As of February 26, 2021:
 
SB 54:  Waiting to be scheduled with the Rules Committee after it successfully passed the Banking & Insurance and Judiciary Committees.   
 
SB 420: Referred to the Banking & Insurance, Judiciary and Rules Committees.  
 
HB 719: Currently in the Civil Justice & Property Rights Subcommittee. Afterwards, HB 719 would be sent to Insurance & Banking Committee and Judiciary Committee.   
 
HB 420: Currently in the Insurance & Banking Subcommittee. Afterwards, HB 420 would be sent to the Commerce Committee.   
 
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New aortic aneurysm center provides life-saving cardiac treatment when every second counts
 
MARCH 2, 2021 – Mercy Hospital, an industry leading, acute care hospital that has been providing high quality services in South Florida for more than 60 years, is excited to announce that it has launched a groundbreaking Aortic Emergency Center that will provide urgent vascular treatment for all aspects and stages of aortic aneurysms, a weakened area in the major blood vessel that feeds blood to the body (aorta).  Aneurysm ruptures or dissections can be fatal if not treated immediately. 
 
Mercy Hospital’s Aortic Emergency Center can be reached 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by calling (866) MIAORTA or (866) 642-6782
 
“We are making significant investments in Mercy Hospital’s cardiovascular programs in order to provide comprehensive care for all aortic diseases,” said David Donaldson, CEO of Mercy Hospital. “This new center enables us to offer pioneering medical and surgical solutions to our most urgent heart patients in a time frame that will save lives.”
 
The Aortic Emergency Center at Mercy Hospital is led by Dr. Allan Stewart, one of the country’s leading experts on multi-disciplinary, innovative solutions to treat aneurysms throughout the aorta.  Dr. Stewart and his team have deep expertise and experience with minimally invasive surgical procedures that can repair or replace patients’ aortic valves with small incisions that do not require the opening of the breast bone at all. 
 
“Aortic complications are a leading cause of death and disability in both men and women,” said Dr. Allan Stewart, Head of Cardiovascular Surgery Programs at Mercy Hospital. “Our team at Mercy Hospital offers a depth and breadth of surgical experience that is unparalleled in South Florida. We tailor every treatment plan to the individual patient as our goal is always to create life-long solutions to aortic disease.”
 
The team at the Aortic Emergency Center begins their assessment of patients by enrollment in the Aortic Surveillance Program. The surveillance focuses not only on the individual patient, but also on the search for genetic causes of the disease process. This stringent program for patients with thoracic aortic aneurysms and dissections carefully monitors changes in the size of the aneurysm in order to provide the most effective, customized treatment possible. 
 
The Aortic Emergency Center’s extensive, confidential database benefits patients by using the vast amount of information and research collected to identify risks, common complications and aneurysm growth expectations – all of which lead to better patient care and improved outcomes.
 
 
 
 
About Mercy Hospital
Mercy Hospital is a comprehensive medical facility that has been serving the healthcare needs of South Florida for more than 60 years. The 488-bed, acute care hospital is an award-winning facility that specializes in emergency services that are kid and senior friendly, maternity with level III NICU, general and robotic surgery, hyperbaric and wound care center, cardiology, cancer care, orthopedic and spine, primary stroke center, weight loss center and more. Sponsored by the Sisters of St. Joseph and an HCA Healthcare affiliate, Mercy is Miami-Dade’s only catholic hospital and provides patients with the best quality care in a compassionate and caring environment. Affiliated with over 1,000 physicians, Mercy’s Centers of Excellence include: The Heart Center, the Maternity and Women’s Health Center, the Minimally Invasive and Robotic Surgery Institute, the Orthopedics & Spine Institute, the Miami Cancer Center and the Behavioral Health Center. Mercy Hospital is located in the heart of Coconut Grove, FL with a bay front property that makes Mercy the only hospital in Miami to be accessible by land, air and sea. For more information on Mercy Hospital, visit mercymiami.com, follow us on Instagram @mercyhospitalmiami and like us on facebook.com/MercyHospitalMiami/
 
Mercy Hospital is part of HCA East Florida. HCA East Florida is the largest healthcare system in Eastern Florida and an affiliate of HCA Healthcare. HCA East Florida has 14 hospitals, multiple ambulatory surgery centers, physician practices and free standing emergency care facilities, as well as a supply chain center and an integrated regional lab. Together, HCA East Florida employs more than 18,000 employees and has nearly 7,000 physicians on staff. For more information, visit HCAEastFlorida.com.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


March 2, 2021 – The Florida Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (FCAAP), an organization that promotes the health and welfare of Florida’s children and supports pediatricians and pediatric specialists as the best qualified provider of their healthcare, has launched a statewide public service announcement to raise awareness on the benefits and importance of children’s routine vaccinations. 
 
“Skipping or delaying annual immunizations raises the risk of children catching preventable diseases, especially during the pandemic,” said Dr. Lisa Gwynn, President of the Florida Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics and Associate Professor, Clinical Pediatrics and Public Health Sciences at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. “We want to encourage parents and the community to ensure children’s routine vaccinations remain a priority to help them stay healthy, safe and save lives.”
 
The Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommend children continue to receive routine vaccinations during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020 alone, there was a 26 percent decrease in vaccine doses, and 40 percent of parents said children missed shots due to COVID-19, according to recent data released by the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association.
 
Families without vaccine insurance coverage may be eligible for vaccines at reduced or no cost through the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program. To learn about the Florida VFC program, visit www.floridahealth.gov and to find a pediatrician, visit www.fcaap.org/parents. 
 
 
 
About FCAAP
Through its more than 2,400 members, the Florida Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics promotes the health & welfare of Florida’s children and supports pediatricians & pediatric specialists as the best qualified providers of their healthcare. Learn more by visiting www.fcaap.org. 
 


By: Nick Silverio, Founder A Safe Haven for Newborns
 
March 2, 2021 – On March 20, 2021 at 7PM, A Safe Haven for Newborns will hold its first telethon hosted by Emmy-nominated, multimedia journalist and CBS4 News co-anchor, Lauren Pastrana. The telethon will be live-streamed and will be rebroadcast on television and radio. We would like to invite you to tune in for this one-hour event that will touch your heart.
 
The Gloria M. Silverio Foundation, 501 (c) 3 – A Safe Haven for Newborns, was created in 2001 in response to the tragedy of newborn abandonment in Florida. We support distressed pregnant girls and women from all walks of life in their moment of crisis as they make decisions that are in the best interest of their baby and themselves. We are a member of GuideStar®, an organization that gathers and distributes information on nonprofits and were featured on CNN, EWTN and People Magazine.
 
The telethon will enable A Safe Haven for Newborns to continue its life-saving mission. We provide help and guidance; such as referrals to counseling agencies, shelters, parenting, health-related issues, basic necessities, adoption, or confidentially placing the newborn in a safe haven location. The lifeline of a Safe Haven for Newborns is our 24/7 multilingual, confidential helpline.
 
Everyone is assisted. We do not charge for any of our services. 
 
We hope you tune in on March 20th, 2021 at 7pm; for more information about the work being carried out and the life-changing support we offer, please visit our webpage at www.asafehavenfornewborns.com. We will send you the link invitation soon.Please ask your friends, business associates, and family members to join the telethon and for them to share it as well. Hoping you will join us on Saturday, March 20th.
 
We are the voice for these vulnerable, precious children. 
We believed from the beginning, if we saved only one life, all of our efforts would truly be worthwhile.
 
 
 
 


March 2, 2021 – Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital welcomes board-certified pulmonary and sleep medicine specialist Andres Santiago Endara-Bravo, MD. Dr. Endara will also serve as the Director of the Indian River Hospital Sleep Center.
 
Dr. Endara is now accepting new patients at Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital’s Health & Wellness Center, located at 3450 11th Ct., Ste 306 in Vero Beach. To schedule an appointment, call 772.794.5800. 
 
Dr. Endara earned his doctorate of medicine from The Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador. He completed additional training in pulmonary and critical care medicine at Tulane University Hospital in New Orleans, and sleep medicine at University of Miami.
 
Dr. Endara is board-certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine, American Board of Pulmonary Diseases and American Board of Sleep Medicine.
 
Prior to joining Indian River Hospital, Dr. Endara served as a pulmonary/sleep medicine/critical care physician in North Carolina and in Mississippi. He also currently serves in the United States Army Reserve.
 
About Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital
Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital is a 332-bed, not for profit hospital offering comprehensive medical services to the Treasure Coast community. The Welsh Heart Center, Scully-Welsh Cancer Center and Scully Endoscopy Center offer full-service programs and a multidisciplinary approach. Healthcare professionals represent specialties including orthopaedic services, minimally invasive vascular surgery, neurosurgery, stroke services, robotic surgery, a state-of-the-art wound healing center, bariatric surgery and the only maternity wing in the community. The hospital features all private rooms and is the largest private-sector employer in Indian River County. Learn more at clevelandclinicindianriverhospital.com.