Update: Missing Man With Dementia Located
October 9, 2017
Authorities are searching for a missing 73-year old man that suffers from dementia and other medical problems.
Joseph “Joe” Ferland was last seen Friday, October 6 at his home in the 4400 block of Cerny Road off Mobile Highway. He was last seen wearing a faded brown and white, button-down shirt with vertical stripes, blue shorts, and black Under Armor tennis shoes.
Ferland is 5′4″ and weighs and 190 pounds. He has gray hair and blue eyes.
Ferland suffers from dementia, anxiety, high blood pressure, and vertigo. He stopped taking his medication on October 3.
Anyone with information on his whereabouts should call the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9620 or 911.
One Killed In I-10, I-110 Interchange Wreck
October 9, 2017
One person was killed in a single vehicle crash late Sunday afternoon on the I-110 northbound ramp to I-10 westbound.
The Florida Highway Patrol said 40-year old Thea Kelly of Daphne lost control of her 2002 Chevrolet SUV on the wet road, ran off the roadway, overturned and collided with a tree.
Passenger Micheal H. Kelly, age 64 of Aurora, CO, was pronounced deceased at Sacred Heart Hospital. He was not wearing his seat belt, troopers said.
Thea Kelly was transported to Sacred Heart Hospital with minor injuries.
Any charges in the crash are pending, according to the FHP.
File photo.
Four Displaced After Cantonment House Fire
October 9, 2017
Four people were displaced from their home after a reported fire early Monday morning in Cantonment.
Firefighters arrived just after 3:20 a.m. to find smoke in the home in the 400 block of Washington Street, near Webb Street.
There were no injuries reported. The cause of the fire remains under investigation, but may have been attributed to a washing machine.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
ECSO: Molino Man Caught In Lewd Act Outside Walmart
October 9, 2017
A Molino man has been charged with indecent exposure after an Escambia County deputy caught him in a “vulgar and indecent” act in a vehicle outside a Walmart.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office responded to the Walmart on Pensacola Boulevard after receiving a lewd and and indecent exposure complaint. A witness reported that 39-year old Christopher Ryan Bucci was “pleasuring” himself in view for anyone to see.
The first deputy on scene reported that he observed Bucci in the lwed act. He was reportedly wearing a white shirt with boxers that were open at the crotch. Deputies found a tube of petroleum jelly in the front passenger seat.
Bucci told deputies that he had taken a large amount of methamphetamine, according to arrest report.
He was released from the Escambia County Jail on a $5,000 bond.
Jay Peanut Festival Rolls On Despite Hurricane Nate
October 9, 2017
The crowds may have been a little smaller and some of the vendor spaces may have been empty, but Hurricane Nate could not stop the Jay Peanut Festival this weekend.
Organizers decided to push forward with the annual event, saying it’s a big boost to the local economy and financially important to vendors.
The Jay Peanut Festival at the Gabbert Farm has been a fall tradition on the Gulf Coast, showcasing the history, agriculture, food and fun of Santa Rosa County. What started as a chance for local kids and farmers to show off their best of the season has become an annual event covering 15 acres. In a normal year, the festival draws tens of thousands of people to the Gabbert farm over two days.
For a photo gallery, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photo by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
I-10 Speed Limit Increase Near Highway 29
October 9, 2017
According to the Florida Department of Transportation, the speed limit on I-10 eastbound near the I-10 interchange has been increased from 50 to 60 mph, but may, at times, be reduced to 50 mph between 8 p.m. and 6 p.m. to accomodate night construction work.
The speed limit on I-10 westbound near the U.S. 29 interchange remains at 50 mph as crews continue construction activities.
Bratt Elementary Students Learn About Fire Safety
October 9, 2017
The Walnut Hill Station of Escambia Fire Rescue presented a fire safety program Friday at Bratt Elementary School.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Nate: Gulf Power Restores Power For 38,000 In 24 Hours
October 9, 2017
Gulf Power crews, joined by more than 250 outside crews, have completed restoring service to customers in the wake of Hurricane Nate. Crews worked through the night to restore more than 38,000 outages in about 24 hours since Hurricane Nate first impacted Northwest Florida.
“I’m proud of our team and the outstanding work they did today,” said Adrianne Collins, Gulf Power VP of Power Delivery. “Every single Gulf Power employee has a storm function, and they all came together to safely restore power to our customers. Despite the wind and driving rain, our crews persevered until all power was restored.”
After Hurricane Nate made landfall near Biloxi, Mississippi early this morning with 85 mph winds, it quickly lost strength as it moved across Northwest Florida and turned to the northeast.
“We want to thank our customers for their patience and understanding as crews worked to restore their power,” said Collins. “Year-round we train for this type of a scenario and crews deploy to different areas to help others restore power. That training and developing of skills has really paid off in helping us quickly and safely get our customers’ power back on in the wake of Nate.”
Georgia Power crews from Southern Company along with energy providers from Tennessee, Kentucky and Florida pitched in to help.
“Having the strength and resources of Southern Company and other industry partners behind you when you’re faced with this type of situation is everything,” said Collins. “We’re better together — with Georgia Power and other crews from Florida and out of state by our side, we were able to speed the restoration process while working safely.”
Local Elementary Schools Join Forces To Help Hurricane Victims In Texas, Florida
October 9, 2017
Several Escambia County elementary schools joined forces to collect donations to help elementary schools in Florida and Texas with hurricane recover.
Friday a loaded truck departed Lipscomb Elementary School headed to Anderson and Lemm elementary schools in Spring, TX. Anderson was flooded, which meant a loss of all paper products and most other supplies (including teachers’ materials). Lemm Elementary School’s library lost its inventory of books.
Lipscomb was assisted with donations from Bratt, Molino Park, Blue Angels and McArthur elementary schools.
Cordova Park Elementary School collected donations for Bonita Springs Elementary School in Lee County, FL. Many of their families lost their personal belongings in flooding, including their school uniforms.
Cordova Park was assisted with donations from Jim Allen, Molino Park, Scenic Heights, Ensley, Navy Point and Brentwood elementary schools, along with the Global Learning Academy.
Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Telehealth Panel Eyes Florida Insurance, Licensing Issues
October 9, 2017
To increase the use of telehealth in Florida, a panel is recommending that insurance companies be required to reimburse health-care providers for telehealth services and that the Legislature authorize participation in interstate “compacts” that make it easier for doctors and other providers to be licensed in a variety of states.
The Telehealth Advisory Council held a two-hour-plus teleconference Tuesday, with members reviewing a draft copy of a 32-page report that will be sent to the governor and Legislature later this month.
Agency for Health Care Administration Secretary Justin Senior, the chairman of the advisory council, said a copy of the report would be posted publicly and that another meeting will held before the panel votes on the final version
“I really appreciate all the work that has gone into this. I really think it’s coming together nicely,” Senior told members of the council.
Telehealth, at least in part, involves using the internet and other technology to provide services to patients remotely. The Legislature for years grappled with telehealth and how it should best be used and regulated. In 2016, lawmakers passed a bill creating the advisory council and directed it to survey the current level of telehealth participation in the state, identify obstacles and make recommendations on how those obstacles can be eliminated.
Recommendations in the report run the gamut, from making clear that a practitioner/patient relationship can be established through telehealth to providing a definition for telehealth.
Perhaps the most controversial recommendation, though, is that the Legislature require insurance companies to reimburse health-care providers for telehealth services as though the care were provided face-to-face.
Moreover, the draft report also recommends that insurance companies cover services provided via telehealth if the same services are covered for in-person visits.
The advisory board recommendation applies to commercial insurance coverage only. The report recommends, however, that the state support changes being considered by Congress that would make Medicare coverage of telehealth services less restrictive.
With regard to Medicaid, the advisory council is recommending that the state amend its Medicaid rules and allow reimbursement to providers for more telehealth services. Currently, Medicaid rules allow for reimbursement of live video conferencing only.
Advisory council member and Leon County EMS provider Kim Landry told The News Service of Florida on Monday that the recommended mandates on insurance companies should go a long way to increasing access to telehealth services.
“Reimbursement has been an issue,” he said noting that he doesn’t expect every provider to gravitate toward telehealth but that the promise of reimbursement will help sway some physicians.
As of September, 34 states and the District of Columbia had established health-insurance parity laws to address gaps in coverage for telehealth services, according to the draft report. But only three of the states with telehealth parity laws explicitly mandate that the reimbursement for telehealth services be the same as for in-person care.
The advisory council worked with the Office of Insurance Regulation, the Department of Health and the Agency for Health Care Administration in polling insurance companies, facilities and providers about telehealth.
The findings showed that only 6 percent of practitioners in Florida reported using telehealth, which was below the national average of 16 percent.
Those who did offer telehealth services were recent converts, with 55 percent reporting doing so for the first time in the last year.
The poll also showed hospitals in Florida lagged behind their peers nationally in the use of telehealth. While 45 percent of hospitals responding to the Florida survey reported using telehealth, that was less than the 52 percent of hospitals (with another 10 percent in the process) in a 2013 national poll.
Results of the Florida survey showed that for health care practitioners, the top barriers for telehealth were financial. Practitioners were concerned about the required investments, adequate reimbursement for services and a financial return.
In addition to tackling reimbursement, the advisory council also weighed in on licensure requirements, recommending that “health care practitioners be licensed in Florida prior to being allowed to provide care to a patient in Florida.”
To make the licensure process easier, the council is recommending that the Legislature authorize Florida to participate in multi-state practitioner licensure compacts so long as the eligibility requirements for licensure equal or exceed the state’s existing requirements.
The advisory council also is recommending that, similar to the boards of medicine and osteopathic medicine, the various health-care regulatory boards and councils be given specific authority to develop rules necessary to implement telehealth.
by Christine Sexton, The News Service of Florida