Beginning Feb. 24, the “Florida WIC Temporary Powder Formula Options” will no longer be in effect. Infants receiving standard powder formula will be changed to a WIC food package for “All SIZES Contract Powder Formula,” which includes the option to purchase any of the following formulas:

n Enfamil Infant powder in 12.5, 21.1, and 29.4 oz. sizes

n Enfamil Gentlease powder in 12.4, 19.9, and 27.7 oz. sizes 

n Enfamil Reguline powder in 12.4 and 19.5 oz. sizes

n Enfamil A.R. powder in 12.9, 19.5, 27.4, and 30.4 oz. sizes

n Similac Soy Isomil powder in 12.4 and 30.8 oz. sizes

Beginning April 27, only the 12.4 to 12.9 oz. sizes of contract powder formula listed above will be able to be purchased by WIC clients. The contract concentrated liquid formula is not part of the “All SIZES Contract Powder Formula” food package. If a concentrated liquid formula is preferred, parents/caregivers must request one of the following:

Enfamil Infant concentrated liquid in 13 fl. oz. size or Similac Soy Isomil concentrated liquid in 13 fl. oz. size.

A WIC parent or caregiver is encouraged to talk to their baby’s health care provider when the baby is not tolerating a formula. A medical request is needed for WIC to consider providing a formula other than the contract formulas. Children 12 months and older also need a medical request in order to receive a formula from WIC.

Not all requested formulas are available through the Florida WIC program. To make a medical request, the Florida WIC Medical Documentation for Formula and Food form is available at FLWIC.org under the Health Providers tab.

For more information on Florida WIC contract infant formula changes visit FLWIC.org or contact the Florida Department of Health in Okaloosa County WIC Office at 850-833-9254.

In 2020, Florida was among the states reporting the highest percentages of uninsured nonelderly women at 12%-22%, as stated by the Kaiser Family Foundation.

In the fight against breast cancer, early detection by mammogram and self-examination can save a life. The American Cancer Society said these screenings can detect cancer before any symptoms are felt, finding it early before it has a chance to spread.

An under- or uninsured woman’s financial circumstance will often be a barrier to care. Studies show that most uninsured women report not seeing a health care provider for an extended period of time because they cannot afford it. These women typically have poorer health outcomes because medical costs can be a significant burden.

There is one organization, Baptist Healthcare Foundation, that is working to bridge the gap for uninsured women through their mammogram fund. Since the beginning of the fund 13 years ago, it has provided 2,645 screening. Of those, 681 required additional testing, leading to 93 biopsies paid for in part or in full by the foundation. Thirty-two of those women were diagnosed with breast cancer.

“The odds of surviving breast cancer are greatest when the disease is detected, diagnosed and treated early,” KC Gartman, Baptist’s Chief Development Officer said. “The earlier the detection, the greater the chances.”

Baptist Healthcare is unique in many ways, but one way that allows them to make the best decisions for the patients is that they don’t have a corporate headquarters to answer to.

“We are owned by the community. We don’t answer to a corporate headquarters anywhere,” Gartman said. “We believe it is our duty to care for our community whether you have insurance or not. We are a hospital of and for our community.”

The foundation works directly with organizations in the community to raise funds for mammograms. Gartman said it would not be possible without contributions from Pink Ribbon Pensacola, Pensacola Breast Cancer Association and Pink Pirates of Navarre. They also have corporate partnerships like Pensacola Honda – Your Local Honda Dealer. Last year the fund raised $100,000.

There is also hope and financial assistance available for women who receive the diagnosis of breast cancer and are uninsured. The foundation will offer a level of financial assistance based on the patient’s income. It exemplifies the hospital’s motto – “Helping people throughout life’s journey.”

“We do not want any woman to have financial barriers to this lifesaving scan,” Gartman said.

Mammograms are an X-ray of the breast and often they are the best way to find breast cancer early. But being familiar with how your breasts look and feel can help you detect lumps, pain or a change that could be concerning.

“You know your body better than anyone,” Gartman said. Examining yourself regularly can detect a problem. The American Cancer Society lists possible symptoms as:

n Swelling of all or part of a breast

n Skin dimpling

n Breast or nipple pain

n Nipple retraction

n Nipple or breast skin that is red, dry, flaking or thickened

n Nipple discharge

n Swollen lymph nodes under the arm or near the collar bone.

It is important to have any new breast mass, lump or other changed checked by an experienced health care professional.

The foundation’s mammogram fund stands at the ready to help women in need.

“If a woman is told she needs to get a mammogram, do not be scared to reach out,” Gartman said. “All they have to do is call us at 850-469-7500 and tell the person on the other end of the phone you want to be qualified for the mammogram program.”

“October is a great time to highlight the importance of women’s health and wellness,” said Alan Gieseman, White-Wilson CEO. “We’re glad to help contribute to a safe space for any woman in need while honoring the amazing work the women at White-Wilson do each and every day.”

Gieseman continued, “We are fortunate to have so many outstanding women caring for our community and will take any opportunity to celebrate them. I hope that the bunk will be a blessing to other women for years to come.”  For additional information about White-Wilson Medical Center and its team of health care professionals, visit white-wilson.com or its Facebook page.

The two options being presented by Escambia County are the old Baptist facility on Moreno and E Streets and creating an extension on Sacred Heart’s campus, where the current facility is.

The current facility is 4,000 square feet and has limited storage capabilities.

District One Medical Examiner’s Office Services (DOMES) has been working to determine where a new facility will be built and how. DOMES oversees the Medical Examiner’s Office and comprises of representatives from the office and from the counties in District One (Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, and Walton).

The Santa Rosa County proposal is for a 29,000-square-foot facility that will cost around $24 million. A location off Commerce Road in Milton has been identified as a potential site.

Dan Schebler, director of operations for the Medical Examiner’s Office, says he is not sure if either Escambia location is a viable option.

One of the key arguments from Escambia County commissioners is the Medical Examiner’s Office is having the facility close to the people studying and working in the medical industry, particularly those still learning.

When asked about his thoughts on the alternative Escambia County locations, Santa Rosa County Commissioner Dave Piech said he felt the new DOMES site needed to be more centralized. He said he prefers for the site to be in Santa Rosa County but is open to having it in Okaloosa County if given a better, more cost effective option.

Schebler said there was one option brought up by Okaloosa County Commissioners for a location in Holt. He said the option went nowhere due to a lack of adequate sanitary sewer service.

When it comes to determining funding, DOMES is between a rock and hard place. The counties involved in DOMES cannot agree on how to fund the project without knowing a location and are having trouble with where the location should be because they aren’t sure how it will be funded.

“It’s a circular situation, they are linked issues,” Schebler said. “Hard to talk about one without talking about the other.”

During the Aug. 18 Escambia County commission meeting, Commissioner Doug Underhill shared a similar sentiment when he compared funding confusion to the question of what came first: the chicken or the egg?

In addition to determining county funding for the project, there is also the question of state funding. Back in July, DOMES representatives met with State Senator Doug Broxson to discuss a new Medical Examiner’s Office facility.

Broxson presented an idea for how to fund the project. His solution was to have every county pay equally for the first half of the costs and proportional for the second half of the costs. If agreed to by at least three out of the four counties, language would be drafted to revise the interlocal agreement between the counties.

Okaloosa County agreed to commit $3 million to the project and Santa Rosa County indicated they would be willing to do the same during an Aug. 8 Commission meeting.

Last year, the legislature gave a state appropriation of $250,000 to the DOMES project. That covered the total cost of the first phase, where Caldwell Associates Architects researched, developed a floor plan for the Santa Rosa site, and provided potential cost estimates. That is where the $24 million total came from.

This past legislative season, an additional $500,000 was made available for the design of the project. If an agreement between the counties can be reached, Broxson will likely pursue more funding from the state.

Annual operational costs for the office are shared proportionally across the four counties based on the prior year’s case load. In other words, it has to do with how many cases came from each county.

“That percentage is calculated at the end of the calendar year and that is used to split the budget by county for the next fiscal year,” Schebler said.

Schebler said those costs include lease payments for the current facilities they are operating out of now.

While DOMES is looking at the long term when it comes to funding and building a new facility, they are also dealing with more immediate problems.

At the Aug. 18 Escambia Commission meeting, Schebler told the board the Medical Examiner’s Office was facing a serious capacity issue that needs to be addressed before the new facility could be completed.

There is one cooler for storing decedents and Sacred Heart also uses the cooler for non-Medical Examiner’s Office cases. Schebler said they get 26 to 30 bodies weekly. With a max capacity of 32 bodies for the cooler, it has become untenable.

“Regardless of the future facility construction, which is going to take two years from the time we start in earnest,” Schebler said. “We are going to run out of storage space within the next nine months. Something must be done with the current facility to even make it to a new facility.” Schebler said Sacred Heart is currently looking at options that would provide a “band-aid” to get the Medical Examiner’s Office through the next couple years. He said if the Office doesn’t get the additional space, they may have to use refrigeration trailers.