Author: Dorron Blumberg

 

WASHINGTON, May 11, 2020 – The Federal Communications Commission today granted GE Healthcare’s request for a waiver to allow the importation, marketing, and operation of certain GE medical devices from new suppliers for use in healthcare facilities.  The COVID-19 pandemic has caused an unprecedented strain on our nation’s healthcare system.  The action taken by the Commission today will enable GE Healthcare to overcome disruptions in the medical device supply chain as it addresses the surge in demand for critical medical equipment.  Without the waiver, many of GE’s devices that are sourced from new suppliers or that contain new components would have required prior FCC equipment certification, which would delay GE’s ability to provide medical facilities with the equipment needed to treat patients. 
 

 

May 9 2020 – The Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade County (DOH-Miami-Dade) is under a mosquito-borne illness alert. A case of West Nile virus infection of local transmission has been confirmed in a Miami-Dade resident. This is the first local case of West Nile virus in 2020. 

 

West Nile virus (WNV) is the leading cause of mosquito-borne disease in the continental United States.  It is most commonly spread to people by the bite of an infected mosquito. There are no vaccines to prevent or medications to treat WNV in people.
 

May 8, 2020 – South Florida Institute on Aging (SoFIA), a non-profit dedicated to bettering the socio-economic lives of South Florida’s aging community, has announced the appointment of Lynn Brewer as interim president and chief executive officer.  Brewer, who became board chair of SoFIA in 2018 after serving as board vice chair, has been instrumental in leading SoFIA’s expansion and developing the organization’s new mission, vision and strategic direction.