Wolfson Children’s Hospital is proud to provide Continuing Medical Education opportunities to our partners and referring providers by offering monthly virtual CME sessions at no cost. If you have missed any of our previously offered live webinars and still wish to obtain CME credit for them, we have provided 4 recorded webinars for a total of 5.5 CME credits possible. Please follow the instructions below in order to take advantage of this opportunity!

1.      Open the flyer and choose which education session you would like to watch.

2.      Click the link in the attachment for the desired education session.

4.      Follow the instructions included in the video description to complete the required survey and input the associated activity code.

*Please note, if you are licensed outside of the state of Florida, you must contact the CME office at Kimberly.Branham-Nelson@bmcjax.com to request an official transcript of your participation.

FreeCME.com 

Board-certified physicians are getting another extension on the deadline to maintain their internal medicine credentials.

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) once again extended the Maintenace of Certification (MOC) requirements through December 2022.

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CORRECTION: The Week 12 update should have reflected data showing 17,799 doses of vaccines administered through DOH Leon sponsored clinics to date.

The clinic is acting in accordance with an amended executive order 21-62 signed by Governor DeSantis. See fact sheet attached on new groups now qualified to receive the vaccine.

Since the COVID-19 vaccine rollout began in late December, Leon County has administered a total of 95,470 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. More than 58,000 people have been vaccinated. 36,981 individuals in the county have completed their vaccine series, and are now considered fully immunized against COVID-19.

DOH Leon is administering vaccines to residents receiving appointments through the statewide preregistration system.  Those who are eligible can start the process by visiting https://myvaccine.fl.gov/. The system will notify those who are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine when appointments are available by text, email, or phone call and they will be assisted in scheduling an appointment. Those without internet access can call 866-200-3856. The TTY number for deaf and hard of hearing people is 833-476-1455. The site has been enhanced. Beginning today, March 17th, the website presents new features including:

DOH Leon vaccination clinics currently administer Moderna and Pfizer vaccines to those who are eligible. A government-issued photo ID is required, and if applicable proof of employment such as an identification badge. The schedule is subject to change based on vaccine supply and inclement weather. Vaccination clinics are held at:

The faith-based vaccine initiative to increase access continues in Leon County. Jacob Chapel Baptist Church in Tallahassee (233 Lake Bradford Road) is confirmed to host a COVID-19 Johnson & Johnson vaccine clinic on Friday, March 19. Please see attached flyer. The site will open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. To make an appointment those who are eligible are invited to call 850-574-3150. Also, a vaccine clinic is scheduled Saturday March 20 beginning at 9 a.m. at Bethel Missionary Baptist Church in Tallahassee. This will be a second dose clinic with 500 doses administered. In January, Governor DeSantis directed the Florida Division of Emergency Management to work with the faith-based community to identify places of worship and other locations in underserved communities where the vaccine may be administered.

A communitywide COVID-19 public education initiative has been formally launched for the Big Bend area. Safe and Healthy Big Bend combines the resources of local governments, local hospitals and health care providers, the Leon public school system, the faith community, business, and media partners to keep the public informed and provide up-to-date information on COVID-19. Click here to visit the Safe and Healthy Big Bend website. The multimedia platform includes PSAs, the latest information about vaccines, and direct messaging to the community from trusted voices including DOH Leon Health Officer Claudia Blackburn.

More community partners offer rides to seniors with appointments to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.  2-1-1 in partnership with The United Way, 2-1-1 Big Bend and Lyft is offering transportation to COVID-19 vaccine sites through the Lyft Ride United Program. The project provides safe and reliable door to door rides to COVID-19 vaccine appointments at walk-up COVID-19 vaccination sites. Rides can be set up by calling (850) 617-6325 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Additionally, Tallahassee’s Elder Care Services is helping residents who need a ride to the vaccine clinics at FAMU. The organization has teamed up with Florida A & M University to offer transportation to seniors who are 60 years of age and older who have confirmed appointments at the Al Lawson, Jr. Multipurpose Center. They can call (850) 921-5554 to schedule a ride. Individuals do not have to be officially enrolled with elder care to take advantage of this opportunity.

Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare concludes its popular series “State of COVID-19 in Leon County Community Update” at noon on Friday March 26. This virtual chat collectively brings together key community leaders for an open conversation about COVID-19 that includes questions submitted by viewers. Health Officer Claudia Blackburn is among the featured panelists. In observance of Spring Break, there will not be a webinar this Friday, March 19. If you’ve missed any of the first eight episodes you can find recordings of them including COVID-19 FAQs by using this link.

Governor DeSantis has provided the framework for an initiative to administer vaccine to those who are homebound. They or a caregiver can send an email to homeboundvaccine@em.myflorida.com They will be added to the homebound missions list. A survey will be sent to them via email for them to complete. Their answers will determine if they are considered eligible for homebound vaccines. In a recent tweet, the Governor posted that more than 1500 individuals, who are unable to leave their homes for health reasons, have received vaccines.

DOH Leon continues to see improvement in major COVID-19 metrics. Cases have decreased over the past two weeks. Our 7-day rolling average for new cases has averaged to 37 per day for the past two weeks (3/3-3/16). The number of hospitalized COVID patients has also fallen in the Leon County area. The test positivity rate in Leon County is low, suggesting that testing capacity is meeting current demand.  Our positivity rate has been 2.50% for the past two weeks (3/3-3/16). Since the beginning of the pandemic, a total of 28,982 residents have been infected. Since last week's report, six new deaths have been confirmed, bringing the total accumulated death count to 297 Leon County residents. Find more data on COVID-19 cases, testing, and fatalities specific to Leon County here. Additionally, there has been one new case of the UK COVID-19 variant identified in Leon County. We stand at five cases of the B117 variant. Data suggest this variant may be more contagious than the original virus, but does not suggest that it causes more severe disease. Current COVID-19 vaccines are expected to be effective against this and other mutations.

The Florida Department of Health issues a COVID-19 vaccine report that is updated daily. This report includes information on the COVID-19 vaccine by county, race, sex, and age. The site also includes all available resources that we have on the state vaccination plan. Find the COVID-19 vaccine report here: https://floridahealthcovid19.gov/

For any additional questions about the vaccine at this time, the State COVID-19 Call Center can be reached by calling 1-866-779-6121 or emailing COVID-19@flhealth.gov and is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Friday that Florida will lower the coronavirus vaccination age eligibility to 50 effective Monday.

At a news conference in Tallahassee, DeSantis also repeated his goal that vaccinations would likely be available to all residents 16 and older before May 1.

Gov. Ron DeSantis said Wednesday he doesn’t expect Florida to receive more shipments of the one-dose Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccines anytime soon.

“We have no more J&J coming for the foreseeable future. For the next two or three weeks, we’re not anticipating any new J & J and I don’t know what the issue with that is. Hopefully we’ll get more of that soon,” he said at a news conference in Palm Harbor.

He also urged people to take whichever vaccine is available and not wait for the one-dose Johnson & Johnson version. He said there are still plenty of the two-dose Moderna and Pfizer shots in the state, but "our supply is pretty stagnant it seems like over the next few weeks.”

Older people appeared especially susceptible to COVID-19 reinfection, but neither sex nor time since previous infection made a difference in risk, a large population-based study in Denmark found.

An analysis examining data by age, sex, and time since last infection found adults ages 65 and older had 47.1% observed protection against reinfection (95% CI 24.7-62.8), reported Steen Ethelberg, PhD, of Statens Serum Institut in Copenhagen, and colleagues.

Researchers from Cleveland Clinic’s Florida Research and Innovation Center (FRIC) have identified a potential new target for anti-COVID-19 therapies. Their findings were published in Nature Microbiology.

Led by FRIC scientific director Michaela Gack, Ph.D., the team discovered that a coronavirus enzyme called PLpro (papain-like protease) blocks the body’s immune response to the infection. More research is necessary, but the findings suggest that therapeutics that inhibit the enzyme may help treat COVID-19.

Another week in the Covid pandemic has passed. Case counts in the U.S. appear to be reaching a plateau. Unfortunately, case counts in several European countries are increasing (Italy, France, Germany, Denmark). Meanwhile, several interesting developments occurred this week on multiple fronts.

As millions of Americans receive vaccines, the nation moves toward herd immunity, and the pandemic hopefully comes to an end soon, the practice of medicine will be forever changed. The Doctors Company is very interested to know if you will make changes to the way you practice medicine after the pandemic. They’d also like to hear your concerns about telehealth and about the risk of malpractice litigation related to the pandemic. Medical Economics will publish the results in their April issue. Answers to the following anonymous five-question survey are requested by March 24: https://survey.thedoctors.com/f/41556486/d7a0/.

Florida is one of a dozen states that has not accepted federal funding in order to expand who qualifies for Medicaid, the program that provides health insurance for low-income Americans.

The $1.9 trillion dollar relief package signed recently by President Joe Biden offers holdout states like Florida more money for Medicaid expansion. Now it’s up to lawmakers in Tallahassee to bring a bill to the floor for discussion and vote on it.

If you oppose this legislation and would like to make your voice heard, contact your legislators today.

For decades, science has been trying to unlock the mysteries of how a single cell becomes a fully formed human being and what goes wrong to cause genetic diseases, miscarriages and infertility.

Now, scientists have created living entities in their labs that resemble human embryos; the results of two new experiments are the most complete such "model embryos" developed to date.

The Global Virus Network has named the University of South Florida in Tampa as its new Southeast U.S. regional headquarters.

Baltimore-based GVN is a system of researchers in 34 countries who study how viruses work and how they make people sick.

A 2020 law that required doctors to obtain written consent before conducting pelvic exams caused confusion last summer among Florida physicians.

The Senate Health Policy Committee on Wednesday took a step to clarify the law by unanimously passing a bill (SB 716) that says the requirement only applies to female patients and that pelvic exams include examinations of the internal reproductive system.

Sponsored by Sen. Laruen Book, D-Plantation, the bill also would make clear consent required only when patients are anesthetized or unconscious.

A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Division of Vital Statistics looked at 2018 final mortality statistics, population estimates, and Medicare data for persons 66 to 99 years old, to determine and rank the life expectancy at birth of all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

We can stop crediting endorphins, the natural opioid painkillers produced by our bodies, for the floaty euphoria we often feel during aerobic exercise, according to a nifty new study of men, women and treadmills. In the study, runners developed a gentle intoxication, known as a runner’s high, even if researchers had blocked their bodies’ ability to respond to endorphins, suggesting that those substances could not be behind the buzz. Instead, the study suggests, a different set of biochemicals resembling internally homegrown versions of cannabis, better known as marijuana, are likely to be responsible.

We appreciate your past participation in the Doctor of the Day Program. In anticipation of the 2021 Regular Legislative Session, preparations for this program are underway.

The Florida Legislature has implemented COVID-19 protocols, please review the DOCTOR OF THE DAY PROGRAM_COVID memo for details. Please also see the Doctor of the Day Information Packet and the Application Form.

The Leon County mask mandate added to the Leon County Amended Emergency Ordinance No. 20-15 is still in effect. The ordinance states that an individual in a business establishment in Leon County must wear a face covering while in that business establishment.

A business establishment means a location with a roof overhead under which any business is conducted, goods are made, stored or processed, or where services are rendered. The term “business establishment” also includes locations where non-profit, governmental, churches, and quasi-governmental entities facilitate public interactions and conduct business. Also, as part of the requirement, all businesses must post a notice visible to all customers that face coverings are required while indoors. An example sign can be found here.

The ordinance will remain in place until repealed. A copy of the ordinance and frequently asked questions are posted to the Leon County Emergency Information Portal at www.LeonCountyFL.gov/ei. For additional questions regarding the mask mandate ordinance, please call Leon County Administration at 850-606-5300.

For additional information on COVID-19, the Florida Department of Health has activated a 24/7 COVID-19 call center at (866) 779-6121. Leon County residents can also call the County Health Department at (850) 404-6300, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Also, the best resource for Florida-specific COVID-19 information remains the following FDOH website: www.FLHealth.gov/COVID-19.

Sample Mask Signage for Businesses

View the Signed Emergency Ordinance

View the FAQ Regarding this Requirement

Face coverings are available at the Tallahassee-Leon County Office of Economic Vitality (315 S. Calhoun Street, Suite 110, Tallahassee, FL, 32301) Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. A business with one location is eligible for up to 100 face coverings. Local businesses with multiple locations are eligible for up to 200 face coverings. For FAQs regarding the distribution of masks to businesses, click here. 

No denying that the last 12+ months could have been a bit better and brighter. If your days don't seem as bright, we hope you take advantage of this program. The CMSF's Physician Wellness Program will pay for up to six completely confidential wellness coaching sessions with any of the counselors enrolled in our program (contact information below). Pick up the phone and call any of the resources noted below. Telehealth options available during COVID-19. 

To view Physician Wellness resources, click here.

The State-Level COVID-19 profile for Florida. This data is collected from medical facilities in one of two system HHS protect or National Healthcare Safety Network  

The New England Journal of Medicine - A collection of articles and other resources on the Coronavirus outbreak, including clinical reports, management guidelines, and commentary

From the American Medical Association: COVID-19 (2019 Novel Coronavirus) Resource Center for Physicians

From the Florida Medical Association: Coronavirus Educational Resource Center

FMA's Step-by-Step Guide to COVID-19 vaccine enrollment for Florida physicians (FMA) 

See the latest state Department of Health data summarizing the number of people in Florida who have either received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine or completed the vaccine series (FMA) 

Florida Department of Health's COVID Vaccines in Florida 

COVID-19 Pandemic Planning FAQ (dated 11/19/2020) includes important information regarding procurement and handling of costs for vaccine administration. (FEMA) 

What Happens Once There is a COVID-19 Vaccine? Key Challenges to Vaccinating America (12/3/2020) - VIDEO or SLIDES (Kaiser Family Foundation) 

Mandatory Reporting of COVID-19 Laboratory Test Results: Reporting of Cycle Threshold Values (December 3, 2020)

Notable recent additions to CDC guidance include more detailed infection prevention and control recommendations for health care settings: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/hcp/infection-control.html.

Please continue to closely monitor the CDC novel coronavirus website for situation and guidance updates. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html.

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Machine donations can be dropped off at Capital Medical Society Foundation's office at 1204 Miccosukee Road, Tallahassee, FL 32308. Donations to Capital Medical Society Foundation are tax-deductible within IRS guidelines Federal Tax I.D. #: 59-2104510. For additional information, please call 942-5215 or email dbixler@capmed.org.

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