Florida led the country in the number of new HIV cases in January. The Herald/Times Tallahassee Bureauwrote that during this time Governor Rick Scott and then state Surgeon General John Armstrong faced criticism for cutting staff and were accused of not taking the increase seriously.
Shortly after, the Tampa Bay Times reported the Florida Department of Health adjusted those 2014 numbers moving the state out of the lead spot.
The move caused a stir.That article - called “Criticized for HIV spike, Florida takes hundreds of cases off the books” – illustrates how the adjustment changes the narrative of HIV cases in Florida. The data now appears to show a slight decline in cases from 2011- when Scott was elected – to 2014.
The department of health has said those changes are routine and none of this was motivated by the controversy.
We’ll explore how the DOH counts HIV cases in the state and the recent adjustment of the numbers.
Guest: Tampa Bay Times Health and Medicine Reporter Kathleen McGrory.
