
The bill would require medical staff In those facilities to be trained in recognizing the conditions contributing to blood clots and provide treatment and follow-up care within two months of being discharged from those facilities, and in particular after undergoing pelvic surgery.
