DuBose Ausley Retires From Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida Board of Directors. - Managed Care Weekly Digest

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida (BCBSF) announced that DuBose Ausley, a champion for quality health care in Florida, is retiring from the BCBSF Board of Directors after 26 years of dedicated service (see also Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida).

'Duby Ausley has been instrumental in shaping the direction of our company to meet the healthcare needs of our communities. It is thanks to his insight that we are a stronger organization, poised to face the challenges ahead,' said Robert I. Lufrano, M.D., BCBSF chairman and chief executive officer. 'We have benefited significantly from Duby's wisdom, expertise and dedication.'

Ausley is an attorney with the law firm of Ausley & McMullen, P.A., and is also on the board of directors of Capital Health Plan, Inc., a BCBSF affiliate. In addition, Ausley serves on the board of directors of TECO Energy, Inc., Tampa Electric Company, Inc., Huron Consulting Group, Inc., Capital City Bank Group, Inc., and the Orange Bowl Committee. He resides in Tallahassee, Florida.

Other board activity today included the reelection of Leerie T. Jenkins, Jr., John B. Ramil and Lufrano to three-year terms as directors.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida is a leader in Florida's health industry. BCBSF and its subsidiaries serve more than 8.8 million people. Since 1944, the company has been dedicated to meeting the diverse needs of all those it serves by offering an array of choices. BCBSF is a not-for-profit, policyholder-owned, tax-paying mutual company. Headquartered in Jacksonville, Fla., BCBSF is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, an association of independent Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies. For more information concerning BCBSF, please visit their Web site at www.bcbsfl.com.

Keywords: Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida, Managed Care.

Florida Board places 90-day ban on in-office cosmetic procedure. - Health & Medicine Week

2004 FEB 23 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The Florida Board of Medicine has issued an 90-day ban on combined tummy tuck and liposuction procedures performed in doctors' offices while it looks into several deaths that resulted from such operations in recent years.

The decision prohibits doctors from conducting the two procedures, which cut away excess skin and vacuum out fat, within 14 days of each other. Doctors who perform such procedures in their offices must also must also submit surgery logs for a seven-month period from June 1, 2003, to January 1, 2004.

The board will use that information to help determine if the state needs tougher safety standards.

'Our job is to protect public safety,' said board member Nabil El Sanadi, an emergency room physician in Fort Lauderdale. 'Maybe some physicians are more cavalier than they should be.'

In its meeting on February 6, 2004, the board reviewed eight deaths that followed plastic surgery operations since mid-2002. Half of those deaths came after the combined tummy tuck-liposuction operation. El Sanadi said the board will try to determine why the deaths occurred.

In 2000, after four deaths within 5 months, the board placed a 3-month moratorium on all types of office surgery. The board then issued a host of regulations, including accreditation of surgical offices, limits on the length of cosmetic procedures and a requirement that patients at high risk of complications undergo procedures at surgical centers.

There are an estimated 77,000 cosmetic operations annually in Florida, most of which take place in offices.

A report in the Archives of Surgery in September looked at Florida's in-office surgeries from April 2000 to 2002. The report found patients who underwent procedures in doctors' offices were 10 times more likely to die, compared with patients who went to surgical centers. Researchers concluded that moving all operations to surgical centers would have saved six lives and prevented 43 injuries per year.

Paul Barach, MD, an anesthesiologist who directs the University of Miami School of Medicine/Jackson Memorial Hospital's Center for Patient Safety, said office operations lack the type of support system hospitals offer.

'When you're in a mall in Broward County, and you get anaphylactic shock, it's not like there are 26 people who can jump to attention. There's no one there,' he said.

UNIVERSITY OF WEST FLORIDA BOARD OF TRUSTEES APPROVES TWO NEW ACADEMIC PROGRAMS - US Fed News Service, Including US State News

The University of West Florida, a component of the Florida state university system, issued the following news release:

The University of West Florida Board of Trustees met on the main campus in Pensacola, March 20. They approved two new academic programs to meet local, regional and state needs. The Masters of Science in Nursing and Masters of Social Work programs are slated to begin in the fall of 2007 and 2008. The board also approved the naming of the 'Warren and Helen Wentworth All-Steinway School Piano Program' in recognition, honor, and appreciation of the recent generous gift from Helen Wentworth. Also approved were the 2007-2008 student fee schedules for student activity, athletics, health, educational research center, child development, university housing, residence life and material and supply fees.

The board endorsed a legislative request, providing that permanent base funding is allocated, to transfer Mission San Luis to the university. Mission San Luis is the only Spanish mission still existing in Florida and consists of several historic sites such as a Franciscan church, Council House, Hispanic Village, friary complex and several educational programs. The board also adopted a resolution on presidential authority. They endorsed an institutional response to the Pappas Report 'Proposing a Blueprint for Higher Education in Florida: Outlining the Way to a Long-term Master Plan for Higher Education in Florida.' The board also approved its meeting schedule for 2007-2008.

The board received numerous informational updates such as happenings at the Emerald Coast Campus, the UWF Strategic Planning process, the Campus Master Planning process, the federal agenda, the university review, the Association of Governing Boards Statement on Board Accountability and retired employee benefits.Contact: Kim Spear, 850/474-2200, kspear@uwf.edu.

GOV. CRIST ANNOUNCES APPOINTMENTS TO FLORIDA BOARD OF MEDICINE - US Fed News Service, Including US State News

Gov. Charlie Crist, R-Fla., has issued the following news release:

Gov. Charlie Crist on Friday, March 16, re-appointed John W. Beebe of Boca Raton and Dr. Steven P. Rosenberg of Palm Beach to the Florida Board of Medicine. Gov. Charlie Crist also appointed Dr. Michael A. Chizner of Ft. Lauderdale, Dr. Onelia G. Lage of Coral Gables, Dr. Tully Patrowicz of Eustis and Dr. George Thomas of Bradenton.

'These individuals will each bring a unique perspective to the board based on their varied professional experiences and community involvement,' said Governor Crist. 'Their common thread is a desire to enhance the quality and availability of medical care for all Floridians.'

The Board of Medicine establishes licensing regulations, provides certification for physicians and physician assistants, and has the authority to impose penalties for licensing violations. The Board of Medicine consists of ten physicians and five lay members. Appointments are subject to confirmation by the Florida Senate.

'Health is crucial to every person's quality of life and paramount to the vitality of our state,' said Governor Crist. 'I am certain these members of the Board of Medicine will maintain Florida's high standards and work to ensure that every Floridian has access to quality healthcare.'

John W. Beebe, 51, is the chief executive officer of Spectrum Personnel Inc. He formerly served as the chief executive officer of Atlantic Surgical Center Inc. and the chief executive officer of Colorectal and GI Specialists of South Florida Inc. Mr. Beebe is a certified public accountant and graduated from Portland State University and the American Graduate School of International Management. He is re-appointed as a lay member for a term beginning March 16, 2007, and ending October 31, 2009.

Dr. Steven P. Rosenberg, 56, is the president of Dermatology at Palm Beach Inc. He is a past president of the Florida Society of Dermatology & Dermatologic Surgery and has served as an expert witness for the Florida Board of Medicine. Dr. Rosenberg graduated from New York University and Albert Einstein College of Medicine. He is re-appointed for a term beginning March 16, 2007, and ending October 31, 2010.

Dr. Michael A. Chizner, 57, is the chief medical director of the Heart Center of Excellence of the North Broward Hospital District. He also serves as a clinical professor of medicine at the University of Miami School of Medicine, the University of Florida College of Medicine, Nova Southeastern University of Osteopathic Medicine and Barry University. Dr. Chizner graduated from New York University and Cornell University Medical College. He will succeed Onelia Lage and is appointed for a term beginning March 16, 2007, and ending October 31, 2010.

Dr. Onelia G. Lage, 45, is a pediatrician at the University if Miami. She formerly worked as an associate professor at the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Miami School of Medicine. Dr. Lage graduated from Miami Dade College and Universidad Central del Este Medical School in the Dominican Republic. She will succeed Raghavendra Vijayanagar and is appointed for a term beginning March 16, 2007, and ending October 31, 2010.

Dr. Tully Patrowicz, 75, is a self-employed ophthalmologist. He has served in numerous leadership positions within the health care field and also worked as a public school teacher of science and mathematics in St. Lucie County. Dr. Patrowicz graduated from Columbia University, the Southern College of Optometry, Indiana University and the University of Miami School of Medicine. He will succeed Trina Espinola and is appointed for a term beginning March 16, 2007, and ending October 31, 2010.

Dr. George Thomas, 62, is a cardiologist and president of Bradenton Cardiology Center. He formerly served in the position of chief of medicine and later as chief of staff for Manatee Memorial Hospital. Dr. Thomas graduated from St. Thomas College, Medical College Kottayam, India, and New Jersey College of Medicine. He will succeed Thomas Peters and is appointed for a term beginning March 16, 2007, and ending October 31, 2010.Contact: Erin Isaac, 850/488-5394.

GOV. SCOTT APPOINTS 3 NEW MEMBERS OF UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA BOARD OF TRUSTEES - US Fed News Service, Including US State News

GAINESVILLE, Fla., May 9 -- The University of Florida issued the following news release:

Gov. Rick Scott has announced the appointments of William Michael Heekin, Alan M. Levine and Juliet M. Roulhac to the University of Florida Board of Trustees.

Heekin, 58, of Sandy Springs, Ga., is the president of Heekin Advisors LLC, a consulting firm in Atlanta. He succeeds Dianna Morgan and is appointed for a term beginning May 6, 2011, and ending Jan. 6, 2016. Heekin was a founding board member and first chief operating officer of WebMD. He earned degrees in accounting and law from UF, where he was president of Florida Blue Key. He also has an MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He is an emeritus member of the UF Law Association Board of Trustees.

Levine, 43, of Naples, is the Division 3 president of Health Management Associates Inc. He succeeds Daniel Ponce and is appointed for a term beginning May 6, 2011, and ending Jan. 6, 2016. Levine received a bachelor's degree in health education and two master's degrees in business administration and health services from UF. In his current position with HMA, he is responsible for hospitals in Florida, Georgia, Oklahoma, Kentucky and West Virginia.

Roulhac, 47, of Plantation, is a senior attorney for Florida Power & Light Company. She succeeds Roland Daniels and is appointed for a term beginning May 6, 2011, and ending Jan. 6, 2015. Roulhac received a bachelor's degree and her law degree from UF. She serves on the Florida Bar's Board of Governors and is an emeritus member of the UF Law Association Board of Trustees. She practices in the area of complex tort and electrical litigation for Florida Power & Light.

The appointments are subject to confirmation by the Florida Senate. For any query with respect to this article or any other content requirement, please contact Editor at htsyndication@hindustantimes.com

FLORIDA BOARD OF GOVERNORS REAPPOINTS S. LAWRENCE KAHN, III AND ALBERT MAURY TO FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY BOARD OF TRUSTEES - US Fed News Service, Including US State News

MIAMI, Jan. 21 -- Florida International University, a component of the state university system, issued the following news release:

The Florida Board of Governors reappointed S. Lawrence Kahn, III, president and CEO of Lowell Homes, Inc., and Albert Maury '96 '02, president and CEO of Leon Medical Centers Health Plans, to serve on Florida International University's Board of Trustees.

'I am deeply honored by this opportunity to serve FIU for another term,' said Kahn, who has served on the BOT since 2009. 'I have been a proud member of the FIU family for 10 years and I am honored to continue serving. Together, we will continue to steer FIU through these challenging times.'

In 2001, he joined the FIU Foundation Board of Directors and became its chair in 2006.

Kahn is the founder of Lowell Homes, a developer and builder of residential communities throughout the state of Florida. The company has built thousands of housing units since 1986. He also serves as vice chairman of the Baptist Hospital of Miami Board of Directors and is a past president of Builders Association of South Florida and a member of the Board of Governors of the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce.

Kahn completed his B.

A. at Amherst College in 1968 and earned a Master's in business administration from Harvard University School of Business in 1972.

Kahn, who is originally from Memphis, lives with his wife Susan in Coral Gables. They have three adult children - Lauren Uzarek, Lowell Kahn, M.

D. and Lani Drody - and four grandchildren, all of whom live in South Florida.

Maury, who holds bachelor degrees in business administration and accounting from FIU, is the first undergraduate alumnus appointed to the BOT. He has an extensive background in health care finance, executive negotiations, budgeting and contracting. For any query with respect to this article or any other content requirement, please contact Editor at htsyndication@hindustantimes.com

GOV. CRIST RE-APPOINTS DEBBIE SEMBLER TO UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA BOARD OF TRUSTEES - US Fed News Service, Including US State News

Gov. Charlie Crist, R-Fla., has issued the following news release:

Gov. Charlie Crist on Wednesday, January 31, re-appointed Debbie Sembler of Pinellas Park to serve on the University of South Florida Board of Trustees.

'Debbie is a dedicated community volunteer with a true servant's heart,' said Governor Crist. 'I am pleased that she has agreed to serve the people of our state by continuing in this role.'

The University of South Florida Board of Trustees is charged with implementing and maintaining high-quality education programs consistent with the University's mission. The board provides input regarding compliance with state policy, budgeting and education standards and measures the University's performance.

'I am delighted to serve on the University of South Florida Board of Trustees,' said Ms. Sembler. 'I look forward to working with Governor Crist's administration to ensure the programs we have instituted come to fruition.'

The University of South Florida Board of Trustees is composed of 13 individuals. Six members are appointed by the Governor, and five are appointed by the Florida Board of Governors. The president of the University of South Florida Student Government Association and the president of the University of South Florida Faculty Senate also serve on the board.Debbie Sembler, 50, has served on the University of South Florida Board of Trustees since 2003. She sits on both the Engagement and the Health and Sciences committees. Ms. Sembler is chairman of the University of South Florida-St. Petersburg Campus Board, as well as the liaison for the University of South Florida-Tampa Campus Board. She is an active member of the Gulf Coast Jewish Family Services Agency as well as many other educational and civic organizations. Ms. Sembler graduated from the University of Florida. She is appointed to a term beginning January 31, 2007, and ending January 6, 2011.Contact: Erin Isaac, 850/488-5394.