Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Jim RosicaApril 7, 2016

Jennifer Tschetter, an attorney who was most recently Chief Operating Officer of the Florida Department of Health, is joining Tallahassee’s Hopping Green & Sams law firm to specialize in “health care law matters,” the firm announced in a press release. Tschetter leaves the department after state Surgeon General John Armstrong was forced out of his job. The Florida Senate […]

Staff ReportsMarch 31, 2016

Floridians now have an online tool to report unlicensed health care providers, fraud, health violations and more. The Department of Health is providing a “new and improved” health care complaint portal, www.flhealthcomplaint.gov, developed with the Agency for Health Care Administration. “The enhanced portal serves as an example of successful collaboration between the Department and other entities across the state to ensure […]

Staff ReportsMarch 28, 2016

The Florida Department of Health is pushing back on a report by the Tampa Bay Times this past weekend that says health department had removed hundreds of HIV cases from the books. The newspaper found that the department’s division of disease control lowered the number of HIV cases from 6,147 to 4,613 in 2014. The […]

A.G. GancarskiMarch 11, 2016

Gov. Rick Scott appointed Celeste Philip as Acting Surgeon General on Friday. He also praised outgoing Surgeon General John Armstrong as having done an “outstanding job.” Armstrong was the first state agency head in 20 years to be shown the door after the Senate refused to confirm him by the end of the 2016 Legislative Session. Scott […]

Staff ReportsMarch 9, 2016

Senate President Andy Gardiner on Wednesday all but slammed the door on state Surgeon General John Armstrong‘s chances of getting confirmed this session. That would make him the first state agency head in two decades to be rejected by the Senate. Asked whether a vote on Armstrong’s confirmation would come to the Senate floor, the Orlando Republican told […]

Jim RosicaMarch 7, 2016

The same week that the Senate confirmation chances of its secretary – Surgeon General John Armstrong – continue dangling by a thread, the Florida Department of Health issued a news release in advance of an upcoming HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. Armstrong has been criticized for, among other things, the state’s overall growing rate of HIV/AIDS. Thursday is the 11th […]

Jim RosicaFebruary 29, 2016

The Rick Scott-led PR campaign to confirm Dr. John Armstrong as the state’s surgeon general and Secretary of Health continues apace. As of Monday, Scott’s press shop and that of the Health Department had sent out at least 20 ICYMI emails (“in case you missed it”), with a different individual or organization encouraging the Florida Senate to confirm […]

Diane RobertsFebruary 15, 2016

Sunday was Valentine’s Day. And what did those sweethearts in the Legislature give to the ladies of Florida? A swift kick in the ovaries. Rep. Charles Van Zant’s HB 865 would shut down all abortion clinics, urge the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade, and make abortion a felony. Zygotes are citizens, too. […]

Jim RosicaFebruary 5, 2016

Beginning next Monday, Florida Surgeon General John Armstrong will issue a 2 p.m. daily update on the status of the Zika virus in the state. The weekday updates will include a count of CDC-confirmed Zika cases by county and “information to better keep Floridians prepared,” according to a Department of Health news release issued Friday. Miami-Dade County leads the […]

Associated PressFebruary 4, 2016

Florida Gov. Rick Scott says the state has three new cases of Zika and he’s adding a fifth county to his health emergency declaration. Scott said Thursday at a news conference in Tampa that the 12 cases in Florida are all from people who became infected with the mosquito-borne virus when they traveled to other […]

Tag: Florida Department of Health

Jennifer Tschetter leaves Health Department for Hopping Green

State of Florida launches “health care complaint portal”

Health department responds to Tampa Bay Times report on changes to HIV stats

Rick Scott appoints Celeste Philip Acting Surgeon General, lauds outgoing John Armstrong

The latest: John Armstrong likely out at Health

John Armstrong burnishes anti-HIV cred amid confirmation doubts

PR campaign for John Armstrong confirmation in high gear

Diane Roberts: Legislators celebrate Valentine’s Day by working to limit women’s options

Zika virus spurs daily updates from Florida’s top doc

Florida, vulnerable to Zika virus, gets ready for fight