Diagnosis for 5.12.25: Checking the pulse of Florida health care news and policy

Welcome back to Diagnosis, a vertical that focuses on the crossroads of health care policy and politics.

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— Heart bill to Gov —

The American Heart Association says a bill ready for Gov. Ron DeSantis’ signature will save lives.

Last year, then-senior Ansel Lantigua was at school, running in track practice, when his heart stopped. He survived thanks to the quick actions of his track coach, Lauren Palek, and assistant principal, Scott Hazlett, who both knew to call 911, start CPR, and use an AED.

Thanks to HB 1607, students, staff, and visitors at every Florida school will have the same access to immediate care in a cardiac emergency. The legislation will ensure that every public school in Florida has an automated external defibrillator (AED) on-site and a cardiac emergency response plan in place with staff trained to act in a cardiac emergency.

“This legislation will save lives, and we are grateful to Sen. Corey Simon and Reps. Taylor Yarkosky and Alex Rizo for championing it,” said Tiffany McCaskill Henderson, the American Heart Association’s Florida Government Relations Director.

“Many Floridians with personal stories of surviving cardiac arrest advocated alongside us to educate legislators on the importance of this bill, and Florida’s legislators listened.”

More than 356,000 people experience cardiac arrest outside of a hospital in the United States each year. Currently, 10% of those people will survive. Hands-Only CPR, if performed immediately, can double or triple a person’s chance of survival.

In schools with AEDs, approximately 70% of children survive cardiac arrest – that’s seven times the overall survival rate.

HB 1607 passed unanimously in the House and Senate. It now awaits the Governor’s signature.

— Preview of Chamber conference —

The Florida Chamber Leadership Cabinet’s 5th Annual Leadership Conference on Safety, Health, and Sustainability returns Thursday and Friday. It will offer an all-new, hands-on experience for professionals committed to making Florida the safest, healthiest, and most sustainable state in the nation.

The event features world-class keynotes, immersive cohort training, and the debut of Florida Pitch Tank with the Sharks. During this live, high-stakes session, participants pitch workplace health, safety, and sustainability ideas to Shark Tank’s Daymond John, author Matt Higgins, and a panel of C-suite leaders.

Marking a yearlong commitment to leadership development, the Chamber will also launch Florida Chamber EHS Connect — a digital platform offering webinars, peer networking, and exclusive on-demand training from national EHS experts.

In another first, the conference will trade traditional breakouts for competitive, team-based leadership challenges led by Victory Strategies, designed to foster innovation in mental health, safety culture, and sustainability.

Other headliners include Carey Lohrenz, the first female U.S. Navy fighter pilot, and Christopher Marr, a decorated Australian Special Forces veteran and health care leader.

Attendees will also be eligible to win premium prizes such as Disney vacations and Carnival cruises.

Kicking off the week, a free Mental Health Resilience Workshop for first responders, veterans, and law enforcement will take place on Wednesday. The workshop will offer vital tools to manage trauma and support well-being.

“This is more than a conference — it’s a movement,” said Katie Yeutter, President of the Florida Chamber Leadership Cabinet. “We’re building the infrastructure Florida needs to lead the nation.” Chair John Trevathan added, “This empowers professionals to lead where it matters most — in their companies, communities, and industries.”

— Roster —

Tampa General Hospital is strengthening its cancer care and research for women by appointing board-certified gynecologic oncologist Dr. Vaagn Andikyan to the TGH Cancer Institute as the director of the Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy (HIPEC) program. HIPEC employs heated chemotherapy drugs to directly target cancers that have spread into the abdomen.

Formerly on the faculty of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Yale School of Medicine, Andikyan joined the TGH Cancer Institute and the faculty at the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology at USF Health Morsani College of Medicine as an associate professor. He specializes in diagnosing and treating cancers of the female reproductive system, including pioneering innovative treatments for ovarian cancer.

“Dr. Andikyan came to us with an accomplished academic career in clinical research and in the education and mentorship of medical students, obstetric gynecology residents, and gynecologic oncology fellows,” said Dr. Eduardo M. Sotomayor, vice president and executive director, TGH Cancer Institute. “He is a prolific researcher, focusing on improving surgical outcomes and oncofertility (helping cancer patients and survivors protect their reproductive potential), which adds to the depth and breadth of our gynecologic oncology multidisciplinary team.”

While director of the Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy program at Yale, Andikyan introduced innovative treatments for ovarian cancer that improved survival rates and patient recovery. He also played an essential role in implementing Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocols, significantly enriching patients’ quality of life.

“As an expert in HIPEC, Dr. Andikyan will enhance our care for women experiencing ovarian cancer,” said Dr. Thomas J. Rutherford, medical director, TGH Cancer Institute and director of the Division of Gynecology Oncology, USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. “We are focused on continuously moving forward and increasing the quality of cancer care for each patient. Dr. Andikyan is an integral part of this goal.”

— ICYMI —

“GOP targets a Medicaid loophole used by 49 states to grab federal money” via Margot Sanger-Katz and Sarah Kliff of The New York Times — What started as creative budgeting in New England has, over four decades, snowballed into a mainstay of financing Medicaid, the insurance program for people with low incomes that covers 72 million Americans. Every state but Alaska has at least one such tax. In some states, provider taxes and related payments bring in more than a third of overall federal funding for the program. Long after these taxes have become entrenched, congressional Republicans are now considering curtailing or ending them as one way to achieve the steep federal spending reductions proposed in the House budget. If they did, it would save the federal government about $600 billion over the next decade, a large chunk of the $880 billion in cuts that the House committee that oversees Medicaid has been charged with finding.

“Bills banning toxic chemicals and vaccines in food fail to pass” via Andrew Powell of Florida Politics — A collection of bills that would have required labeling of, or completely banned, certain chemicals and vaccine ingredients put into food products failed to make it through the process this Regular Session. Sen. Joe Gruters sponsored legislation (SB 196) that would have required clear labeling on food that contains vaccines or vaccine materials. The Senate passed the bill unanimously. But the measure fell short in the House and was permanently withdrawn. The bill’s analysis states that regulating drugs and cosmetics is intended to protect public health and welfare by protecting consumers against injuries or merchandising deceit.

“U.S. Health department will analyze data from autistic Medicare, Medicaid enrollees, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says” via Amanda Seitz of The Associated Press — Health Secretary RFK Jr. announced a plan to use medical data and records from people on Medicaid and Medicare to help study autism. However, experts say it’s unlikely to help reveal the condition’s root causes. The program will involve a data sharing agreement between the National Institutes of Health, the government’s health research arm, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which has access to claims data from nearly 150 million Americans nationwide. “We’re using this partnership to uncover the root causes of autism and other chronic diseases,” Kennedy said.

“Donald Trump yanks Janette Nesheiwat’s nomination as Surgeon General” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics — Trump has withdrawn Dr. Nesheiwat’s nomination for Surgeon General, instead naming holistic doctor Dr. Casey Means to the post. The decision followed criticism from influencer Laura Loomer regarding Nesheiwat’s pro-vaccine stance and alleged medical credential issues. Nesheiwat, a Fox News contributor, will now serve in a different HHS capacity under Kennedy Jr. Trump praised Means, author of “Good Energy,” for her “MAHA” (Make America Healthy Again) credentials, stating she’ll work closely with Kennedy to reverse the chronic disease epidemic. Loomer has previously echoed Kennedy’s debunked vaccine-autism theories, signaling a potential shift in the administration’s public health messaging under Means and Kennedy.

“Conservative think tank pushes for enhanced premium tax credit extension” via Peter Schorsch of Florida Politics — Conservative think tank Plymouth Union Public (PUP) Research is urging Congress to extend premium tax credits for Affordable Care Act (ACA) plans, crucial for millions, including over 4.2 million Floridians. Their memo states extending credits is a “free-market policy” that could “save billions if paired with tailored Medicaid reforms.” Failure to extend them, set to expire this year, would drastically increase costs; a Florida family of four earning $64,400 could pay $4,300 more annually. PUP Research warns that with potential Medicaid cuts removing 8.6 million from coverage, not offering alternatives could “spur a public health crisis.” Polling indicates strong bipartisan support for extending these credits.

— Rules —

The Department of Health’s final rule regarding the approval of osteopathic physician office accrediting organizations (64B15-14.0077) takes effect May 22. More here.

The Department of Health’s final rule regarding pharmacy approval of physician office accrediting organizations (64B8-9.0092) takes effect May 22. More here.

The Department of Health’s final rule regarding pharmacy continuing education credits (64B16-26.103) takes effect May 22. More here.

— PENCIL IT IN —

May 16

Happy birthday to Sen. Tom Wright!

May 19

Happy birthday to Sen. Kathleen Passidomo!

May 20

Happy birthday to Sen. Jason Pizzo and Anna Eskamani!

May 23

Happy birthday to Sen. Ana Maria Rodriguez!