Gaggle, an organization dedicated to school student safety and well-being, named School District of Osceola County Superintendent Dr. Mark Shanoff, as its Safety-Informed Leader of the Year, “For his commitment to student well-being, his innovative leadership in school safety, and his demonstrated dedication to the transformative power of safety-informed leadership throughout his career.”
Gaggle noted Shanoff’s leadership, “Serves as a model for district leaders nationwide.”
Shanoff was lauded for his safety and cybersecurity work in past roles as principal of Ocoee Middle School and Edgewater High School in Orange County, as Orange County Public Schools’ Chief Information Officer. Now, as Superintendent of the Osceola School District, he has continued to prioritize student safety, as the District reports Shanoff introduced secured lobbies, piloted metal detectors, and implemented random safety searches, and created a collaborative approach with law enforcement to ensure the district is prepared to respond to any threats, “Reinforcing a culture of proactive, student-centered safety.”
“Student safety is an evolving space,” Shanoff said. “If you own student safety, don’t settle or be swayed by competing interests—your students are counting on you.”
HCA Florida Osceola Hospital named among nation’s best for 2nd time
Online consumer site Healthgrades have named HCA Florida Osceola Hospital in Kissimmee among America’s 250 Best Hospitals for 2025. The list comprises the top 5% of hospitals nationwide for overall clinical performance. The hospital earned the distinction in 2023 as well.
In total, 49 HCA Healthcare Hospitals nationwide were named to Healthgrades’ annual list of America’s Best Hospitals. “We are honored to have received the America’s Best Hospitals recognition from Healthgrades for the second time,” said David Shimp, CEO, HCA Florida Osceola Hospital. “This achievement reflects our team’s hard work and commitment to excellence to our patients and high-quality care.”
To determine the top hospitals for 2025, Healthgrades evaluated risk-adjusted mortality and complication rates for over 30 of the most common conditions and procedures at approximately 4,500 hospitals nationwide.
DCF launches new website to assist adopting families
The new Adopt Florida website, the Department of Children and Families released last week, enhances the adoption journey by streamlining information about the process and providing prospective adoptive parents with every resource available to connect them with a child in need of a forever family.
“The decision to expand your family by opening your home to child in need is one of the greatest acts of love one can offer, and we want to make that decision and process easier for prospective adoptive families to navigate,” said Department Secretary Shevaun Harris. “With the launch of the new Adopt Florida website, our Department is empowering families with valuable resources to help guide them on their adoption journey, including information on pre and post adoption supports.”
The new website creates a connection to Florida’s Adoption Information Center to support families on their road to adoption, and resources include orientation and preparation classes designed to inform families about the adoption process; One-on-one support with an adoption specialist; Personalized plan to enhance the adoption journey; and Post-adoption services to assist during and after adoption.
Those interested in finding out more about adoption, including resources available through Adopt Florida can visit www.adoptflorida.org.
