Health First puts halt on โnon-emergencyโ surgeries that require overnight hospital stay
Health First is suspending all "non-emergency" surgeries that require an overnight hospital stay for at least the next two weeks, as a result of the surge in COVID-19 cases in the community and increasing hospitalizations.
Brevard Zoo turns to MRI for black bear Brody, hoping to solve neurological issue
Caretakers at the Brevard Zoo are determined to get to the bottom of the health issues for a Florida black bear cub discovered in the Ocala National Forest a little more than a year ago using the latest technology to make sure he has the best life possible.
Health First gives Valentineโs Day packages to 160 seniors in Melbourne
A bunch of seniors in Brevard County received a nice surprise to start Valentineโs Day weekend. MELBOURNE, Fla. โ A group of seniors in Brevard County received a nice surprise to start Valentineโs Day weekend. Health First associates gave gifts to 160 seniors at the Trinity Towers South in Melbourne. [TRENDING: Your funniest Valentineโs Day stories | Big snake: 16-foot python caught in Fla. | Video: Mom tackles accused peeper]This is the second year Health First shared gift packages with Trinity Towers South. The packages included breakfast, arts and crafts and crossword puzzles.
Floridaโs COVID-19 death toll surpasses 23,000 as state continues to report high infection rate
ORLANDO, Fla. โ As cases, deaths and hospitalizations continue to climb Floridians are eager to receive a vaccine as soon as possible. โHealth First is honored to be able to continue to protect our community from COVID-19,โ Health First Chief Clinical Officer Dr. Jeffrey Stalnaker said. The vaccines come after Florida reported its highest total of new cases for 2020 on Thursday with close to 20,000 new cases. [Register for the COVID-19 vaccine in Florida here]Both Orange and Marion counties reported single-day records when it comes to positive coronavirus cases. VaccinationsThe Florida Department of Health recently began releasing a daily report on COVID-19 vaccines administered throughout the state.
Health First receives nearly 2,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine for Brevard seniors, health care workers
BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. โ Brevard County is gearing up to begin administering COVID-19 vaccinations to people ages 65 and older, as well as health care workers who provide direct patient care. We are appreciative of @GovRonDeSantis and @FLSERT Director Jared Moskowitz, for their efforts to provide us with nearly 2,000 Pfizer vaccines. โ Health First (@Health_First) January 8, 2021โHealth First is honored to be able to continue to protect our community from COVID-19,โ Health First Chief Clinical Officer Dr. Jeffrey Stalnaker said. Healthcare workers who sign up to receive a vaccine must bring a photo ID or healthcare badge for proof of identity. They should also include COVID-19 vaccine as the reason for their visit and fill in all of the required fields.
Health First workersโ spouses vaccinated ahead of general public, sparking anger for some
Health First said when it became clear that he supplies would be available after vaccinating healthcare workers, the health system expanded its offerings, it stated. But the news that Health First spouses were even in line to get the vaccine ahead of other health care professionals was enough to produce anger from some in the medical community. Several health care workers who asked to remain anonymous emailed FLORIDA TODAY to express their frustration. Itโs not known whether the vaccine will halt transmission, meaning vaccinated health workers may still be capable of passing the virus onto those around them. Along with the push to vaccinate health workers, Florida has already been vaccinating residents of long-term care facilities.
COVID-19 nurse first to receive Moderna vaccine at Brevard County hospital
MELBOURNE, Fla. โ Brevard Countyโs largest hospital group said it received its first doses of the Moderna coronavirus vaccine Monday for frontline workers and high-priority patients. The hospital chain said its first shipment arrived at Holmes Regional Medical Center and the staff immediately got to work administering shots to 72 people. Health First said after the first shot, recipients will be scheduled for their second shot, happening in the next four weeks. After arriving at Holmes Monday, Health First said the Moderna vaccine is also available at its three other Brevard hospitals. Health First said its 2,500 frontline workers have a choice - they can decide not to get the vaccine if they donโt want to.
37-year-old woman fatally struck by vehicle, Cocoa Beach police say
COCOA BEACH, Fla. โ A vehicle exiting Health Firstโs Cape Canaveral Hospital struck and killed a pedestrian Sunday night, according to the Cocoa Beach Police Department. Police said the victim was a 37-year-old woman. Her name has not been released. The blue 2011 Volkswagen is believed to have exited the parking lot of Cape Canaveral Hospital and pulled onto State Road 520 around 10 p.m. when the crash occurred, records show. Anyone with information about the crash is asked to call the Cocoa Beach Police Department at 321-868-3251.
High coronavirus positive case rate reveals flaws in Florida Department of Health report
Some of the private laboratories are not reporting any negative tests but hundreds of positive COVID-19 tests. In recent days, the Florida Department of Health noticed that some smaller, private labs werent reporting negative test result data to the state. Health First, a Brevard County health care provider, has seven labs with only positive test results, per the state numbers. News 6 reached out to the facilities across Central Florida with high positivity rates in the state report. A review of the state report found that the hospitals testing data shared with News 6 does not match for St.