Author Archive

Ocala Star Banner, January 14, 2013
Improving Marion County’s health profile will require a coordinated, community effort.

That was the conclusion of a team of more than 50 community organizations, health experts and businesses after a two-year study and meetings that addressed the county’s comparatively high mortality and morbidity rates — and the social factors that contribute to them.

Members of the group met on Monday at the United Way of Marion County to lay out plans to address those health problems, which have left Marion ranked […]

WellFlorida News Release
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (January 7, 2013)— North Central Florida has the highest cancer mortality rates in the state. The recently released North Central Florida Cancer Report 2013 points to the need for cancer control efforts in our region, especially in rural areas where the burden of cancer is greatest.

The report, produced by WellFlorida Council for the North Central Florida Cancer Control Collaborative (NCFCCC), includes a wide range of cancer data such as cancer death rates, cancer incidence rates, cancer related emergency room visits […]

WellFlorida News Release
GAINESVILLE, Fla.(Nov. 14, 2012)— The rate of cancer in North Central Florida is nearly 28 percent higher than the rate for the state of Florida. To be a part of a community-based solution to this issue, join the North Central Florida Cancer Control Collaborative (NCFCCC) at its next meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2012.

The meeting will be held from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Senior Recreation Center located at 5701 NW 34th St. Gainesville.  Refreshments will be provided.

The overall purpose of […]

WellFlorida News Release
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (Oct. 22, 2012)— WellFlorida received funding from the Florida Department of Health to launch a statewide HIV prevention study to better understand the knowledge, attitudes and beliefs of men who have sex with men (MSM).

MSM who are Florida residents and above the age of 18 can contribute to the study by participating in the Florida MSM HIV Prevention Survey at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/FLMSMNA.

The survey is confidential and can be completed in five to ten minutes. Survey questions address prevention issues pertaining […]

WellFlorida News Release
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (Sept. 17, 2012)— Jeff Feller has been promoted to chief executive officer of WellFlorida Council Inc., a private, nonprofit 501(c)(3) located in Gainesville. WellFlorida is the state designated local health planning council for North Central Florida and specializes in health consultancy for clients and projects throughout the state. Feller has over 16 years of service with the organization as he advanced from associate planner in 1996 to chief operations officer in 2008. In his current role, Feller will provide executive […]

Gainesville Sun, August 1, 2012
Florida has had its challenges with HIV/AIDS since the beginning of the epidemic. Most recently there have been struggles to meet the needs of HIV-positive individuals on the Florida ADAP list, and a restructuring of the State Bureau of HIV. And, well, the rates of HIV infection speak for themselves. But today we can say that we are being heard! Let’s hear it for Florida leadership on HIV, thanks to Congressman Hastings!

On Thursday, July 26, Congressman Alcee Hastings of South […]

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (July 10, 2012)— Are you or someone you care about in need of a cancer support group, transportation for medical treatments or financial assistance with prescription drugs? Locate resources for these needs and more on the recently launched website www.CancerResourceGuideNCF.org. The Cancer Resource Guide of North Central Florida is a public service of North Central Florida Cancer Control Collaborative (NCFCCC), WellFlorida Council and the Florida Department of Health Cancer Control Program.

The Cancer Resource Guide of North Central Florida, compiled by WellFlorida and […]

Special to the Gainesville Sun, February 29, 2012 by Vivian Filer
African-American women my age (three score and 10 and beyond) can probably relate as I do to Fannie Lou Hamer’s famous saying, “I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired.”

Hamer, who spent many years working in the fields in Mississippi, was ready to take action to eliminate the disparities of segregation. Today, I challenge all of my sisters to use Hamer’s energy to tackle the disease of breast cancer.

Research has proven that early […]

WellFlorida News Release
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (Feb. 29, 2012)—Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths among men. The presence of risk factors in men should guide screening and treatment options, according to Dr. Johannes Vieweg, MD, of the University of Florida Department of Urology and Prostate Disease Center.

As guest speaker at The North Central Florida Cancer Control Collaborative (NCFCCC) 2012 Kickoff, Vieweg presented current screening recommendations and advocated for a risk‐based treatment approach for patients diagnosed with the disease. The NCFCCC 2012 Kickoff […]

Gainesville Sun, February 28, 2012
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recently downgraded the effectiveness of the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test in preventing prostate cancer deaths, but that has been met with some protest.

The North Central Florida Cancer Control Collaborative 2012 Kickoff plans a fuller discussion of that finding Wednesday with guest speaker Dr. Johannes Vieweg of the University of Florida Department of Urology and Prostate Disease Center.

The talk, “Prostate Cancer: Current Screening Policy Debates and Recommendations,” will be held from 10 a.m. to noon […]