As 2023 concludes, the Florida Department of Health highlighted several initiatives and outcomes aimed at improving public health across the state. Under Governor Ron DeSantis' leadership, the department reported progress in areas such as substance use disorder treatment, childhood development, maternal health, cancer research, and workforce support.
“In the past year, the Department has made tremendous strides in advancing the health of Floridians,” said State Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo. “Generous funding from Governor Ron DeSantis and Florida’s Legislature, along with the incredible dedication of our employees, have allowed us to strengthen Florida’s public health infrastructure, respond to natural disasters and support a holistic and thoughtful approach to health.”
In addressing substance use disorders, the Coordinated Opioid Recovery Network (CORE) completed its first year. The program helped more than 9,200 patients access emergency services related to substance use disorder. Nearly half of opioid users served at CORE clinics received medication-assisted treatment (MAT), a rate significantly higher than the national average.
For early childhood intervention, nearly 61,000 children were served by Early Steps during Fiscal Year 2022-23—a 3.6% increase over the previous year—with most showing improvements in social-emotional skills and language abilities after completing the program.
The Newborn Hearing Screening Program implemented targeted screening for congenital Cytomegalovirus at birthing facilities starting January 2023. This led to earlier identification and treatment opportunities for affected newborns.
The Medical Foster Care Program enhanced outreach efforts through a new recruitment portal for prospective foster parents for medically complex children. Since July 2023, training was provided to dozens of new parents.
To address maternal morbidity and mortality rates, an enhanced smartphone application was used to provide daily risk assessments for postpartum women based on individual risk factors. Medical teams reviewed responses in real time to identify urgent needs.
On pediatric behavioral health issues aligned with First Lady Casey DeSantis’ Hope for Healing initiative, nine regional Behavioral Health Hubs were established through university partnerships. These hubs offered training sessions that reached hundreds of providers and extended care coordination services to more than a thousand clients during Fiscal Year 2021-22.
The department also collaborated on teen drug prevention efforts by hosting educational summits for parents about drug risks among youth with law enforcement partners. Data from Tobacco Free Florida showed a decline in youth vaping: current use among those aged 11-17 dropped from 16.6% in 2019 to 9% in 2023.
Public health accountability remained a focus through meetings of the Public Health Integrity Committee led by Dr. Ladapo. The committee reviewed topics including mask mandates in schools and federal pandemic response policies.
Collaborative efforts continued with programs like FOCUS—aimed at reducing HIV, hepatitis C virus (HCV), syphilis and opioid-related syndemics—where thousands were tested statewide and most who tested positive were linked to care.
Cancer research saw advances through First Lady DeSantis’ Cancer Connect Collaborative which brought together medical professionals across sectors. In partnership with state agencies, Florida became the first state to collect cancer recurrence data systematically; findings were published in the State of Cancer 2023 Report detailing trends on common cancers such as breast, lung and prostate cancers.
To bolster healthcare workforce resources, over $16 million was distributed via FRAME grants for student debt relief targeting professionals working in underserved areas. Legislative action created an Office of Veteran Licensure Services supporting veterans seeking healthcare careers within Florida.
Licensing processes improved efficiency as over 128,000 new practitioners were licensed during Fiscal Year 2022-23 with average processing times under one day per license application.
Volunteerism contributed nearly half a million medical or dental services across almost all counties statewide last year according to department reports.
New legislation signed into law prohibited gain-of-function research involving enhanced potential pandemic pathogens using state or local funds; researchers must now disclose if proposed work involves such pathogens when applying for funding.
Budget allocations included nearly $38 million toward expanding cancer research data collection programs focusing on patient outcomes as well as $5.4 million dedicated toward launching telehealth-based minority maternal care pilots that provided remote interventions benefiting over two thousand women last year.
About the Florida Department of Health
The department is nationally accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board and aims to protect and improve health throughout Florida via integrated community efforts.
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