HEALTH BRIEFS
From Special Reports
Legislature passes Cover Florida Plan

Senator Durell Peaden last week applauded the Legislature's approval of Gov. Charlie Crist's Cover Florida Plan, a market-based approach to creating greater opportunities for Floridians to access affordable health insurance coverage.

"Every Floridian deserves access to quality health care they can afford - no matter where they live, how much they make, or how old they are," Peaden said. "Cover Florida will provide more choices for Floridians on a voluntary basis."

Cover Florida will leverage competition in the existing market by challenging private insurance companies to create and bid on robust, innovative health insurance products designed to be $150 per month or less.

To develop these low-cost plans, Florida will announce a competitive Intent to Negotiate process, through which winning insurance companies will be awarded with contracts. Through this process, the state will approve at least one plan with a statewide plan, and might approve regional plans as well, maximizing the opportunity for consumer choice. The plan does not raise or require tax dollars.

Red Cross issues call for blood

The American Red Cross is in need of volunteer blood donors with all blood types, particularly those with Type O Positive or Type O Negative, due to the continuing critical need. The American Red Cross is urging all eligible donors to give at blood drives and donor centers over the next several weeks as a way of keeping the blood supply at a safe and stable level.

Two locations in Gulf Breeze - the hospital and middle school - are accepting donations today.

The most critical current need is for donors with Type O blood, because Type O blood makes up more than half of the total blood requested by the more than 100 hospitals served in the Alabama and Central Gulf Coast Region.

Because O Negative is considered "universal donor" blood, it can be used to treat trauma patients in an emergency when time is of the essence and the patient's blood type is unknown. This makes it an extremely important part of a safe and stable blood supply, and there is always a tremendous demand for this type of blood due to its versatility.

O Positive blood is the most common type and can be transfused into patients with positive blood types.

B Negative is a rare blood type, and often, when an emergency need is realized, there is no time for B Negative donors to respond. These factors make it especially important that the American Red Cross has a stable supply of both O Negative and B Negative blood types at all times.

Cosmetic surgery to be discussed

The Skin Care Center of Gulf Breeze, at 2874 Gulf Breeze Parkway, invites the public to an evening discussion about various cosmetic surgery procedures next Thursday, May 22, at 6 p.m.

Dr. James Frost, plastic surgeon at Medical Center Clinic, will give an informative presentation. Dr. Kevin Welch, a dermatologist, will briefly discuss laser treatments for skin correction and anti-aging efforts.

Early arrivals can receive a complimentary makeover with Jane Iredale Mineral Makeup or a computerized skin analysis.

Seating is limited. Call 916- 9969 to reserve a spot or for more information.

1st Baptist Navarre to host Dental Bus

The First Baptist Church of Navarre, 9302 Navarre Parkway next to Wal-Mart, again will sponsor the Florida Baptist Convention Dental Bus on May 27-30 from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. and 1-4:30 p.m.

This is for emergency dental care only (not routine cleaning). It is free to those who qualify (state guidelines must be met), and is available only to Santa Rosa County residents.

Registration dates are May 19-20 from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

For more information, contact the church at 939-3424 or Jolene Walker at

936-4058.

Sacred Heart to inform public about Urinary Incontinence

Sacred Heart Hospital's SeniorSpirit! program will present a free seminar on urinary incontinence therapy on Wednesday, May 21, from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. in the Dudley Greenhut Auditorium on Sacred Heart's main Pensacola campus.

The seminar will be presented by Rita Gedney, a doctorate of physical therapy and incontinence therapist at Sacred Heart Rehabilitation on Davis Highway.

The seminar will discuss the different types urinary incontinence as well as therapy programs to control or eliminate this condition without surgery or medication.

Urinary incontinence occurs when the bladder cannot hold urine and some or all of it leaks out. More than 13 million Americans experience loss of bladder control. However, women suffer from incontinence twice as often as men do.

Registration is required and seating is limited. To register, call (850) 416-1620 or 1-877- 416-1620.
Donate Blood
The American Red
Cross will be accepting
blood donations at two
Gulf Breeze locations
today (May 15).
Gulf Breeze Middle
School, 649 Gulf
Breeze Parkway, 10 a.m.
to 3 p.m.
Gulf Breeze
Hospital, 1110 Gulf
Breeze Parkway, 10:30
a.m. to 3:30 p.m.