Opinions

Brevard’s Only 5-Star Hospitals

Thank you to all our associates, providers, volunteers and community members for helping us become the only two hospitals in Brevard to achieve a five-star rating.

Health First’s Viera Hospital

“I love Health First and everything they stand for. Health First is a pillar in the community and strives to take stellar care of everyone who walks in their doors. Viera Hospital is beautiful and has some of the best nurses and doctors! We are lucky to have Health First serving Brevard County.”

– Amanda W. “I was in the hospital for three days and the staff was awesome -- from the emergency room to the second floor. Staff was friendly and always on top of things. Thank you, Cape Canaveral Hospital, for a great experience.”

– Elizabeth B.

Health First’s Cape Canaveral Hospital

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) uses a five-star rating system to make it easier for you to choose a hospital and understand the quality of patient care it delivers. The most recent ratings were released in February 2020. To learn more, visit Medicare.gov/HospitalCompare.

LOCAL SCRIBE FIGHT FOR ZERO Going Green Instagram @fightforzero By Stel Bailey

Leaders throughout Brevard County have been going green in their communities in all

kinds of ways. In 2019, the City of Melbourne offered a composter rebate program, the City of Satellite Beach banned single-use Styrofoam at city venues, and the City of

Cocoa painted storm drains to help educate residents on Lagoon health. Sustainability

is important because it not only protects the earth but also improves our quality of life.

Our choices affect our environment and community. For the most part, it is relatively

simple to maintain a “green” lifestyle. It’s just a matter of adjusting your awareness and

habits. One way you can start making a personal difference in the world today is by

using the zero waste philosophy: refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle and rot.

A majority of your trash is sent to a landfill and by 2021 we will only have 10-15 years of

landfill capacity left in the United States. Every purchase we make is a vote for the

world we want. Start refusing things you don’t need like freebies, bottled water, junk mail, and disposable products. All those things you are not using had to be produced at

one point.

Another way to minimize clutter is by reducing your consumption. Opt for things like

bamboo instead of plastic, bar soap, and multipurpose products. Material things do not

make us happy in the long run and thankfully there are reusable alternatives for almost

every single-use item.

Reusing is an important step in learning to live more sustainable because it cuts down

on consumer purchases and saves us money. Find yourself a reusable water bottle,

shopping bag, container, batteries and secondhand items. This way, we do not have to waste our scarce resources on producing more stuff.

Now that you’re rethinking your consumption, put your recyclable waste in the right

place and reduce your food waste by composting. Rotting waste will provide you with

nutrient rich fertilizer for your garden and help reduce dangerous chemicals in the

environment.

Saving the planet requires individuals to make lifestyle changes that take the environ

ment into consideration year round. By working together, we can make our community

a cleaner and greener place to live and to pass onto our future generations!