Welcome back to Diagnosis, a vertical that focuses on the crossroads of health care policy and politics.
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— Florida remains a leader in hospice care —
Florida TaxWatch has released a new report showing the state ranks among the Top 10 nationally in delivering hospice services, according to the latest data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
The watchdog group credits Florida’s hospice Certificate of Need (CON) program, which regulates expansion to ensure quality and sustainability. Florida ranked sixth nationwide in the Hospice and Palliative Care Composite Process Measure (95.9%) and tied for second in the Hospice Care Index Overall Score (9.7).
Dominic Calabro, Florida TaxWatch president and CEO, said palliative care “can be implemented earlier in the disease management process, helping improve quality of life and reduce costs for patients and taxpayers alike.”
Executive Vice President Jeff Kottkamp added that while Florida’s programs improve outcomes, “sufficient levels of palliative care are unavailable in more than one-half of Florida counties,” urging lawmakers to preserve the CON program.
The report, “Hospice and Palliative Care: Florida is a National Leader Among the States Looked to for Best Practices in Compassionate Care[1],” notes that Florida is witnessing a shift toward community and home-based palliative care, which boosts patient satisfaction and lowers costs. It calls for a stronger regulatory framework to define palliative care services, set standards, and establish payment sources.
TaxWatch also recommends expanding the role of advanced practice registered nurses, funding Medicaid pilot projects to transition patients into hospice earlier and retaining the CON program to maintain high-quality care while preventing fraud.
The group warns that repealing CON could lead to a surge of low-quality providers, citing the instances of fraud and instability seen in states without such oversight.
— Florida faces nursing shortages —
The Florida Center for Nursing (FCN), based at the University of South Florida, has released a sweeping report[2] projecting health care workforce trends through 2037 — and the results show looming gaps, especially in nursing.
The Florida Workforce Projections 2022–2037 analyzes supply and demand for physicians, advanced practice providers, nurses, allied health professionals and nursing assistants using data modeled with GlobalData.
Among the key findings: Licensed Practical Nurses face the steepest shortage, with supply expected to decline nearly 1% annually while demand rises 2.3% a year. That imbalance could slash adequacy from 85% in 2022 to just 55% by 2037. Registered Nurses, meanwhile, are projected to remain close to equilibrium statewide (93% adequacy), though shortages are still likely in some regions. Certified Nursing Assistants will swing from surplus to deficit, with statewide shortages beginning as soon as 2026 and severe gaps by 2037.
Rayna Letourneau, FCN’s executive director, said the value of the report lies in capturing both the numbers and the regional disparities. “While the numbers may suggest near-equilibrium for some health care professions, the distribution tells a very different story. This insight is critical to sustaining and strengthening our workforce across all regions of Florida.”
Usha Menon, senior associate vice president at USF Health and dean of the USF College of Nursing, added: “This knowledge will allow us to curate our educational programming to meet the most critical needs in our state.”
With Florida’s rapid growth and aging population, FCN says the data will be key to guiding future education and training strategies.
— ICYMI —
“AdventHealth to build facility at Wyld Oaks[3]” via Sarah Merly of The Apopka Chief — The AdventHealth ER will sit at the corner of exit 38 of SR 429 and W. Kelly Park Road, adjacent to a public park and nature preserve, according to the development plan. WyldOaks first announced the partnership during the ICSC@Florida conference, a gathering of leaders in the mixed-use development industry. Wyld Oaks founder Joseph Beninati said the paperwork was signed on Aug. 22. In an interview, Beninati said the advanced ER at Wyld Oaks may eventually expand into a hospital in a later phase of development. “The appeal of AdventHealth was we share values,” Beninati said. “We share a strong conservative financial posture.” AdventHealth includes 17 hospitals and freestanding ERs, in addition to hundreds of outpatient care centers. U.S. News & World Report has ranked AdventHealth Orlando as the No. 1 hospital in Florida and one of the nation’s 20 best hospitals.
“TGH Transplant Institute: #1 in the nation for organ transplantation[4]” via Chicago Business Journal — In 2024, the TGH Transplant Institute performed 889 transplants, earning the distinction of being the #1 transplant center in the nation by volume, according to data from the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network. These include adult kidney, liver, heart, lung and pancreas transplants — as well as pediatric kidney transplants — making Tampa General one of the few U.S. hospitals to offer all five adult solid organ transplants. In transplant medicine, volume is more than a statistic — it’s a key indicator of success. Higher volumes lead to better outcomes, as teams refine their expertise with every procedure. At Tampa General, this success translates into shorter wait times, higher survival rates and more lives saved.
— RULES —
A proposed rule (59A-3.246) outlining requirements for licensed programs within hospitals was published on Sept. 8. More here[5].
The Department of Health Board of Chiropractic Medicine’s final rule on application for licensure endorsement goes into effect Sept. 15. More here[6].
The Department of Health Board of Opticianry’s final rule on apprenticeship requirements and training programs goes into effect Sept. 9. More here[7].
— PENCIL IT IN —
Sept. 15
Happy birthday to Rep. Mike Caruso!
Sept. 22
Happy birthday to Sen. Jennifer Bradley!
Sept. 25
Happy birthday to Rep. Michele Rayner!
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References
- ^ Hospice and Palliative Care: Florida is a National Leader Among the States Looked to for Best Practices in Compassionate Care (floridataxwatch.org)
- ^ a sweeping report (flcenterfornursing.org)
- ^ AdventHealth to build facility at Wyld Oaks (theapopkachief.com)
- ^ TGH Transplant Institute: #1 in the nation for organ transplantation (www.bizjournals.com)
- ^ More here (flrules.org)
- ^ More here (flrules.org)
- ^ More here (flrules.org)