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Tag: Health And Medicine

  • Pasco groups awarded funds from opioid settlement money

    Pasco groups awarded funds from opioid settlement money

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    NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. — Pasco County commissioners approved recommendations this week from the county’s opioid task force about how settlement money from lawsuits against the drug industry should be spent to help curb the opioid crisis.

    What You Need To Know

    • Pasco commissioners approved the county’s opioid task force recommendations for allocating opioid settlement money 

    • Nine projects received a total of more than $8 million in funding

    • BayCare Behavioral Health received the most funding — more than $3 million for a behavioral health urgent care

    • The director of operations for behavioral health at BayCare said it will be the first facility of its kind in Tampa Bay and, possibly, in the entire state

    “One of the priorities of the opioid task force has been to try to distribute these funds in a manner where we are impacting all segments of the population that we can — from expectant mothers all the way to veterans, homeless individuals in our community, individuals who may be struggling and don’t even know that they’re having a struggle because they’re just getting those symptoms identified by their primary care doctors,” said Paula Baracaldo, Pasco County’s director of support services and task force member. “So, through these funds, we’re actually going to be able to make those connections and provide additional services to them. So, it’s going to be a widespread impact, and we’re also forging partnerships, which is really important.

    According to information from the county, $8.4 million was allocated to nine projects.

     

    They included $600,000 for Premier Community Healthcare Group, Inc. for expansion of support services and behavioral health staff, education and case management; $286,000 for Pasco Kids First for mobile outreach and personnel, outreach, supplies and equipment; $25,000 for Ace Opportunities for treatment and recovery support services and transitional housing; $297,803 for WestCare GulfCoast-Florida, Inc. for direct services, case management, outreach and education; $200,000 for the Alliance for Healthy Communities, Inc. for education, stigma reduction and awareness for youth, $138,950 for The Hope Shot, Inc. for recovery housing; and $61,000 for Florida Recovery Schools of Tampa Bay, Inc. to fund Victory High School, mental health and recovery services, rent and partial salaries.

     

    The biggest award went to BayCare Behavioral Health, with more than $3 million to establish a behavioral health urgent care.

    “When you need to go to urgent care, you can make an appointment same day, you can walk in if you need to, there’s extended hours, right? So, that’s the same concept, except for behavioral health needs,” said Tracy Kaly, director of operations for Behavioral Health at BayCare and a task force member. 

    Kaly said that can include anything from someone dealing with grief who needs to talk with a therapist to someone who wants to detox and needs to access services.

    “What is that service that that individual really needs? Maybe it’s something more routine, maybe it is something more urgent, but they could come here, and we could help them figure it out because, oftentimes, navigating the behavioral health system is tricky,” she said.

    According to Kaly, the urgent care would be the first facility of its kind in Tampa Bay and, possibly, in the entire state.

    A building on BayCare’s behavioral health campus on King Helie Boulevard that’s currently being used by the facilities team and for office space is going to undergo renovations to become the urgent care. Funding for the project will be released during the next three years. Kaly said the first year of funds is going toward construction and the next two are going to operational costs. 

    “This felt like the ideal place because right across the street, we have our integrated stabilization unit. So, if individuals do need detoxification or withdrawal management, we’re able to connect them right to those services. Also across the street is our outpatient center, so where we offer medication assisted treatment, where we offer groups, where we have doctors and therapists,” Kaly said.

    Baracaldo said when it comes to the opioid crisis in Pasco, the county has seen an increase in overdoses but a decrease in deaths.

    “We’re still higher than the state average in Pasco County when it comes to both fatal and non-fatal overdoses due to opioid use,” said Kaly. “The numbers are improving, and I think with this level of care also being added to the continuum, that will continue in that direction.”

    Kaly said the goal is to have the urgent care opened by the end of the year. 

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    Sarah Blazonis

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  • Health experts say flu cases are on the rise in Florida

    Health experts say flu cases are on the rise in Florida

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    ORLANDO, Fla. — If you’re feeling sick after your Christmas celebrations, you’re not alone. More than half of Florida’s 67 counties are seeing an increasing number of flu cases and several outbreaks, including all of Central Florida and much of the Tampa Bay area.

    What You Need To Know

    • All of Central Florida is experiencing an increase in Flu cases, with outbreaks in places like Volusia County, Hillsborough and Pasco County, as well as spiking cases in more than half of the 67 counties across the state

    • Officials believe low vaccination rates, low immunity and holiday travel might be some of the main contributors to the increase in cases

    • Flu season typically peaks in January and February; experts say you can still get your flu shots ahead of that peak, with most shots taking at least two weeks to be fully effective

    The same goes for much of South Florida as well. According to this map from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the states in red and purple are seeing high or very high flu activity. With peak flu season coming up in January and February, people might wonder why the state is seeing an early uptick in cases.

    Associate Professor Jill Roberts at the University of South Florida’s (USF) College of Public Health told our partners at the Orlando Sentinel that it’s a combination of low vaccination rates, low immunity and busy travel schedules that may be key contributors.

    Officials say if you’ve felt body aches, headaches, a cough and or a fever over the past few weeks, you may have the flu.

    According to the Florida Department of Health (DOH), nearly 20,000 Floridians tested positive in the week leading up to Christmas, and there are at least 9 outbreaks right now including one in Volusia County, four in Hillsborough County and at least two in Pasco County.

    At least six children have died from the flu this season, according to the Sentinel. Three of those children had pre-existing medical conditions while the other children did not. However, the DOH stated that none of the children were vaccinated.

    Health experts are still encouraging people to get the flu shot. Officials say just keep in mind that it takes about two weeks to take effect, so it won’t be in time to prevent the possibility of getting sick during any New Year’s Eve plans.

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    Jaclyn Harold

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  • U.S. childhood pneumonia outbreak raises alarm, no known link to China

    U.S. childhood pneumonia outbreak raises alarm, no known link to China

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    The recently elevated number of pediatric pneumonia cases in Warren County, Ohio, has crossed the “outbreak” threshold, health officials say. However, there is “zero evidence” the Warren cases are connected to any respiratory activity “statewide, nationally, or internationally,” county health officials said.

    According to a press release from the Warren County Health District on Thursday, there have been 145 cases of pediatric pneumonia reported in children ages 3 to 14.

    “Not only is this above the county average, it also meets the Ohio Department of Health definition of an outbreak. We do not think this is a novel/new respiratory disease but rather a large uptick in the number of pneumonia cases normally seen at one time,” a release on Wednesday said.

    When reached for additional comment by Newsweek, Warren County Health District sent Thursday’s press release.

    Masked schoolchildren wait to have their portraits taken during picture day at Rogers International School on September 23, 2020, in Stamford, Connecticut. A recent uptick in pediatric pneumonia cases in Ohio has reached the “outbreak” level; however, there is no known link to the breakout among kids in China.

    “While the number of cases is higher this year, the severity is similar to previous years. Most cases recover at home and are treated with antibiotics,” Thursday’s Warren County press release also stated. County health officials say among the pathogens recovered included “Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Streptococcus pnuemoniae and Adenovirus.”

    There have been no reported deaths, county officials added.

    Several portions of China, meanwhile, have also recently been hit by a surge in respiratory illnesses, which have particularly affected children. Northern provinces in China have experienced a jump in flu-like illnesses for five consecutive weeks since mid-October.

    The rapid spread of COVID-19 in 2020 prompted strict public health restrictions and quarantine measures across the globe. Several nations, including Taiwan, India and Vietnam, are now preparing, given China’s recent uptick in respiratory illnesses. The ailments have also put a strain on China’s hospital system and are reminiscent of the coronavirus outbreak, which originated in Wuhan in December 2019.

    The Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research (NIVEL) has also reported a spike in child pneumonia cases. The Messenger reported that in the past week, 80 out of every 100,000 children ages 5 to 14 came down with pneumonia.

    While speaking to Congress on Thursday, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Mandy Cohen, said that the uptick in respiratory illness in China is not from “a new or novel pathogen,” according to NBC News.

    Amid the rise in pneumonia cases in Ohio, social media users are calling attention to the outbreak.

    Notably, conservative radio talk-show host and founder of Turning Point USA, Charlie Kirk, took to X, formerly Twitter, on Thursday: “JUST IN—The ‘Mystery pneumonia’ affecting kids and ripping through China and parts of Europe, is reportedly now in America. 142 child cases of ‘white lung syndrome’ have now been recorded in Warren County, Ohio since August, meaning if true, it’s been here for months.”

    Kirk continued, “CDC officials are saying ‘nothing is out of the ordinary’ but according to county health official ‘Not only is this above the county average, it also meets the Ohio Department of Health definition of an outbreak.’ Just in time for election season! Whatever is going on, never again and do not comply.”

    Warren County health officials have not named this illness “white lung syndrome” and also said on Thursday, “It is not uncommon for respiratory illnesses to spread in the community during this time of year.”

    Entrepreneur Mario Nawfal also posted to X, saying in part, “BREAKING: US Kids Pneumonia Outbreak – Ohio Fights Back, WHO Probes China’s Crisis!

    “Ohio is battling a frightening outbreak of pediatric pneumonia, prompting an emergency express lane for kids, as the US faces a health emergency mirroring China’s.

    “The US is reeling from a sharp rise in child respiratory infections, closely resembling China’s alarming outbreak.”