Florida
Judge orders hospital rating group to remove grades of these hospitals
Virginia health official discusses hospital accountability limits
The Virginia Department of Health faces significant challenges in holding hospitals accountable for patient health and safety, as explained by the state’s top health official.
Scripps News Morning Rush
An independent hospital rating organization has taken down grades of a South Florida health system after a judge ruled the group unfairly scored hospitals in semiannual patient safety reports.
The U.S. District Court judge’s order came after Palm Beach Health Network sued Leapfrog Group, claiming the patient safety organization targeted hospitals that refused to participate in Leapfrog’s twice-a-year report cards.
U.S. District Court Judge Donald Middlebrooks agreed with the hospitals, ruling that Leapfrog’s change in how it scored some hospitals had “no scientific basis, unfairly penalizes non-participating hospitals and misrepresents hospital safety.”
Leapfrog Group complied with a judge’s order to remove scores of the five hospitals by March 13. Those hospitals are Good Samaritan Medical Center, Delray Medical Center, Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center, St. Mary’s Medical Center and West Boca Medical Center.
Leapfrog is one of several sources for patients to check safety scores of their local hospitals. U.S. News & World Report lists ratings and other information on hospitals and doctors. Other consumer sites such as Healthgrades and Yelp collect feedback from patients.
Lisa McGiffert, a patient safety advocate and past director of Consumers Union Safe Patient Project, worried about how the ruling might affect other patient rating groups.
“It could have a chilling effect on any number of entities that are trying to do some kind of rating,” McGiffert said.
Hospitals cite damage from poor ratings
The five Palm Beach Health Network hospitals applauded the judge’s March 6 decision, which followed a trial earlier this year.
In an interview with USA TODAY, Delray Medical Center CEO Heather Havericak said Leapfrog’s grades harmed her hospital’s reputation as well as the other Palm Beach hospitals. The five Palm Beach hospitals are owned by Tenet Healthcare.
“Those grades have been very damaging to our hospital and our Palm Beach Health Network,” said Havericak.
Leah Binder, CEO of Leapfrog Group, said the judge’s order was “outrageous” and one her organization plans to appeal.
“This is just terrible for consumers,” Binder said. “Consumers deserve to know what we know, based on expert opinion, about the safety of the hospitals they entrust their lives to.”
What did the hospitals contest?
Leapfrog assigns letter grades to hospitals in the spring and fall each year after evaluating 22 categories of public and private data. The public data is from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The private safety and quality data is collected via voluntary surveys sent to hospitals.
The lawsuit focused on Leapfrog’s 2024 change in evaluating missing survey data from four safety and quality measures.
In the Spring 2024 survey, Leapfrog used averages from similar hospitals when calculating scores for hospitals that didn’t provide survey data. By Fall 2024, Leapfrog changed such scores to “limited achievement,” which effectively depressed overall scores of hospitals that didn’t complete the surveys, according to the judge’s order.
The five Palm Beach hospitals stopped participating in the Leapfrog survey during the COVID-19 pandemic to allocate limited resources elsewhere.
Following the Fall 2024 change in how Leapfrog scored missing categories of survey data, the five Palm Beach hospitals all received lower grades of Ds and Fs. Delray’s grade dropped from a D to an F following the scoring change.
During the trial, Havericak testified that walk-in visitors to her hospital’s emergency room dropped 7% to 8% since 2024. During the same period, patients transported via emergency medical crews increased.
“When we have these misleading rates for data that we didn’t even submit, confidence is going to be shaken for our community,” Havericak said. “We saw various patients that wanted to seek treatment at other places as a result of seeing these misleading safety grades.”
Binder said Leapfrog won’t grade roughly 300 non-participating hospitals when it releases its Spring 2026 report card. Those hospitals − including the five Palm Beach hospitals − will be scored using a new methodology by Fall 2026 Binder said.
What does this mean for consumers?
McGiffert, the patient safety advocate, urged consumers to check multiple sources when evaluating a hospital or other health system.
CMS, which oversees Medicare and Medicaid, offers a searchable database with detailed quality scores for more than 4,000 Medicare-certified hospitals. CMS assigns an “overall rating” to a hospital of up to five stars.
West Boca Medical Center received an overall rating of two stars on CMS’s five-star scale. CMS graded the other four Palm Beach hospitals each at one star overall. A Palm Beach Hospital Network spokesman declined to discuss the CMS ratings.
Unlike Leapfrog, CMS doesn’t widely promote its scores, so the public might not even be aware of the information, McGiffert said.
McGiffert said consumers who can choose which hospital or health facility to visit should do their homework and not rely on any single rating. She said people should talk to other patients, search for lawsuits or talk to their medical provider about things like nurse staffing levels and infection control.
“When it comes to health care, people are still pretty trusting,” McGiffert said. “You just really need to do your homework. If somebody says, ‘We’re an A rated hospital.’ What exactly does that mean?”
Florida
Video shows Backstreet Boys star Brian Littrell in heated dispute at Florida home
Backstreet Boys share plans for more Vegas shows and Germany dates
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More details are emerging on an alleged altercation between Backstreet Boys member Brian Littrell and a Florida beachgoer.
The “I Want It That Way” singer, 51, reportedly called 911 following the incident on March 22, and later filed a complaint in Walton County, Florida, according to People and ABC 13.
Though Littrell sought battery charges against a local man whom he said set up a beach chair on his private property and refused to leave, the prosecutor ultimately declined to pursue the case. Now, a video released by ABC 13 is shedding new light on the incident.
In the video, submitted as evidence, Littrell approached a man, identified by the outlet as Kyle Gallagher. Gallagher was sitting on the beach as Littrell videotaped Gallagher with his phone and came within a few inches of his face. The man pushed Littrell’s phone away, and the two began filming each other and hurling expletives.
The boy band member then turned the camera to his own face, laughing and said, “This is what I deal with, people like this,” to which the man responded, “You came and shoved your phone in my face, bro.” The dispute continued, with both men getting heated, and Littrell at one point saying, “You wanna be gay?”
Gallagher argued that Littrell’s property is next to public beach access, while the singer responded, “I can’t wait till this gets out, bro.”
In statements to authorities, both men offered a different version of events, with Littrell characterizing Gallagher as violent and a disturbance to the peace, while Gallagher said he only batted away the singer’s phone out of reflex and being startled.
Walton County Deputy Chief Assistant State Attorney Josh Mitchell declined to pursue charges, citing both a lack of criminal intent and the video backing up Gallagher’s version of events, per ABC 13. USA TODAY has reached out to Mitchell’s office as well as the Walton County Sheriff.
In a statement sent to USA TODAY on Friday, April 3, Littrell’s lawyer alleged he is one of several people in the beachfront neighborhood who are frustrated by trespassers.
“Mr. Littrell enjoys positive relationships with his neighbors. They share a common challenge: repeated trespassing by individuals who deliberately enter private property to provoke confrontation,” the singer’s attorney, Peter Ticktin, wrote in the statement. “These incidents have affected multiple homeowners in the area and predate Mr. Littrell’s purchase of his home.”
The statement continued: “A trespasser placed a personal beach chair on Mr. Littrell’s private property and refused to leave. When Mr. Littrell approached him calmly, the trespasser became aggressive and struck Mr. Littrell in the face without provocation. This was an act of battery against a homeowner attempting to protect his property.”
Ticktin pushed back on “the claim that Mr. Littrell used a homophobic slur,” calling it “false.”
“The full video of the encounter shows unequivocally that no such language was used. Sexual orientation played no role in this incident, and any suggestion otherwise is knowingly false,” Ticktin said.
“Mr. Littrell and his family purchased what they saw as their dream home, only to discover an ongoing pattern of trespassing and harassment targeting private property owners along their and their neighbors’ stretch of beach. These actions are not about public access, public beaches exist on both sides of the neighborhood and remain open and uncrowded,” Ticktin continued. “Instead, certain individuals appear intent on challenging the very concept of private property rights.”
Florida
Florida State baseball drops series opener to Virginia
Florida State baseball its opportunities Thursday night, but strikeouts and one big inning sunk the Seminoles in their series opener with Virginia. The Cavaliers struck for four runs in the bottom of the fourth and held on from there for the 4-3 win.
The Seminoles were poised to strike in the top of the first after Brayden Down started the game with a hit by pitch. Noah Sheffield then reached by error, an error that placed the runners at second and third. Unfortunately, the next three Seminole batters — Hunter Carns, Kelvyn Paulino and Eli Putnam — all struck out. Wes Mendes sat down Virginia 1-2-3 in the bottom of the first.
Both offenses were relatively quiet in the second and third innings with only two UVA baserunners. FSU picked up a two out double in the fourth from Putnam, but John Stuetzer fanned to end the threat. Mendes picked up a quick out to start the fourth before allowing three straight hits that scored two Cavalier runs. Mendes finally recorded out number two but followed that up by allowing a two-run no-doubter over the right field fence.
The Seminoles struck right back in the top of the fifth, started by a Stuetzer single. Dowd reached by error and Noah Sheffield made the game 4-1 with an RBI double. Carns followed that up with a two-run RBI single. Paulino grounded out to end the inning with FSU down 4-3.
Mendes finished the fifth with a final line of 5 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 7 K. Chris Knier took the mound in the sixth and kept Virginia off the board for the remainder of the game.
From the top of the sixth inning forward, Seminole batters went 0-12 with four strikeouts. As a whole, the FSU offense fanned 11 times for the game. The loss of Myles Bailey looms large as the offense will need to bounce back tomorrow at 2 p.m. in game two to avoid the team’s first series loss in conference play.
Florida
4/20 holiday is this month. Is weed legal in Florida?
As many Americans gather to celebrate Easter this weekend, hundreds of thousands across the country are also gearing up for a different kind of holiday later this month.
“4/20” is cannabis culture slang for marijuana consumption, which makes April 20 (or 4/20) the designated holiday for stoners across the globe.
But is weed even legal in Florida? Here’s what to know before you light up later this month.
When did ‘4/20 Day’ holiday start? See rumored origins
The true origin of why marijuana lovers spark up on 4/20 (or even associate the time 4:20 with smoking pot) isn’t clear, but there are two rumored possibilities:
- The unofficial story of a group of high school students in the 1970s in California, who allegedly would meet to smoke pot every day at 4:20 p.m. However, this has never been confirmed.
- According to a Vox article on the origins of the holiday, “One common belief is that 420 was the California police or penal code for marijuana, but there’s no evidence to support those claims.”
Can you smoke marijuana recreationally in Florida?
No, you cannot.
Despite receiving 55.9% of the votes, 2024’s Amendment 3, which sought to legalize recreational marijuana, did not achieve the 60% threshold needed to pass during the General Election. It saw 5,934,139 votes in total.
Is medical marijuana legal in Florida?
Medical marijuana is legal in Florida for residents diagnosed with a specific set of conditions who have applied for and received a Medical Marijuana ID Card or caregivers who have received a Medical Marijuana Caregiver Card.
The following conditions are eligible for and to receive a Medical Marijuana Card:
- Cancer
- Epilepsy
- Glaucoma
- HIV (human immunodeficiency virus)
- AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome)
- PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder)
- ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis)
- Crohn’s disease
- Parkinson’s disease
- Multiple sclerosis
- Comparable medical conditions or status to the above
- A terminal condition
- Chronic nonmalignant pain
Can I bring weed if I have a medical marijuana card from another state?
No. The state of Florida does not honor other states’ medical marijuana cards.
Can I get busted for possessing weed in Florida?
Without a Medical Marijuana Card (or Medical Marijuana Caregiver Card, for people assisting medical marijuana patients who are minors or who need help), if you are caught with pot, marijuana advocacy group NORML lists the following penalties under Florida Statutes:
- Possessing 20 grams or less: first-degree misdemeanor, up to one year in jail and a maximum $1,000 fine.
- Possession of paraphernalia: Misdemeanor, up to one year in jail and a maximum $1,000 fine.
- Possessing marijuana within 1,000 feet of a school, college, park or other specified areas: Felony, mandatory three-year sentence and maximum $10,000 fine.
- Possessing from 20 grams to 25 pounds: Felony, up to five years in jail and a maximum $5,000 fine.
- Possessing from 25 to 2,000 pounds of marijuana: First-degree felony, from three to 15 years in jail and a $25,000 fine.
- Possessing from 2,000 to 10,000 pounds of marijuana: First-degree felony, from seven to 30 years and a $50,000 fine.
- Possessing more than 10,000 pounds of marijuana: First-degree felony, from 15 to 30 years and a $200,000 fine.
However, many communities and municipalities have decriminalized possession of up to 20 grams of marijuana, meaning if you’re busted, you’ll get a fine (which will go up each time) and you may be required to attend a drug education program or do community service.
Areas that have decriminalized pot include Alachua County, Broward County, Cocoa Beach, Hallandale Beach, Key West, Miami Beach, Miami-Dade County, Orlando, Osceola County, Palm Beach County, Port Richey, Sarasota, Tampa and Volusia County.
Is it legal to sell weed in Florida?
Only licensed medical marijuana dispensaries may sell marijuana in the state of Florida. Even if the proposed recreational amendment passes next year, you still would have to buy your pot at a licensed dispensary.
People charged with selling marijuana can face the following:
- 25 grams or less, without renumeration: Misdemeanor, maximum 1 year in jail, $1,000 fine.
- 20 grams to 25 pounds: Felony, maximum 5 years in jail, $5,000 fine.
- 25 to less than 2,000 pounds or 300-2,000 plants: Felony, three to 15 years, maximum $25,000 fine.
- 2,000 to less than 10,000 pounds or 2,000-10,000 plants: Felony, seven to 30 years, maximum $50,000 fine.
- 10,000 pounds or more: Felony, 15 to 30 years, maximum $200,000 fine.
- If within 1,000 feet of a school, college, park, or other specified areas: An additional 3-15 years, $10,000 fine
Are low-THC products like delta-8, delta-9, delta-10 or THC-O legal in Florida?
Assorted different types of so-called “diet weed” cannabinoids, such as delta-8, delta-9, delta-10 and THC-O, which are derived from hemp and not marijuana and contain lower levels of THC, are sort of legal here under the 2018 federal Farm Bill that allows farmers to grow industrial hemp.
While the Florida Legislature passed a bill in 2024 that effectively banned delta-8 and delta-10 products and set a 5-milligram-per-serving limit on delta-9, Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed it, reportedly to protect small businesses.
However, they remain federally illegal.
Samantha Neely is a trending reporter for the USA TODAY NETWORK-Florida, covering pop culture, theme parks, breaking news and more. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY, at https://floridatoday.com/newsletters.
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