Florida’s small-town hospitals are fighting to survive. In DeSoto County, the only hospital for miles around could soon be sold or merged — a story that raises tough questions about access, quality and the future of rural health care.
Florida Hospital Association CEO and president Mary Mayhew joins the conversation to explain what’s behind the financial strain and why it matters to patients across the state.
Meanwhile, the federal government shutdown has entered its fourth week, and frustration is growing. Democrat congresswoman Kathy Castor talks about what’s keeping lawmakers apart as thousands of Floridians miss paychecks and federal services grind to a halt.
We also hear from reps for air traffic controllers and Social Security staff on firsthand consequences — people working without pay, juggling bills and feeling caught in a political tug-of-war.
And in Clearwater, there’s a different kind of transformation underway. It hopes to become Florida’s first Autism Certified City, training city workers, teachers and businesses to better serve neurodiverse residents and visitors.
Big questions for rural hospitals
(0:00) When a small-town facility struggles, every resident in the vicinity feels it. It’s a crisis being felt in DeSoto County, where the region’s only hospital faces the possibility of a sale or merger. Florida Hospital Association president and CEO Mary Mayhew sits down to discuss the pressures, including funding cuts and consolidation trends.
GUEST:
- Kara Newhouse, Suncoast Searchlight reporter
- Mary Mayhew, Florida Hospital Association CEO and president
Politics, paychecks and the shutdown
(12:03) The federal shutdown is stretching into its third week — and frustration nationwide is rising as the Senate’s stalemate continues on passing a budget resolution. U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, a Democrat from Tampa, joins the show to weigh in on the impasse and what it means for federal workers and families in Florida.
GUEST:
- U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, D-Tampa
A kinder, calmer Clearwater
(21:00) The beach burg is on track to become the state’s first Autism Certified City, aiming to make life — and vacations — easier for neurodiverse families. We talk about what inclusion looks like in practice. How could this reshape travel, tourism and daily life?
GUESTS:
- Matt Spence, Learning Independence for Tomorrow (LIFT) executive director
- Myron Pincomb, International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards
- Lindsay Knight, frequent tourist in Clearwater and Orlando
Feeling the squeeze
(35:56) We jump back to the shutdown, which is becoming a daily reality for thousands of federal employees in the Tampa Bay area. A pair of local union leaders talk about the challenges, safety concerns and human impact, from skipped bills to on-the-job stress.
GUESTS:
- Dan McCabe, National Air Traffic Controllers Association Southern Regional vice president
- Shonda Johnson, American Federation of Government Employees Council 220 vice president
