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Staff ReportsMay 5, 2017

On Friday, the scheduled last day of the 2017 legislative session, the Florida Senate confirmed Gov. Rick Scott‘s picks to run the state’s health care agencies. The Senate approved Justin Senior to head the Agency for Health Care Administration and Celeste Philip to lead the Department of Health as Florida’s Surgeon General. The Florida Medical […]

Scott PowersMay 3, 2017

Rick Scott is declaring a public health emergency across Florida due to the epidemic of heroin and other opioids abuse, addiction, and overdose deaths wracking the Sunshine State. While the governor signed an executive order Wednesday following action by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which declared a national opioid epidemic, it comes months after […]

Florence SnyderMay 1, 2017

This afternoon, The Rick Scott and Pam Bondi Opioid Listening Tour opens in West Palm Beach. Scott and Bondi won’t be there, but People with Big Titles and No Power will. Scott, who used to run hospitals for a living, thinks that mosquitoes carrying Zika are a public health emergency, even as Floridians and medical […]

Florence SnyderApril 17, 2017

One hour isn’t much time for a Senate subcommittee “confirmation hearing” on the heads of the agencies as important to “health and human services” as the Department of Health and the Agency for Health Care Administration. But that’s what Health and Human Services Subcommittee Chair Anitere Flores allotted, and not one second longer. So, you’d think […]

Florence SnyderMarch 20, 2017

Lola Pouncey, a Florida Department of Health (DOH) “bureau chief” making $90,000 a year in “medical quality assurance,” set up a jewelry store in her state office. She commandeered state workers, state time, and state property in her for-profit business, according to the agency’s inspector general (IG), whose findings were available to DOH Secretary Celeste Philip […]

Peter SchorschMarch 20, 2017

Nearly 200 job seekers will be able to wear a new-to-them suit as they hunt for employment, thanks to a clothing donation drive put on by ridesharing company Uber and Volunteer Florida Wednesday. The second annual “#SuitsForSession” campaign collected professional clothing donations at the Capitol and also sent out Uber drivers to pick up donations […]

Michael MolineFebruary 1, 2017

Gov. Rick Scott announced 34 grant awards Wednesday to research Zika virus and seek a vaccine. He said the money, from $25 million in state funds Scott earmarked in September, would pay for efforts to develop a vaccine, understand and mitigate Zika’s effects on children, and research testing methods. “While we are currently in winter months […]

Jenna Buzzacco-FoersterJanuary 6, 2017

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The Florida Department of Health has issued a final order rejecting a Northeast Florida nursery’s request for a licenses to grow and distribute medical marijuana, four months after an administrative law judge said the nursery failed to show it should have been approved. On Thursday, Surgeon General Celeste Philip issued a final order denying Loop’s […]

Jim RosicaNovember 28, 2016

Budget whiz Michele Tallent has become the Florida Department of Health‘s full-time deputy secretary for administrative services after acting as interim since January. The department announced the move in a Monday press release. “Her years of service and extensive experience with finance and management will help ensure the department’s capacity to provide essential public health services,” […]

Keith MorelliJuly 7, 2016

As the number of Zika cases in Florida mounts — 11 new cases were reported Wednesday, including one in Hillsborough County — state health officials have launched a campaign to educate children on the dangers of the virus and enlist their help in stemming the spread of disease-toting mosquitoes. The Florida Department of Health’s “Spill the […]

Tag: Celeste Philip

Senate confirms Justin Senior, Celeste Philip

Rick Scott declares opioid emergency in Florida

Florence Snyder: Florida’s opioid crisis, Part 6; Opioid Kabuki Theater opens today in West Palm Beach

Florence Snyder: Florida’s opioid crisis, Part 5 – Hey Florida, talk to the hand!

Florence Snyder: What does it take to get fired at DOH?

#SuitsForSession clothing drive brings in more than 3,000 donations

Rick Scott announces grants to research and combat Zika virus

DOH issues final order denying Loop’s Nuersery medical marijuana license

Personnel note: Michele Tallent becomes deputy secretary at Department of Health

Latest in Zika battle: Enlist kids to ‘Spill the Water’