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
Irma’s Death Toll Up To 69 In Florida
October 9, 2017
Hurricane Irma’s official death toll in Florida stands at 69, nearly a month after the storm pounded a south-to-north path through the state. But the number released Friday should continue to grow.
The figure, compiled by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the state Division of Emergency Management from county medical examiners, includes nine deaths in Broward County. The deaths in Broward County are listed as being due to carbon monoxide, chronic pulmonary disease, heat exhaustion tied to chronic alcoholism, a diabetic crisis, a subdural hematoma and two cases each of blunt trauma and cardiovascular disease.
Eight residents of The Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills died Sept. 13, days after the center lost its air-conditioning system because of Irma. Four more died after the sweltering facility was evacuated.
Deaths from Irma have been reported in the following counties: Broward (9), Collier (1), Duval (5), Hardee (2), Hendry (1), Highlands (4), Hillsborough (4), Lake (1), Lee (1), Leon (2), Liberty (1), Manatee (1), Marion (3), Miami-Dade (5), Monroe (6), Nassau (1), Okeechobee (1), Orange (6), Palm Beach (5), Pinellas (2), Polk (3), Seminole (1), St. Lucie (1), Taylor (2) and Volusia (1).
Twenty-three deaths across the state are attributed to a blunt-force injury — typically involving traffic crashes or injuries that occurred during the storm or while people worked on storm preparation or recovery. Irma is also blamed for eight deaths by drowning, four cases of electrocution and 14 deaths involving carbon monoxide.
Final Weather Update On Nate
October 8, 2017
Hurricane Nate made a landfall at the mouth of Mississippi River before continuing north to a second landfall at 12:30 a.m. Sunday near Biloxi.
The latest details on Nate are available in the maps and images on this page.
See the front page of NorthEscambia.com for additional details on Nate, evacuation information, safety tips and more.
Escambia Schools: Teachers, Staff Work On Monday, Kids Tuesday
October 8, 2017
Escambia (FL) Schools will be in session as previously planned this week.
Superintendent Malcolm Thomas has confirmed that all ECSD plans for a professional development day for teachers and staff will continue as scheduled for Monday. Staff and teachers should plan to attend professional development training sessions on Monday, as planned, he said.
Also as previously scheduled, students will not attend school on Monday, Columbus Day. All bus routes and classes will resume Tuesday morning at regular times.
Tree Crashes Through Cantonment Home
October 8, 2017
A Cantonment woman escaped injury when a large tree fell into her home early Sunday morning — one of the very few damage reports received from Hurricane Nate in the North Escambia area.
The woman said the tree came crashing down just a short distance from where she was sleeping; she had to push branches out of her way to escape.
The home is located on Bob White Lane off East Kingsfield.
For additional photos, click here.
Aside from power lines, a few downed trees and scattered items such lawn furniture and trash cans, no other significant damage has been reported in North Escambia.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Jay Woman Killed In Highway 89 Crash
October 8, 2017
A Jay woman was killed in two vehicle accident Saturday afternoon south of Jay.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, 42-year old Kara Milstid was traveling east on Country Road 178 a in her 2007 Ford Fusion as a 2001 GMC Sierra driven by 39-year old Michael Rasmussen of Jay was southbound on Highway 89 . Milstid failed to yield the right of way, entered the intersection and struck the pickup truck before continuing across the intersection and into a concrete culvert and a dirt embankment.
Milstid was pronounced deceased following the 2:27 p.m. crash. Rasmussen was transported to Jay Hospital with minor injuries.
File photo.