Pinellas County Research Articles

Roof-top Selection by Least Terns in Pinellas County, Florida

Abstract Primarily due to loss and disturbance of their open beach habitat, Least Tern (Sterna antillarum) nesting colonies often occur on flat or gently sloped gravel rooftops throughout the Southeastern United States. Currently, these rooftops are being converted to a new substrate, unsuitable for Least Tern nesting, because of changes in state building codes. The purpose of this study was to determine which rooftops Least Terns are currently selecting to help develop man-made structures for nesting and determine where these structures should be placed. From 1998-2003 in Pinellas County, Florida, all previously occupied Least Tern rooftops were surveyed to see if they had a colony and new colonies were located. In 2003, there were 36 rooftops with colonies and 34 unoccupied rooftops that had been previously occupied sometime from 1998-2002 but still had gravel rooftops. In addition, 36 gravel rooftops that had no record of supporting a Least Tern colony were randomly selected. At each building distance ...

Economic Benefits Associated with Florida's Artificial Reefs

Florida has the most permitted artificial reefs in the nation. FE-649, a 6-page fact sheet by Charles Adams, presents the results of several studies to determine the economic benefits of artificial reefs. The author presents findings by region, with sections on Pinellas County, Dade County, Northwest Florida, Martin County, and the USS Speigel Grove (off Key Largo, FL). Published by the UF Department of Food and Resource Economics, August 2006. FE649/FE649: The Economic Benefits Associated with Florida's Artificial Reefs (ufl.edu)

Medicaid Enrollment and Mental Health Service Use Following Release of Jail Detainees With Severe Mental Illness

Medicaid Enrollment and Mental Health Service Use Following Release of Jail Detainees With Severe Mental Illness

Assessing Gaps Between Policy and Practice in Medicaid Disenrollment of Jail Detainees With Severe Mental Illness

Assessing Gaps Between Policy and Practice in Medicaid Disenrollment of Jail Detainees With Severe Mental Illness

Assessing Gaps Between Policy and Practice in Medicaid Disenrollment of Jail Detainees With Severe Mental Illness

This prospective cohort study in two large metropolitan jail systems examined whether Medicaid disenrollment policies for persons detained in jail were enforced. The extent to which persons with severe mental illness lost their Medicaid benefits while detained was determined. Mailed questionnaires to state Medicaid directors in 2000 yielded a 95 percent response rate. Directors responded to questions about procedures that are followed when enrollees become inmates in public institutions. In addition, community mental health service records, jail detention records, and Medicaid enrollment records were linked in King County (Seattle) and in Pinellas County (Clearwater and St. Petersburg), Florida, to identify persons with severe mental illness who were incarcerated at any time during a two-year period (1996-1998 in King County and 1998-2000 in Pinellas County). The samples consisted of 1,816 persons representing 4,482 detentions in King County and 1,210 persons representing 2,878 detentions in Pinellas County. Detentions were used as the unit of analysis to determine how often Medicaid disenrollment occurred during jail incarceration. The stated policy in many states, including Florida and Washington, is to terminate Medicaid benefits upon incarceration, but termination occurred for only 3 percent of the detainees enrolled in Medicaid in each county. In both counties, in 97 percent of the detentions, persons who had Medicaid at entry also had it upon release. In both counties, the 3 percent who lost Medicaid while jailed had longer jail stays (three to five months compared with 16 to 30 days). Stated policies do not align with actual Medicaid disenrollment of persons with severe mental illness who become incarcerated. In most instances, short jail stays allowed detainees with severe mental illness to retain their Medicaid benefits.

Medicaid Enrollment and Mental Health Service Use Following Release of Jail Detainees With Severe Mental Illness

This study assessed the extent to which Medicaid enrollment increased access to and use of services by persons with severe mental illness after their release from jail. A prospective cohort design was used that linked administrative data from several agencies in two large urban areas: King County (Seattle) from 1996 to 1998 and Pinellas County (Clearwater and St. Petersburg), Florida, from 1998 to 2000. Access to and use of community mental health services within 90 days after release from jail was examined, depending on whether persons were enrolled in Medicaid at the time of their release. All analyses were based on detentions, rather than unique persons. The effects of Medicaid status (enrolled or not enrolled) on four dependent variables (probability of use, days to first service, number of services used, and rate of service use) were estimated separately for each county. A total of 1,210 persons who had 2,878 detentions were identified in Pinellas County: 2,215 of these detentions represented persons with Medicaid and 663 represented those without Medicaid. For King County, the corresponding numbers were 1,816 persons and 4,482 detentions: 2,752 of these detentions represented persons with Medicaid and 1,730 represented those without Medicaid. In both counties, those who had Medicaid at the time of their release were more likely to use services (p < .001), accessed community services more quickly (p < .001), and received more days of services (p < .001) than those without Medicaid. Medicaid enrollment enhanced receipt of community services after jail release in these two large urban counties. These are the best currently available data, and the data suggest that efforts to enroll persons with severe mental illness in Medicaid and ensure enrollment upon jail release will improve their access to and receipt of community-based services after release.

Forum

Forum

Introduction of Monochloramine into a Municipal Water System: Impact on Colonization of Buildings by Legionella spp

Legionnaires' disease (LD) outbreaks are often traced to colonized potable water systems. We collected water samples from potable water systems of 96 buildings in Pinellas County, Florida, between January and April 2002, during a time when chlorine was the primary residual disinfectant, and from the same buildings between June and September 2002, immediately after monochloramine was introduced into the municipal water system. Samples were cultured for legionellae and amoebae using standard methods. We determined predictors of Legionella colonization of individual buildings and of individual sampling sites. During the chlorine phase, 19 (19.8%) buildings were colonized with legionellae in at least one sampling site. During the monochloramine phase, six (6.2%) buildings were colonized. In the chlorine phase, predictors of Legionella colonization included water source (source B compared to all others, adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 6.7; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.0 to 23) and the presence of a system with continuously circulating hot water (aOR, 9.8; 95% CI, 1.9 to 51). In the monochloramine phase, there were no predictors of individual building colonization, although we observed a trend toward greater effectiveness of monochloramine in hotels and single-family homes than in county government buildings. The presence of amoebae predicted Legionella colonization at individual sampling sites in both phases (OR ranged from 15 to 46, depending on the phase and sampling site). The routine introduction of monochloramine into a municipal drinking water system appears to have reduced colonization by Legionella spp. in buildings served by the system. Monochloramine may hold promise as community-wide intervention for the prevention of LD.

Abnormal, the “New Normal,” and Destabilizing Discourses of Rights

A boy was taken from his elementary school in handcuffs after his classmates turned him in for drawing pictures of weapons. The 11-year-old fifth grader was not charged with a crime in the Wednesday incident. His name is not being released to protect him, school officials said. “There were some drawings that were confiscated by the teacher,” Oldsmar Elementary School Principal David Schmitt said. “The children were in no danger at all. It involved no real weapons.” Still, Schmitt refused to discuss details of the boy’s case. “All I can tell you is it was a threat . . . against students,” he said. “Nobody in particular, but students in general. . . . We just need to get it through kids’ heads that there are certain things you don’t say and there are certain things you don’t draw,” he said. The boy was handcuffed by school police for his safety, according to Pinellas County School District spokesman Ron Stone. “That’s normal procedure in a situation like this,” Stone said. “The primary concern was to make sure we get appropriate services for the child.” —Sun-Sentinel, May 11, 2001

Phenology, developmental patterns and growth cycles for multiple seed crops in Pinus elliottii Engelm. and P. clausa (Engelm.) Vasey

Pines are known to produce one seed crop each year and mature about 20 months after pollination. The entire life cycle may take two to three years. Recent observations, however, show that a greater number of crops may develop annually and that cone development may be faster. In Pinellas County, Florida, Pinus clausa and P. elliottii now have three seed crops annually, and consequently, more seeds during the year. Also, there is no dormant phase from pollination time to seed maturity in the primary (most abundant) crop of these species. The reason for this change in reproductive strategy is thought to be as a response to climatic changes, in particular, CO2 levels. Pines seem to be reacting to increases of available atmospheric CO2 that fluctuate seasonally. The gas may act as a biochemical switch for developmental stages and be a mechanism for controlling cone growth. Furthermore, there are definite phenological shifts forward in the primary seed crops of P. clausa (about 105 days) and P. elliottii (about 150 days) that present more opportunity for their hybridization. Pines are known to show sensitivity to their environment, and therefore, are climatic indicators of changes that are probably occurring in other economically valuable plants.

Environmental and economic risks from sinkholes in west-central Florida

Data from the last 20 yr for sinkhole occurrences in west-central Florida are used in conjunction with population and housing data, including house prices, to assess the risk of a house being affected by a sinkhole, together with the likely economic loss. The top five relocation cities in each of Hillsborough, Pasco, and Pinellas counties are investigated in detail to determine the relative risk as well as the absolute risk. Because of the massive urbanization occurring in these areas, which are characterized by karst topography, the sinkhole risk is increasing because of the excessive demand for water and the subsequent overpumping of groundwater. Pinellas County is better placed in this regard than Hillsborough or Pasco counties because of its lower karst component. The city with the highest likelihood of risk is Tampa, probably because of its massive urbanization over the last 20 yr. Coastal cities most at risk from sinkhole effects on housing are New Port Richey and Hudson, but they are a very distant second and third compared to Tampa. Economic damage risks to housing are estimated to be about $5 million/yr for Tampa and are probably going to increase in the near future if the current trends of population increase and demands on the aquifer system's water are to continue.

NCLB Accountability Collides With Court-Ordered Desegregation: The Case of Pinellas County, Florida

This article examines a conflict that arose in 2004 between a federal court's oversight of desegregation and the implementation of the public school choice provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act in Pinellas County, Florida. School system leaders challenged the statute on the grounds that it would likely disrupt a controlled-choice plan designed to achieve racial balance as part of a court settlement to its desegregation case. The judge ruled that no changes could be made to the prior court order mandating these balances through 2008. Drawing on interviews with the county school superintendent and school board attorney, the author describes the county's decision to seek the judge's protection and analyzes several attendant conflicts. These include the legal conflict between two federal mandates, desegregation and school choice; the political tension arising between local and federal officials resulting from the changing nature of federal authority with respect to desegregation; and the policy-related conflict between test-based accountability and desegregation in southern school systems.

Death of Terri Schiavo

Few cases in modern history have incited as much national debate and emotion as has the Theresa (Terri) Marie Schiavo case. Mrs. Schiavo had been in a persistent vegetative state (PVS) for the past 15 years, resultant from a chemical imbalance, and kept alive by a feeding tube until March 18, 2005. In compliance with a court order by Pinellas County, Florida Circuit Judge, George Greer, the feeding tube was removed and Terri died 12 days later.

A Historical Comparison of Child and Parent Reports of Injury Prevention Behaviors

The purpose of this study was to analyze the motor vehicle injury prevention behaviors reported by the 12th-grade cohort of the Pinellas County Omnibus Study for years 2001-2002, compare these findings to those reported by parents in 1991-1992, and discuss the role of public health and injury prevention in these efforts. The questions in 2001-2002 were modeled after the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) injury prevention items. Comparisons of findings in 2001-2002 and 1991-1992 were done using chi analyses. In addition, 2001-2002 results were compared to the 2001 Florida YRBS and national YRBS findings. The results of the study showed that the Omnibus cohort was significantly more likely to report safer motor vehicle injury prevention behaviors in 2001-2002 than what was reported by parents in 1991-1992. Also, the student cohort reported safer behaviors for all items than did Florida and US 12th-grade students as shown in the state and national YRBS results. The ecological model most likely contributed to these findings because there are comprehensive health education and injury prevention efforts in the state, Pinellas County schools, and in the community, including a very active community traffic safety team and the passage of significant statewide injury prevention legislation.

Lysophospholipids Are Potential Biomarkers of Ovarian Cancer

Abstract Objective: To determine whether lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) and other lysophospholipids (LPL) are useful markers for diagnosis and/or prognosis of ovarian cancer in a controlled setting. Method: Plasma samples were collected from ovarian cancer patients and healthy control women in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties, Florida, and processed at the University of South Florida H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute (Moffitt). Case patients with epithelial ovarian cancer (n = 117) and healthy control subjects (n = 27) participated in the study. Blinded LPL analysis, including 23 individual LPL species, was performed at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation using an electrospray ionization mass spectrometry–based method. LPL levels were transmitted to Moffitt, where clinical data were reviewed and statistical analyses were performed. Results: There were statistically significant differences between preoperative case samples (n = 45) and control samples (n = 27) in the mean levels of total LPA, total lysophosphatidylinositol (LPI), sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P), and individual LPA species as well as the combination of several LPL species. The combination of 16:0-LPA and 20:4-LPA yielded the best discrimination between preoperative case samples and control samples, with 93.1% correct classification, 91.1% sensitivity, and 96.3% specificity. In 22 cases with both preoperative and postoperative samples, the postoperative levels of several LPL, including S1P, total LPA, and lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) levels and some individual species of LPA and LPC, were significantly different from preoperative levels. Conclusion: LPA, LPI, LPC, and S1P appear useful as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers of ovarian cancer.

APA Trustees Hear of Brightening Fiscal Picture

APA Trustees Hear of Brightening Fiscal Picture

Safe Schools/Healthy Students initiative: Pinellas County, Florida

AbstractThe Safe Schools/Healthy Students (SS/HS) Initiative in Pinellas County, FL, emerged as a part of a broader local effort to implement creative educational and mental health programs to support children and families. This initiative focused on capacity building, prevention, and intervention efforts and comprehensive evaluation to address the barriers to learning and enhance healthy development. This article describes Pinellas County's plan, and highlights the instrumental roles played by school psychologists, which included grant writing, program and resource coordination, clinical services, program evaluation, staff training, parent advocacy, and steering committee membership. Promising outcomes and generalization of these findings to other communities is also discussed. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 40: 489–501, 2003.

Evaluation of the “Respect Not Risk” Firearm Safety Lesson for 3rd-Graders

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the MORE HEALTH “Respect Not Risk” Firearm Safety Lesson for 3rd-graders in Pinellas County, Florida. Six schools representative of various socioeconomic levels were selected as the test sites. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected. A total of 433 matched pretests/posttests were used to determine the effectiveness of the class in increasing student knowledge about firearm safety. The results revealed a significant increase in the mean scores on the posttest compared with the pretest. Qualitative findings showed the lesson was positively received by both students and teachers, and 65% of responding students reported discussing the lesson with family members. School nurses are encouraged to take a leading role in promoting firearm injury prevention to students.

Fragmentation of Florida scrub in an urban landscape

The Florida scrub community is considered a biodiversity hotspot due to the high degree of endemism and the number of species restricted to a few counties or fragments. Florida scrub habitat is officially listed as an imperiled ecoregion of global importance because it is a geographically restricted habitat with a high diversity of rare and endemic flora. This study examines landscape metrics and plant species richness of scrub in Pinellas County, which is the most densely populated county in Florida and once contained large areas of Florida scrub. Landscape metrics on scrub area, historic xeric upland area, naturally vegetated upland area within proximity, isolation indices, disturbance, and soils were collected for the 20 largest and best remaining fragments of scrub in Pinellas County from Geographic Information Systems map layers, Digital Ortho Quarter Quadrangles, and field validation. Landscape metrics were compared with three categories of species richness: scrub species richness, obligate scrub species richness, and richness of species listed as threatened or endangered. All categories of species richness in remaining Florida scrub fragments in Pinellas County were significantly associated with area of remaining scrub habitat. Site elevation was associated with obligate scrub species richness and degree of disturbance was associated with higher species richness for listed species. We conclude that large areas of scrub in higher elevated uplands and active management in the form of prescription burning will be needed to ensure the persistence of a number of endemic scrub specific species within remaining fragments.

Seminole Community Library

Abstract St. Petersburg College and the City of Seminole in Pinellas County, Florida have entered into an agreement to build a joint-use library to serve both the city and the college. The library is being constructed on the Seminole Campus of the college, a new campus, and completion is planned for Fall 2003. The library will be managed and staffed by the city, while the college owns the building and provides administrative support functions (e.g., technical support, maintenance, and security). This library is one of a number of joint-use libraries operating or planned in Florida.