Polk County's supply of primary care doctors, dentists and mental health professionals is far below national and state averages according to statistics from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation County Health Rankings. The FSU College of Medicine is setting up a primary care residency program in Polk County to help combat the shortage.

 At a Match Day Ceremony on March 16, graduating students at the FSU College of Medicine received notification of where they will enter residency training. Read more and watch the video  here .

Mental illness is a growing concern for the Big Bend region, prompting a group of local mental health providers to work toward identifying and addressing issues. Among the providers involved is the FSU College of Medicine's Department of Behavioral Sciences and Social Medicine. Heather Flynn, vice chair of the department, comments on the need for such attention on mental health.

The FSU College of Medicine and Alzheimer's Project hosted the 33rd Annual Alzheimer's Disease Education and Training Conference for Caregivers and Professionals on Saturday, Feb. 10.

At a March 6 event sponsored in part by the FSU College of Medicine, St. Lucie County high school students interested in a career in healthcare had the opportunity to take advantage of workshops in soft skills, financial aid opportunities, career pathways and task management/critical thinking. The conference-style event presented various education and job opportunities, introducing many students to more potentially unfamiliar professions such as physician assisting, respiratory therapy and dietetics.

Screening kids 12 and older for depression has been happening in Collier County for many years through the Naples Children & Education Foundation. NCEF has funded $9 million since 2007 for the integrated system of care, locally called Beautiful Minds. The initiative is possible because four mental health groups agreed to work together to address shortcomings in services and long wait times. The four groups are HCN, the David Lawrence Center, the National Alliance on Mental Illness in Collier, and Florida State University’s College of Medicine in Immokalee.

After a year of fundraising and a 40-hour marathon, Dance Marathon at Florida State University raised $2,152,328.19 for the Children's Miracle Network, surpassing their goal of $2 million. Fifty percent of the money raised is donated to UF Health Shands Children's Hospital in Gainesville and the rest is donated to the Florida State University College of Medicine's pediatric outreach programs.

Leon County Emergency Medical Services is receiving national recognition after presenting the findings from a study done in conjunction with the FSU College of Medicine. The results were published in the journal  Prehospital Emergency Care  and presented at the National Association of EMS Physicians annual meeting in San Diego, California. The data showed that resuscitating a person in cardiac arrest via IV injection has a higher success rate than other methods.

On Friday, Feb. 9 the FSU College of Medicine and Winter Haven Hospital made their partnership for a family medicine residency program official with an announcement at the Winter Haven Hospital auditorium. The residency program was established to help Florida overcome a primary care physician shortage.

Florida State University’s College of Medicine has established its fifth residency program with the announcement Friday of an agreement with Winter Haven Hospital. The college will establish a family medicine program in Winter Haven, about 45 miles southwest of Orlando.

Polk County commissioners voted 5-0 to use $3.7 million to help finance a clinic at Winter Haven Hospital for a family medicine residency program in partnership with the FSU College of Medicine.

"Unraveling the biological mysteries of heart disease – and more importantly, what can be done to combat this devastating disease – is more than an academic quest for Jose Pinto."

Pinto, an associate professor of biomedical sciences at the College of Medicine, is one of the many FSU researchers conducting cutting-edge research related to the heart and cardiovascular diseases. The article also explores the work of Branko Stefanovic, Cathy Levenson, Mohamed Kabbaj and Judy Muller-Delp.

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Associate Dean for Faculty Development and Associate Professor of Geriatrics Gregory Turner co-authored a  Journal of Regional Medical Campuses  article with Center for Innovative Collaboration in Medicine & Law Director Marshall Kapp. The article entitled "Promoting Physician/Attorney Collaboration on Behalf of Older Individuals: The Contribution of Medical School Regional Campuses," discusses the often deficient record of physician/attorney interprofessional collaboration and reports on a project designed to improve such collaboration.

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On Friday, Jan. 12, friends and colleagues of James Stockwell and Wade Douglas gathered in the front lobby of the Madison County Memorial Hospital (MCMH) to bid farewell-but not goodbye-to Dr. Stockwell and to welcome Douglas to the MCMH medical staff. Douglas is a professor at the College of Medicine and is the Director of the General Surgery Residency Program at Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare.

An article in the AAMCNews Innovation Series examines how researchers are making headway in diagnosing autism within the first years of life—the key to more effective treatment, better outcomes. As part of the effort, Amy Wetherby, College of Medicine professor and director of the Autism Institute, is leading a network of researchers studying whether an online tool—the Autism Navigator—can effectively turn community health workers into autism interventionists.

In recognition of January being Human Trafficking Awareness Month, FSU College of Medicine professor and Director of Clinical Programs Suzanne Harrison was training about 60 health care professionals on Friday, January 19, as part of the Big Bend's efforts to raise awareness of labor and sex trafficking. Florida has the third-highest number of trafficking reports of any state, making training for health care proffessionals important as they often encounter victims in their work but miss the signs.

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Fifty-two percent of Newtown residents live below the poverty line, and for many, emergency rooms were the only place to see a doctor; by the time they went, treatable conditions had often become chronic or fatal. But since July 2017 when Sarasota Memorial’s Health Care System’s Jean & Alfred Goldstein Health Center opened, Newtown residents have had access to regular, affordable healthcare in their own neighborhood. The practice houses the FSU College of Medicine Internal Medicine Residency Program at Sarasota Memorial Hospital directed by Wiese-Rometsch.

Babcock Ranch Health & Wellness Center in Southwest Florida has partnered with Lee Health in to bring family doctors and other medical services to the city. The health system will occupy 21,000 square feet in the town’s two-story health and wellness center, currently under construction. Second- and third-year Lee Health residents from Florida State University’s College of Medicine will staff the center’s six exam rooms, according to Gary Goforth, who oversees the hospital’s residency program.

FSU College of Medicine professor Rob Glueckauf is Director of the African-American Alzheimer’s Caregiver Training and Support 2 (ACTS 2) Project, which just received a Rosalinde Gilbert Innovations in Alzheimer’s Disease Caregiving Legacy Award. ACTS 2 is one of three organizations selected as a winner, with each receiving an award of $20,000 each. ACTS 2 meets the needs of distressed African American caregivers of older adults with dementia using culturally-sensitive, no-fee, skills-training and support.

The CRASH screening tool, which is used to identify older drivers who need a behind-the-wheel test, was not recommended for clinical practice, according to findings recently published in the  Journal of the American Geriatrics Society . College of Medicine professor Alice Pomidor discusses other tools and strategies primary care providers can use to screen older drivers.

The Florida State University chapter of WhiteCoats4BlackLives at the College of Medicine is hosting Racism Awareness Week. Second-year student Taylor Maramara, said the chapter’s events helps students within the college gain a better understanding of race and culture on health disparities played out in the country.

A study by Antonio Terracciano, associate professor at the FSU College of Medicine, found that personality trait changes are unlikely in the preclinical phase of dementia. The research was published in  JAMA Psychiatry .

This article discusses common numbers and statistics people often use to determine how healthy they are. Angelina Sutin, associate professor of Behavioral Sciences and Social Medicine at the Florida State University College of Medicine, comments on health statistics, how they are perceived, and what they mean for your health.

Research conducted since the late 1990s has consistenly shown that children who suffer through adverse experiences and childhood stress experience a greater risk for health issues as adults. Elena Reyes, a clinical psychologist and regional director for the Florida State University College of Medicine in Southwest Florida, is leading a study to examine how chronic childhood stress might impact the development of young minds.

Susan Salahshor, president of the Florida Academy of Physician Assistants and professor at the FSU College of Medicine School of Physician Assistant Practice, is a facilitator for the Mental Health First Aid initiative. A coalition of five Jacksonville hospitals launched the campaign last January to provide free adult mental health first aid training. During 2017 the initiative trained 3,398 people and will continue in 2018.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, four out of five mothers start breastfeeding their newborn after delivery. However, breastfeeding rates decrease significantly as the months go by. FSU College of Medicine's Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education, Joan Meek, comments on possible issues breastfeeding mothers may encounter.

County commissioners in October signed off on a plan to house Florida State University medical students for free while they serve apprenticeships with Citrus County physicians. Up to six FSU medical students will live in a Citrus Springs home the county owns for a two-year program beginning in June 2018.

A recent Danish study, in collaboration with Florida State University College of Medicine clerkship faculty member Armand B. Cognetta, found that one of the most popular drugs used worldwide to treat high blood pressure raises your risk of skin cancer seven times. The findings were published in the Journal of the American Association of Dermatology.

Doctors and donors gathered on Thursday evening in pursuit of a lofty goal: To build a framework in Citrus County for clinical training of medical students through Florida State University. Also in attendance were FSU College of Medicine personnel involved in the effort, including regional campus dean and associate dean for clinical research Michael Muszynski, assistant dean for development Jim McNeill, and director of campus clinical relations Cindy Tyler.

A 2017 report published by the Safety Net Hospital Alliance of Florida in partnership with the Teaching Hospital Council of Florida shows that Collier, Lee and Sarasota counties face a severe shortage of primary-care physicians. Florida hospitals have seen a 29 percent increase in the number of residency slots since 2013, but more are still needed to meet the growing need for Florida phsyicians.

In observance of World AIDS Day and the beginning of AIDS Awareness Month, the FSU College of Medicine's Student National Medical Association hosted its third annual HIV/AIDS Awareness Candlelight Vigil on Friday, Dec. 1.

The 2017 Capital Medical Society Alliance (CMSA) donated $2,500 for accessible healthcare and healthcare educationto benefit the community. Monies raised at a fundraiser in September enabled CMSA to donate $1,000 to Brehon House, $1,000 to the Florida State University College of Medicine and $500 to Capital Medical Society Foundation.

Through the FSU College of Medicine's SSTRIDE (Science Students Together Reaching Instructional Diversity and Excellence) program, ninth-grade students at Sarasota High School are exposed to pre-med curriculum. Recently, with the guidance of optometrist Densie Froan Billings, they dissected cow eyes and analzyed optic nerves in an introduction to anatomy and physiology course.

The FSU College of Medicine Internal Medicine Residency program at Sarasota Memorial Healthcare meets a critical need by continuing a legacy of quality, accessible medical care for the community.

A new study found that those who grow up in warmer climates are significantly more likely to be agreeable, open and emotionally stable. Antonio Terracciano, a professor of geriatrics at the FSU College of Medicine, says the topic is “fascinating,” though he notes there isn’t a strong link between actual personalities and stereotypes.

The FSU College of Medicine was one of 24 schools in the nation to receive  Insight Into Diversity  magazine's Health Professions Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award. The award recognizes health professions schools that ensure individuals of all background and identities have access to health professions programs and careers. This article discusses schools' abilities to deliver on this commitment and the positive impacts it has on providing equitable, culturally competent healthcare to all patient populations.

To raise awareness about living with diabetes and the key differences between the two types, the Florida State University College of Medicine hosted an informative event on World Diabetes Day Tuesday, Nov. 15.

FSU College of Medicine Chair of Behavioral Sciences and Social Medicine Les Beitsch authored a post for the The Journal of Public Health Management & Practice website about the Gulf Region Health Outreach Program (GRHOP), which has addressed public health issues in response to both natural and manmade disasters such as the Deep Water Horizon oil spill.

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According to a new report, U.S. seniors struggle more to pay for healthcare compared to other countries, thus making the availability of health care for U.S. seniors behind that of other affluent nations. Ken Brummel-Smith, Department of Geriatrics professor at the College of Medicine, comments on providing the elderly with better care.

The Minority and Multicultural Health (MMH) and Latino Faculty (LF) Collaboratives received a Society of Teachers of Family Medicine (STFM) Foundation Project Fund grant to develop a faculty mentorship infrastructure for STFM in 2015, ending December 2017. FSU College of Medicine associate professor Joedrecka Brown Speigths is serving as the principal investigator on the project.

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The Fort Pierce Regional Campus of the Florida State University College of Medicine recently celebrated its 10th anniversary at a “Denim and Diamonds” event. Five scholarships were presented along with faculty awards.

Wayne Batchelor, clinical associate professor at the College of Medicine, recently found that women and minority patients are more likely to have ischemic events as a result of undergoing coronary angioplasty with a drug-eluting stent. Batchelor discusses how the findings highlight the importance of enrolling diverse groups in clinical trials.

Third-year FSU med student Katelyn Harrison completed her 13th marathon on Nov. 5, running a 3:28:45 in the New York City Marathon. She dedicated her race to Cody Canavan, an FSU medical student who was diagnosed with leukemia earlier this year.

In early October, more than 400 students from four health-care disciplines swarmed the halls of the College of Medicine's Clinical Learning Center for a crash course in interdisciplinary collaboration, meant to improve geriatric care for Florida's growing population of older adults.

On Thursday, Nov. 9, Big Bend Hospice and the FSU College of Medicine and College of Law Center for Innovative Collaboration in Medicine and Law is sponsoring a public lecture on advance care planning. Dr. Jay Wolfson will share lessons he learned while serving as the court-appointed Guardian Ad-Litem for Terri Schiavo, whose death is the most litigated case in the history of bioethics.

Providence, a community in southwest Tallahassee, is poised for change and development in the neighborhood, including plans to build a Florida State Unviersity College of Medicine health center near Roberts Ave. and Eisenhower St.

Joan Meek, chairwoman of the American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Breastfeeding and associate dean for Graduate Medical Education at the College of Medicine, comments on signs, symptoms and treatment of mastitis. Mastitis is painful inflammation of breast tissue that occurs in women who breastfeed.

The time of day of your surgery could have long-term impacts on your health. That’s according to researchers who looked at the way circadian rhythm — the body’s internal clock— affects the outcomes of a patient recovering from a complex heart procedure. FSU College of Medicine professor James Olcese comments on the importance of circadian rhythm biology.

The Florida State College of Medicine is partnering with the new Care Point Health and Wellness Center run by Big Bend Cares. The facility, located on the corner of South Monroe Street and Magnolia Drive in Tallahassee, received a formal ribbon cutting on Oct. 26.