Rick Mayer
Health News FloridaI’m the online producer for Health News Florida, a collaboration of public radio stations and NPR that delivers news about health care issues.
This is an important position at WUSF. In 2019, the typical U.S. family spent about 11 percent of its annual income on health care, so it stands to reason issues of cost, quality, access and innovation are consequential to all Floridians. Then COVID-19 came along, and the weight of these matters gained exponentially. I take our reporting on these topics quite seriously, as I’m sure you do, too.
Literally growing up in newsrooms and a little serendipity along the way prepared me well for the post. Here’s the abridged version: I’m a Tampa guy, graduating from H.B. Plant High and thrust into the world with my USF degree rolled tightly in hand. From there, it was three mostly sleepless decades as an editor at The Tampa Tribune, then developing and managing an online journal serving physician executives. There’s also my side job editing a statewide health magazine.
And being married to a longtime hospital nurse/case manager helps; dinner conversation often gives me a feel of what’s happening on the front lines. The good and not-so-good.
Of course, my time isn’t always spent flailing in the health news vortex. You’re actually more likely to find me breaking down the Bucs, Bulls or Bolts after a game, taking Oodle the poodle to the dog park or tinkering the backroom piano while vicariously reliving my former life as a musician. (Remember, kids: Parents of percussionists have plenty of patience. Plenty!)
Contact Rick on Twitter @rmayer2361 or by email at Mayer1@wusf.org.
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Legislators who favor the liability protection for Bayer say lawsuits alleging the herbicide Roundup causes cancer would hurt the agriculture industry facing increased costs. Opponents demand accountability. -
Dozens of Florida municipalities have decided to stop adding floride to its drinking water over concerns the practice may affect the cognitive ability of kids. -
Commissioners voted to bring an ordinance on removing fluoride from the water supply at a later date. The county must also consider repairing the current fluoridation system. -
The six-story, 100-bed facility is slated for an undeveloped 32-acre parcel on North Sumter Boulevard near Interstate 75. The board also plans to build another hospital in nearby Wellen Park. -
If commissioners vote to follow the guidance of Florida's surgeon general, Manatee would join more than a dozen other local governments to end the practice, including Niceville in the Panhandle. -
The measure would seem a premptive strike at a growing industry. No food engineered to include vaccines are approved for use in the U.S., but research using mRNA technology goes back several years. -
The deal represents an increase over a previous settlement rejected by the Supreme Court because it protected members of the wealthy Sackler family from civil lawsuits even though they were not in bankruptcy. -
People who received written notification about the 2023 cyberattack may submit claims to recover documented losses or receive a lump sum of $125. Sunday is the deadline to file. -
TGH expands its Treasure Coast footprint through a five-year deal with the Palm Beach County Health Care District to manage Lakeside Medical Center. The district's board approved the arrangement Dec. 11. -
President-elect Donald Trump touched on several health care topics during a wide-ranging interview with NBC's “Meet the Press” that aired Sunday.
