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Politics

DeSantis Introduces Transition Advisory Committee on Health and Wellness

December 7, 2018 - 6:15pm
Alan Levine
Alan Levine

Gov.-elect Ron DeSantis and Lt. Gov.-elect Jeanette Nuñez announced Friday the names of more than 50 advisors who will serve on the Transition Advisory Committee on Health and Wellness. The committee will be chaired by Nuñez and co-chaired by Alan Levine, former secretary of Florida's Agency for Health Care Administration.

The committee is comprised of a diverse group of health care experts from a variety of different medical fields, as well as health care providers, addiction counselors and mental health professionals, in addition to current and former leaders of Florida’s health care system.

These individuals will advise the Transition Team as they develop their plan to implement DeSantis’ vision of empowering patients and expanding provider reach, fighting addiction and mental health problems and protecting Florida’s most vulnerable populations while lowering costs and respecting taxpayers’ money.

Members of the Transition Advisory Committee on Health and Wellness include the following:

  • Dr. MICHAEL ALESSANDRI; Executive Director for Autism and Related Diseases
  • MARIA ALONSO; COO, Citrus Health Network
  • BRYAN ANDERSON; VP of Government Affairs, HCA  Healthcare 
  • Dr. JOSE 'PEPE' ARMAS; Founder, Chairman & CEO, MCCI Medical Group   
  • GABRIELLE BARGERSTOCK; Florida Executive Director, Nurse-Family Partnership   
  • ANN BARNHART; CEO, Heart of Florida Regional Medical Center   
  • JASON BARRETT; CEO, Flagler Hospital   
  • Dr. SAMIRA BECKWITH; President & CEO, Hope Healthcare   
  • ABIGAIL BEEBE; Chair, Executive Council of The Florida Bar Family Law Section   
  • CHARLES BENDER; Founding CEO & Board Member, Place of Hope   
  • THAD BESHEARS; Co-Owner & COO, Simpson Nurseries   
  • Dr. ANDY BOROM; Orthopedic Surgeon, Tallahassee Orthopedic Clinic   
  • TARREN BRAGDON; President & CEO, Foundation for Government Accountability   
  • The Honorable JASON BRODEUR; former Chairman, Florida House of Representatives Health and Human Services Committee   
  • AUDREY BROWN; President & CEO, Florida Association of Health Plans   
  • NANCY BRYAN; President & CEO, BioFlorida   
  • RICKY CAPLIN; CEO, HCI Group
  • Dr. CHRISTOPHER CARD; Chief of Community-Based Care, Eckerd Connects   
  • GLEN CASEL; CEO, Community Based Care of Central Florida   
  • GLEN FEINGOLD; Executive Vice President & COO, MCNA Dental   
  • AURELIO FERNANDEZ; President & CEO, Memorial Healthcare System   
  • Dr. EDWARD FIDALGO; OB/GYN, South Miami Hospital and Mercy Hospital   
  • The Honorable RENÉ GARCÍA; Executive Vice President, New Century Partnership   
  • Dr. VIKRAM GOPAL; Physician, Borland Groover   
  • JIM HILL; President, Florida Juvenile Justice Association     
  • NELSON HINCAPIE; President & CEO, Voices for Children Foundation   
  • ROY H HINMAN II, M.D., Colonel, US Army (Ret.)
  • SCOTT HOWELL; Vice President of Internal & External Affairs, Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence   
  • ROSLIND HUDSON; Divisional Vice President, Behavioral Health Division, Universal Health Services   
  • CHRIS JACOBS; Founder & CEO, Juniper Research Group    
  • EDWARD JIMENEZ; CEO, University of Florida Health Shands   
  • Dr. STEVEN JOHNSON; President & CEO, Health First   
  • KURT KELLY; CEO, Florida Coalition for Children   
  • Dr. DAVID KENIGSBERG; President, Broward County Medical Association   
  • Dr. NARENDRA KINI; CEO, Nicklaus Children's Health System   
  • NICOLE de LARA PUENTE; CEO, Live Like Bella Childhood Cancer Foundation   
  • Dr. KEN LAWSON; Owner & Optometrist, Bayshore Eye Care   
  • BEN LEON; CEO, Leon Medical Centers   
  • REBECCA MATTHEWS; CEO, Florida Healthy Kids   
  • DAVID R. MAYMON; Founder, Advocate Home Care   
  • GRACI McGILLICUDDY; Chair, Board of Directors, All Star Children's Foundation   
  • CARLOS MIGOYA; President & CEO, Jackson Health System
  • JOSEPH MITCHELL; CEO, Summit Care and Member, American Health Care Association Board of Governors
  • JOE MULLANY; Regional President & CEO, Bayfront Health
  • DEB OBERMAN; Vice President Public Affairs, Humana   
  • Dr. EDUARDO OTERO; Regional Vice President, South Region, Florida Market, MEDNAX Pediatrix Medical Group   
  • Dr. JASON PIROZZOLO; Director of Sports Medicine and Trauma, Orlando Hand Surgery Associates   
  • Dr. JIM RUBENSTEIN; Co-Founder & Radiation Oncologist, 21st Century Oncology   
  • SUZANNE SEWELL; President & CEO, Florida Association of Rehabilitation Facilities   
  • Dr. DAVID SHAPIRO; Board Member, Florida Society of Ambulatory Surgery Centers   
  • ANDREW SMITH; Senior Vice President of External Affairs, Surterra Wellness   
  • TIM STAPLETON; CEO, Florida Medical Association   
  • ROGER STEVENS; CEO, Westminster Communities of Florida   
  • MARY LYNN EDWARDS ULREY; CEO, DACCO Behavioral Health   
  • MIKE WATKINS; CEO, Big Bend Community Based Care  
  • Dr. ZACH ZACHARIAH; President, Fort Lauderdale Heart Institute

Comments

Glad to see this broad initiative and proactive meaure. We desperately need to improve services for families with mental health impairments, children with special health care needs, and to enhance the flow of coordinated quality care. Now that occupational therapy is "officially" included as a primary service in mental health care, I'm hoping we can contribute to improvements in each of these areas. I will follow updates and am grateful for opportunities to weigh in on this state's decisions for health care.

Fitness and Exercise consultant.

Also missing from the committee were any representatives from the dental community of interest. Optimum health and wellness begins with good dental care.

I do not see a member of the substance use community on the list. We are still in the midst of an Opioid Epidemic and I did not see the Florida Behavioral Health Association or any member of a prominent safety net substance use provider.

Are there any mental health / substance abuse nurses?

I am the Executive Program Director of the Corporate Health & Wellness Association. Our CEO is Renee-Marie Stephano and we are a Florida Based Association leading the charge for Corporate Health and Well-being Initiatives for Corporations, Governments, Municipalities etc. Thank you. Jenny Jenkins, Executive Program Director, 4371 Northlake Boulevard, Suite 331, Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410

"Republicans" and any "healthcare" issue mix like oil and water. Fugeddaboudit. The Republicans are all-in for privatization, the 'free market', and the insurors ... NOT "The People".

I was dismayed when Governor Scott cut 25 million on mental health from the budget and I do not see any representation from the mental health community on your committee. I would like to suggest that you contact the head of the psychiatry department at Florida International University Medical School to ask for a representative to serve on your committee. Their psychiatric staff is excellent and they are doing wonderful things in the field of mental health. Don't forget that it is anxiety uncontrolled that leads people to opoiods and if they get good help when they have anxiety we can avoid a lot of opoiod addiction and deaths.

I was dismayed when Governor Scott cut 25 million on mental health from the budget and I do not see any representation from the mental health community on your committee. I would like to suggest that you contact the head of the psychiatry department at Florida International University Medical School to ask for a representative to serve on your committee. Their psychiatric staff is excellent and they are doing wonderful things in the field of mental health. Don't forget that it is anxiety uncontrolled that leads people to opoiods and if they get good help when they have anxiety we can avoid a lot of opoiod addiction and deaths.

Did I miss a name of an Inpatient-Acute Care Nurse Practitioner or Family Nurse Practitioner?? Thousands in FL to help make access to care timely and affordable and we are not represented??? Did I miss something?

How about actual healthcare consumers and community members. Where will these people meet and will the public be included?

Have not seen a representative for the profession of pharmacy.? Our profession should be represented as well. Because the inappropriate use of pharmaceuticals can greatly increase the overall costs of care, this transition team should include someone who understands how this can be acccomplished and they should be included in transition team. Thank you. N. Lois Adams, B. Pharm MBA CRPh, PResident/CEO HHCS Health Group of Companies, Freedom Pharmacy, Cystic Fibrosis Pharmacy. Orlando,, Florida. 32803

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