Nursing Home Visitors Welcome
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+ PLUS >> 2 steps to making thyroid hormone, Health/8A PREP SOCCER PREP BASEBALL Columbia’s Ziegaus Bulldogs use small named Girls POY ball to top Tigers See Page 1B See Page 1B WEDNESDAY, MARCH 24, 2021 | YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER SINCE 1874 | $1.00 Lake City Reporter LAKECITYREPORTER.COM Nursing Back on the table home visitors welcome State rescinds orders on long-term facility visitation. News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration has swept away four emer- gency orders dealing with visitors to nurs- ing homes, just days before the Legislature is poised to pass a bill that would help shield the facilities from lawsuits associated with the covid-19 pandemic. The administration has DeSantis told the nursing-home industry to abide by recent- ly issued federal guidelines that allow visi- tors to touch fully vaccinated residents. Florida Division of Emergency Management Director Jared Moskowitz issued an order on Monday rescinding the four orders he issued last year. The state initially barred nursing-home visitors to try to prevent the spread of the disease but later issued orders that loosened restrictions, including an October order that allowed res- idents to leave facilities to spend time with family and friends for the holidays. “To ensure the continued safety of indi- viduals in care, every facility shall, at a minimum, maintain visitation and infec- tion control policies in accordance with all state and federal laws and shall continue to monitor all (federal) Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance,” Moskowitz wrote in the Monday order. FILE The Lake Shore Regional Medical Center has been closed since August, but Ace Medical is scheduled to make a presen- The administration did not publicly tation to the Lake Shore Hospital Authority board today about its plans for reviving the facility. announce it had withdrawn the previous orders. The governor has made clear, though, in recent weeks that he wants nurs- Ace Medical to make its pitch for resuscitating hospital ing home residents to have greater visita- tion rights now that most residents and staff By TONY BRITT current Lake Shore Hospital with extremely high overhead proposal. members are fully vaccinated or have been [email protected] “model” and expand services expenses.” In addition to the presenta- offered the vaccines. to include sat- Sharma touted his own man- tion, Ace Medical represen- “My view is you need to open it up and The Lake Shore Hospital ellite clinics agerial experience, including tatives are scheduled to field you need to do it,” he said adding that for Authority Board will receive and adding being recognized by the Stevie questions from LSHA board residents the visits are “the type of personal a second consultation on the services, i.e. Awards, which are awarded members, as well as questions interaction that makes life worth living.” future of its vacant hospital. psych, pain for excellence in business. from the public. The presenta- DeSantis also said all long-term care resi- Representatives from Ace management, Ace Medical, which is based tion is expected to last about dents and staff members have been offered Medical are scheduled to home health, in Jacksonville and founded in two hours. vaccines and that most of them have been present their business plan for Sharma etc. 2013, was one of the early, orig- Last month, Panacea Health fully vaccinated. As such, DeSantis said, the the facility, which has been “I firmly inal companies that responded Systems representatives gave number of covid-19 deaths among long-term closed since August, to the believe that in 90-150 days, I to the authority’s request for a presentation detailing what care residents has plummeted. board at 5:15 p.m. today in the will be able to turn this hospital proposals from entities hoping their plan would be to reopen “So let’s embrace that and treat these Lake Shore Hospital Authority into a cash-flow positive one,” to provide medical care in the the hospital. folks like they are immune,” DeSantis said. upstairs meeting room. Ace Medical CEO Madhukar facility. Ace currently operates Panacea was looking for According to the latest state report, 523 Ace Medical is the second Sharma wrote in his proposal five primary-care locations and an opportunity to revive the long-term care facilities — which include potential lessee that has pre- to the LSHA board, adding has 13 healthcare providers in Lake Shore Medical Center assisted living facilities, nursing homes and sented to the LSHA board. that he believed the hospital’s several areas, including pri- building through a phased institutions for people with developmental In September, Ace Medical failure was not “due to a lack mary care, internal medicine, approach that will take a few and intellectual disabilities — in the state representatives sent a pro- of revenue, but instead from a podiatry, psychiatry, counsel- years, initially establishing the posal indicating the company lack of a strong team and man- ing, addiction treatment and NURSING continued on 3A would like to begin with the agement structure coupled home visits, according to its ACE continued on 7A Biden: ‘We have to act’ on gun control Democrats vow that they are pushing Senate House that would require ferent,” Schumer, D-N.Y., While a Senate vote on toward a vote on expanded Majority background checks for said a day after a shoot- new gun control would be vote on gun bills gun control measures as the Leader most gun sales and trans- ing at a crowded Boulder, the first in several years, after shootings. nation reels from its second Chuck fers. He said the Senate Colorado, supermarket, Democrats do not have the mass shooting in a week. Schumer “must confront a devastat- killed 10 people, includ- votes to pass any significant By MARY CLARE JALONICK President Joe Biden said vowed ing truth” after a lack of ing a police officer. “The reform. They are not even Associated Press “we have to act,” but pros- Tuesday congressional action on Senate is going to debate united themselves, as Sen. pects for any major changes Biden morning to the issue for almost three and address the epidemic Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., told WASHINGTON — were dim, for now, in the bring to the Senate floor decades. of gun violence in this coun- Democrats said Tuesday closely divided Congress. legislation passed by the “This Senate will be dif- try.” GUN continued on 7A Vol. 147, No. 3 Opinion . 4A CALL US: TODAY’S WEATHER (386) 752-1293 Advice & Comics . 5A Health. 8A SUBSCRIBE TO 83 58 THE REPORTER: Sports. 1B Voice: 755-5445 Fax: 752-9400 Mostly cloudy, 2A Classifieds . 3B-6B 2A WEDNESDAY, MARCH 24, 2021 LOCAL LAKE CITY REPORTER State Farm awards grant to Junior Achievement QUICK HITS Scripture of the Day $60K grant supports help all students improve students to visualize, first- build a foundation for making financial literacy, work their financial literacy, espe- hand, how the laws of eco- intelligent and informed per- “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: readiness programs. cially the low to moderate nomics unfold in the real sonal finance decisions. for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of income students who derive world, encapsulated in a vir- • JA Northwest Florida Staff report life, which the Lord hath promised to them that greater tual competition. will provide JA Economics love him.” The Junior Achievement benefits • JA Space Coast will pro- for Success through a virtu- — James 1:12 (KJV) Florida Foundation has from the vide third and fourth grade al delivery platform, where been awarded a $60,000 programs.” students a virtual com- students explore their grant from State Farm. Each JA ponent of JA More Thanskills, interests, values, and The state-wide initia- area will Money; a learning experi- the world of work to make Thought for Today tive will support Junior use the ence designed to introduce informed education, career, Truth is strong, and sometime or other will prevail. Achievement learning Kasak support to concepts of money manage- and life decisions. — Mary Astell, 1666-1731, English writer experiences in nine local- advance ment, goods and services, “We are so grateful for ities throughout Florida, learning experiences most and global markets. the support of State Farm enabling thousands of needed in their region. • JA South Florida and all across Florida,” Richard young people to participate • JA Tampa Bay will JA Southwest Florida will George, the president in JA’s nationally recog- deliver JA Inspire Virtual provide the JA Personal of Junior Achievement of Winning Lottery Numbers nized financial literacy and Career Expo supplemented Finance learning experi- Tampa Bay, added in the Pick 3: (Monday p.m.) 6-2-6 work readiness learning with the JA Digital Career ence to high school stu- release. JA is providing our Pick 4: (Monday p.m.) 0-0-4-3 experiences. 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