NEWS BRIEFS —  March 23, 2023

Orlando Health St. Cloud Hospital has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval for Advanced Primary Stroke Center Accreditation, as announced Wednesday.

The designation recognizes commitment to a higher standard of clinical service and the establishment of a consistent approach to quality care, the hospital said.

If a patient begins to display symptoms of a stroke, which include face drooping, arm weakness and speech difficulty, a stroke alert is called. The signal triggers the hospital’s treatment process, a critical step to minimize potential brain damage or other complications.

Since Orlando Health St. Cloud Hospital’s stroke program began in May 2022, the hospital has documented 236 stroke alerts and cared for 43 stroke patients.

“In a diagnosis where time is of the essence, I can think of no greater importance than this achievement to bringing stroke care to the city of St. Cloud,” said Jessica Reid, RN, Orlando Health St. Cloud Hospital chief nursing officer. “Our goal is to improve the outcomes for these patients by reducing the distance they must travel to receive care.”

Accreditation by The Joint Commission is one of the highest levels of certification that a hospital can receive. To date, Orlando Health St. Cloud Hospital is the sixth hospital in the Orlando Health system to be certified as an Advanced Primary Stroke Center.

“With the achievement of Primary Stroke Certification, led by our stroke coordinator Alison Bass, patients in the St. Cloud community can be confident they will receive safe and efficient care when having a stroke or strokelike symptoms,” said Cindy Lavigne, manager, quality process improvement & patient safety, Orlando Health St. Cloud Hospital.

Nemours Childrens Hospital receives CMT Center of Excellence award The interdisciplinary neuromuscular team at Nemours Children’s Hospital, Florida has received the Charcot-Marie-Tooth Association (CMTA) Center of Excellence (COE) distinction for their incredible care for CMT patients and their families. The CMTA is set to support the development of new drugs to treat CMT, improve the quality of life for people with CMT, and ultimately, find a cure. Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease is a group of inherited disorders that cause nerve dysfunction.

“The CMTAC COE recognition means families affected by this peripheral neuropathy can more easily find high quality care.” Omer Abdul Hamid, MD, pediatric neurologist at Nemours Children’s said. “This certification ensures the health team serving their child are experts in this rare disease, offer a multidisciplinary approach to diagnosis and treatment plus have access to research opportunities for CMT.”

Lt. Gov. announces Spring 2023 Florida Space Art contest

Lieutenant Governor Jeanette Nuñez announced the launch of the 2023 Florida Space Art Contest at Dante B. Fascell Elementary in Miami. With March being Youth Art Month, students in grades K–5 are encouraged to create an art piece inspired by the theme: Time Travel to 2123: Florida’s Future as the Space Capital.

“Last year, we had a tremendous response, with over 2,500 original art submissions from K–5 students,” said Lieutenant Governor Jeanette Nuñez. “Imagining what the space industry in Florida will look like in 100 years through art allows students to explore the seemingly impossible and tap into their creativity. I look forward to seeing what this year’s students dream up.”

Student contest rules and guidelines can be found online at www. FloridaSpaceArt.com. Each student will submit an original, two-dimensional artwork based on this year’s theme. Submissions will be broken down into two categories: K–2 and 3–5. Six art pieces from each group (12 total) will be selected as finalists. Finalists will win two tickets to the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex and also have the opportunity to work alongside our featured artist to paint a custom created piece of art imagined and sketched by the artist. Two lucky grand prize winners, one selected from each group, will have their artwork launched into space on an upcoming SpaceX mission.

FEMA: Avoid and report disaster fraud

The Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA) recently reported a potentinal victim received a text that their “federal government check in the amount of $2800 has been disbursed”. The text instructed the survivor to visit a link and provide personal information for for FEMA to verify. This is a scam.

FEMA is not providing any financial assistance in the amount of $2,800.00. If you have applied for disaster assistance, FEMA will notify you of its decision. The agency may also contact you if it needs additional information to process your application. This may come in the form of a letter. In some instances, you may receive a phone call. Review your FEMA letters carefully. Go online to DisasterAssistance.gov to create an online account with FEMA. Be extremely careful when clicking any links.

If you believe you are the victim of a contracting scam, price gouging or other fraudulent activity, contact local law enforcement and report it to the Office of the Attorney General by calling 1-866-9-NOSCAM (1-866-966-7226) or visit myfloridalegal.com. FEMA will only reach out if you have already applied for assistance. If you are contacted by someone asking you to apply for FEMA assistance or if you question someone’s intent, contact your local law enforcement agency.