The American Academy of Pediatrics has updated its guidance on breastfeeding – extending the recommended time for parents to breastfeed their children, while calling for policy change and "nonjudgmental support" for all families' feeding choices.

"We know that any breastfeeding is better than none... and the longer the total duration of breastfeeding the better," Dr. Joan Younger Meek, lead author of the AAP reports and a professor emeritus in clinical sciences at the Florida State University College of Medicine, told USA TODAY, pointing to breastfeeding health benefits for both babies and their parents.

The American Academy of Pediatrics issued a policy statement Monday that extends the period of time for which breastfeeding is recommended to two years or more, but that also acknowledges the obstacles that stand in parents’ way.

“We need societal changes that will help to support this, such as paid leave, more support for breastfeeding in public and child care facilities and workplace support,” said Dr. Joan Meek, a professor emeritus in the department of clinical sciences at the Florida State University College of Medicine and lead author of the new recommendations.

As tourism skyrockets in Orlando, COVID-19 cases have also been on the rise.

Dr. Mark Chaet, dean of the Florida State University College of Medicine's Orlando Regional Campus, said it's important for at-risk people to remain aware and exercise caution, especially when visiting popular tourist destinations this summer.

Leaders at Florida State University and Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare are laying the foundation to establish Tallahassee as a leading medical research and health care center with the construction of FSU Health Tallahassee Center at TMH.

Florida State University President Richard McCullough hopes a planned academic health center will raise the level of medical care in the Tallahassee area.

Every rotation in the third year of medical school provides us with a concrete foundation of clinical knowledge for our medical degree and the opportunity to determine whether or not a particular specialty would be suitable for our future careers.

Pediatrics may teach us about developmental milestones; ob/gyn about the stages of labor; surgery about the 5 W's; family medicine about the USPSTF recommendations; and so on. However, each rotation taught me something unintentionally that could be applied broadly to my role as a resident physician and ultimately my future career.

About Abigail Schirmer
Abigail is a fourth-year medical student at Florida State University College of Medicine. She is interested in general surgery, patient safety research, medical education, and providing compassionate care to patients. Outside of medicine she enjoys running, CrossFit, swimming, general aviation, playing piano, and baking.

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Florida State University pediatrician Mary Norton said she has seen parents pour their last amount of formula into a bottle and tell her, “I have nothing else for my baby.” 

Indeed, families in Tallahassee and throughout Florida are feeling the effects of a national shortage of baby formula that continues to alarm health care workers, government officials and especially parents of infants. 

“I have had multiple conversations with families over the past few weeks who were very concerned about access to formula,” Norton said. “So, what you’re hearing on the national news, we’re seeing locally. For some families, this is a crisis because formula may be the primary or only source of nutrition their child gets.” 

When Cortez Brown picks up his diploma Saturday from Florida State University College of Medicine, he’ll be thinking about his mother and the sacrifices she made for him. 

“Since Day One my mom preached education,” said Brown, noting his mother, Octavia Curtis, didn't finish high school after giving birth to his older sister, who died at 2. “(My mother) stopped because family’s first.”

Brown was thinking about his single, working mom Saturday at the Vero Beach Highlands Clubhouse, where he unveiled plans for Octavian Village, an innovative nonprofit named after her that will provide enhanced educational opportunities for underserved students in Indian River County. 

To Brown, it’s his commitment to give back to a community that nurtured him as a student, complementing the passion for education his mother instilled in him from at least as far back as kindergarten at Rosewood Magnet School.

Students in the FSU College of Medicine's Physician Assistant program who do their clerkship rotations at the Fort Pierce campus have an opportunity to observe robotic surgery with a leader in the field. Adam Kurtin, D.O., of HCA Florida St. Lucie Hospital  has done more than 1,000 of the procedures and says they improve patient outcomes in several ways. He hopes to inspire the PA students to become part of a robotics surgical team.

Abigail Schirmer will move on to a residency in general surgery at Ascension St. John Hospital in Detroit, Mich.,after she graduates from Florida State University's College of Medicine on May 21. Looking back over the past four years, she wrote a letter to her younger self, the young woman who began medical school with no clue what she would experience, including navigating a global pandemic. The letter was originally posted on the Medscape blog.

Florida State University researchers are driving innovation and creating new forms of art while using their knowledge to contribute to Florida and beyond. In an article highlighting "10 Ways FSU is Changing the World," the College of Medicine was listed for its SSTRIDE program. Since 1994, Science Students Together Reaching Instructional Diversity and Excellence (SSTRIDE) has been cultivating pathways for under-represented students in the medical profession to succeed in medicine and other health-related careers. 

Myron Rolle -- elite athlete, Rhodes Scholar, Florida State University College of Medicine graduate, neurosurgery resident and humanitarian -- has faced insecurities, issues of self-worth and prejudice in his life. Yet the former FSU and NFL player never dwelled on those moments because he was, and is, always pursuing a better self. By Jim Henry of the Tallahassee Democrat.

Dhenu Patel, an undergraduate majoring in exercise physiology who is doing cancer research through the biomedical sciences lab of assistant professor Jerome Irianto, has been awarded the Barry Goldwater Scholarship. 

College of Medicine professor Angelina Sutin shares her thoughts on study findings published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology examining personality traits and their link to cognitive health as we age.

Jonathan S. Appelbaum, M.D., has been caring for patients with HIV since 1985. A geriatrician and internist and a professor of Clinical Sciences at the College of Medicine, Appelbaum's interest has been piqued by the intersection of HIV and aging.

Twenty Florida State University graduate programs and specialties rank among the top 25 public universities according to the U.S. News & World Reports "Best Graduate Schools" 2023 edition.

FSU's College of Medicine rose two spots to No. 7 among public medical schools in the publication's ranking of direct patient care programs in professional shortage areas; No. 11 nationwide

Meaghan Kane, a second-year student at the Florida State University College of Medicine, participated in Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation's 2021 Summer Institute for Medical Students program. Kane shares how her week shadowing clinicians and patients at Hazelden Betty Ford in Newberg, Oregon, deepened her understanding of how she can best help future patients and their families.

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John Turner (M.D. Class of 2015), a Tallahassee native, family physician at Tallahassee Primary Care Associates, husband and father of three, spent three days last week at the Poland/Ukraine border. There he offered medical aid, clothing and support to refugees crossing the border; mostly women and children. 

It was a faith-fueled trip for the College of Medicine graduate, who has always felt called to help people in need, having previously traveled to Africa and Nicaragua on missionary trips.

"You look in the eyes of the kids...," Turner said. "It's hard for me to explain, but every single kid I saw anywhere had the same exact expression. Imagine a child having to leave everything they had, their families, friends and wondering if they'd ever see their Dad alive again. That is basically the look of every single kid; like thousands of kids." 

Florida State University is set to receive $125 million from the Legislature for a proposed project to build an academic health center in Tallahassee.

The funding will help plan and build the Florida State University Health Science Tallahassee Center, a five-story, 137,700-square foot building. The facility will be focused on clinical care, research, biomedical innovation and education and will co-locate FSU's medical and nursing education with clinical and translational research.

Florida State University College of Medicine Eminent Professor Zucai Suo has made a discovery that alters the understanding of how the body's DNA repair process works. It may lead to new chemotherapy treatments for cancer and other disorders.

Florida's proposed budget, scheduled for a vote on March 14, includes an unprecedented $101 million in recurring annual funds for community mental health and substance abuser services.

"There's just a huge need for mental health services here," said Shannon Smith, director of psychology training at FSU College of Medicine's family medicine residency program at Baycare in Winter Haven. "There's a lot of underserved communities in this area."

The 27th annual Dance Marathon raised $1.5 million to local children in need of specialized pediatric and medical care, as revealed at the March 6 conclusion of the event at the Donald L. Tucker Center.

Florida State University's largest student-run organization continued its year-long fundraising mission, which began in 1995, and benefits the Children's Miracle Network at Shands Children's Hospital and the FSU College of Medicine Pediatric Outreach Program. The popular event has raised more than $18 million in its history.

Dr. Alma Littles' commitment to service was born in her hometown of Quincy, Florida, long before she came to the Florida State University College of Medicine, 

Myron Rolle (MD Class of 2017) shares his thoughts on Black History Month, systemic racism and how applying the "2% percent way" can affect change.

All it took was an overnight stop in Valentine, Texas for Christie Alexander to find love for what she called "the fullest scope of family practice I've ever experienced" as the lone physician and clinical director in nearby Marfa.

Alexander, who is on a one-year sabbatical from the College of Medicine, shares her story.

College of Medicine fourth-year student Abigail Schirmer was one of five medical students to offer thoughts about their medical future having trained during COVID.

College of Medicine fourth-year student Abigail Schirmer was one of five medical students to offer thoughts about their medical future having trained during COVID.

College of Medicine students from the Pediatric Interest Group (PIG) provided teddy bears to the children at the FSU Childcare and Early Learning Program and used them to explain the basics of a health exam. PIG President Taylor Posey explained that it's important to teach children not to fear a trip to the doctor at an early age.

Heather Flynn, professor and chair of the College of Medicine’s Department of Behavioral Sciences and Social Medicine, has been appointed to the Commission on Mental Health and Substance Abuse.

Created in 2021 by the Florida Legislature, the commission will operate under the Florida Department of Children and Families. It will examine the current methods of providing mental health and substance abuse services in the state and seek to improve the effectiveness of current practices, procedures, programs and initiatives.

Flynn, a clinical psychologist, was appointed by commission chair Bill Prumell and will serve on the 10-member Data Analysis Subcommittee in an advisory role. Chaired by Jay Reeve, president and CEO of the Apalachee Center, the subcommittee will make recommendations for a statewide blueprint for a model behavioral health delivery system.
 

PANAMA CITY BEACH — For Becca Hardin, president of the Bay County Economic Development Alliance, having a hospital on the beach will be nothing short of "game-changing."

During the EDA's January investor's meeting Wednesday, officials gave an update on the upcoming health care campus slated to be built in Panama City Beach through a joint venture partnership between the St. Joe Co., Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare and Florida State University. The project was first announced in April last year.

"There are some game-changing projects that are happening in Bay County," Hardin said during the meeting. "There are many other examples (of this), but one...is the new hospital complex that is being built on Highway 79 in Panama City Beach. We have seen the artist renderings of the campus and I'll tell you, it's impressive," she added. "It's going to be such a great (addition) not only for our community, but for the entire region."

Florida State University researchers have identified a link between two key parts of the brain that play significant roles in conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, post-traumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia and depression.

Associate Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience Wen Li and psychology doctoral candidate Kevin Clancy found that stimulating the system in the brain that deals with attention and imagery also enhances the efficiency of what’s called the default mode network, a key part of the brain’s functional organization. The default mode network is disrupted in a host of neurological disorders.

Li is also a clinical associate professor in Biomedical Sciences with the College of Medicine.

Their study was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.

Related: New understanding of brain sheds light on neuro conditions | NRTimes

The new Panama City Beach hospital - a joint venture between Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare, Florida State University College of Medicine and the St. Joe Corporation - which is scheduled to come online in 2024, may be called FSU Health.

CAPE CORAL, Fla. — Lee Health’s newest internal medicine clinic in Cape Coral will soon be filled with new patients, physicians, and opportunities for healthcare.

Dr. Maja Delibasic, program director of the Internal Medicine Residency Program at Lee Health/Cape Coral and associate professor of Clinical Sciences at Florida State University College of Medicine says the clinic is part of Florida State University’s internal medicine residency program.

Lee Health is opening its new internal medicine residency clinic in Cape Coral on Jan. 11. The facility will be the primary home to the Florida State University College of Medicine Internal Medicine residency program, which is in the process of recruiting its first class of residents, who will begin training there on July 1.

College of Medicine professor of Biomedical Sciences Michael Blaber, who co-founded Trefoil Therapeutics and developed a treatment for corneal disease, answered five questions about his research and its future.

Cloth, surgical or N95? There are many kinds of masks to choose from but, this semester, Florida State University is expecting its students to opt for medical grade N95s.

Dr. Daniel Van Durme, chair of FSU’s Medical Advisory Committee, says the school is recommending N95s because they offer better fit and protection.

“The thought behind it is that there’s no question that an N95 mask is more effective than all of the ad hoc masks that we have seen,” Dr. Van Durme said.

A new, first-of-its-kind, psychiatry residency program is coming to Tallahassee. The program is spearheaded by Florida State University, Tallahassee
Memorial HealthCare, and the Apalachee Center.

According to FSU's College of Medicine, nearly one in five people in the country have a mental health condition that affects their daily life. On top of
that, there are not enough psychiatrists to meet the growing demand for mental health services.

To address that need, FSU, TMH and the Apalachee Center are working together to create a top-of-the-line program to train the next generation of
mental health professionals.

According to the Florida State University College of Medicine, one in five Americans struggle with a mental health condition which impacts their life. Many people face challenges finding access to the care they need.

A new psychiatry residency program launched by the College of Medicine in conjunction with Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare and the Apalachee Center - the first of its kind in the panhandle - will help address that.

The Florida State University College of Medicine, Apalachee Center and Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare have signed an agreement to establish and operate a psychiatry residency program, addressing a critical area of need for the training of additional mental health-care providers for the region and the state.

A study presented by FSU College of Medicine fourth-year student Brandon Price at the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) annual meeting demonstrated the importance of using racially diverse datasets while training artificial intelligence (AI) systems to ensure fair outcomes.

Amy Wetherby, distinguished research professor and Director of the Florida State University College of Medicine Autism Institute, is the senior author on this article published by the Society for Research in Child Development.

A new study documents that observable social-communication differences for infants with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) unfold by 9 months, pointing to a critical window for targeted intervention.

"If a parent or caregiver is aware of differences in social communication, they can learn how to use intervention strategies that create opportunities for social interaction and communication development early on," Wetherby said. "This can provide parents or caregivers with support to enrich the language environment that may help shift developmental trajectories for infants with ASD."

Jordan Rogers (M.D. Class of 2012) and second-year medical student Nicholas Thomas were among 19 young alumni recognized for significant contributions to their professions, communities and alma mater at Friday's Young Alumni Awards ceremony.

Zucai Suo, professor of Biomedical Sciences, said Florida health officials will need to be aggressive in sequencing positive test results to catch a new variant or more infectious sublineages of a variant since the U.S. has dropped its pandemic travel ban of international travelers.

The fundraising event directly impacting the FSU College of Medicine Pediatric Outreach Program, had a goal of raising $404,000 for children born with congenital heart defect. Much of the 26.2-hour event was held on Landis Green, with the total reveal scheduled for Nov. 10 at 12 p.m.

Faced with an aging population and a physician shortage, hospitals create geriatric collaborations to manage patients and raise the elder care skills of all doctors.

“We will never have enough geriatricians” to meet the rising need, says Lisa Granville, MD, associate chair of the Department of Geriatrics at Florida State University College of Medicine.

In Florida, where 21% of the population is age of 65 or older, state law requires FSU College of Medicine to teach geriatrics across all four years for medical degrees. 

Caseloads of Alzheimer’s disease are expected to soar in coming years, with experts warning diagnoses could triple by 2050. These alarming figures have boosted efforts to understand the disease in a bid to find an effective cure.

Caseloads of Alzheimer’s disease are expected to soar in coming years, with experts warning diagnoses could triple by 2050. These alarming figures have boosted efforts to understand the disease in a bid to find an effective cure.

Often when it comes to disease, the sexes are not equal. Dementia, chronic kidney disease, and many other conditions disproportionately affect one sex or another. Heart disease is a complex case: Males are more likely to suffer heart attacks at a younger age; females who suffer heart attacks have more difficulty recovering.

Sex hormones can help explain differences in heart health. 

A study from Florida State University researchers has found that two common personality traits may have a link to Alzheimer’s disease.

FSU’s College of Medicine discovered changes in the brain associated with the most common form of dementia. They discovered that certain personality traits might be associated with
Alzheimer’s disease — and that they are frequently visible early on in certain individuals.