Governor Ron DeSantis signs Emily Adkins Prevention Act

The Emily Adkins Prevention Act is now a Florida law. 

Nassau County resident Emily Adkins died at age 23 from a massive pulmonary embolism stemming from blood clots associated with an ankle fracture on Oct. 21, 2022.

“We are grateful beyond words,” Adkins’s father, Doug, said. “This legislation will create the first close look at how blood clots and pulmonary embolisms are affecting Floridians and what can be done to help prevent the needless death of Floridians and improve our collective response. Emily would have been honored that our Legislature and Gov. DeSantis acted so quickly to help save lives.”

Adkins died after surgery. While she had some risk factors that made her vulnerable to blood clots, her family was not warned about the risks. Adkins’s doctors did not screen or perform any tests that would indicate a blood clot, her father said.

Janet and Doug Adkins initiated a measure that resulted in Senate Bill 612 and House Bill 483, known as the Emily Adkins Prevention Act. The act will require the Secretary of Health Care Administration and the State Surgeon General to establish a policy workgroup to understand how blood clots and pulmonary emboli affect the lives of Floridians. The workgroup will consider recommendations regarding standard of care guidelines and determine how many Florida residents are affected. It would identify how data is collected, identify emerging treatments and therapies and develop a recommendation for risk surveillance systems.

The bill requires the president of the Senate and the speaker of the House of Representatives to each appoint two members to the workgroup and the State Surgeon General to appoint the chair of the workgroup. The chair will create subcommittees to help with research, scheduling speakers on important subjects and drafting a workgroup report and policy recommendations.

The bill takes effect on July 1. The secretary is directed to submit a final report detailing findings and recommendations to the governor, the president of the Senate, and the speaker of the House of Representatives by Jan. 4, 2025.

“For far too long Floridians, and all Americans, have been susceptible to this silent killer called blood clots,” Leslie Lake, volunteer president of the National Blood Clot Alliance said. Lake is a blood clot survivor. “The passage of SB612 will finally give us the information we need to truly understand who is impacted by blood clots and that will quite literally save countless lives. We thank all those involved in this historic bipartisan bill which will now lead the nation in blood clot awareness.”

Florida State Senator Clay Yarbrough said he knew Emily Adkins personally, and she would be proud of her state and the decision to lead a national conversation.

“Blood clots are taking a tragic toll on Floridians,” Yarbrough said. “This is a silent killer that impacts the kitchen table of many Florida families. I am grateful for the 83 state legislators who co-sponsored this legislation and the leadership of Gov. Ron DeSantis in signing the first bill in the nation to address this growing epidemic of blood clots and pulmonary embolisms.”

One of those co-sponsors was Florida Representative Dean Black, who said it was an honor to do so.

“With passage of this act, Florida will lead the nation and the world on this critical issue,” Black said. “Because of the investment we make here today, thousands of lives will be saved every year. The Emily Adkins Blood Clot Prevention Act is a fitting tribute to the late Emily Adkins’ legacy of love and service to others. I thank our senate sponsor Senator Clay Yarbrough.  Thanks also to Gov. DeSantis for recognizing this need and signing the bill. Finally, a heartfelt thanks to the Adkins family for turning their tragic loss of their daughter into hope for millions.”

“It is our hope that this discussion on blood clots and pulmonary embolisms will save other families the heartache and sorrow of losing a loved one,” Janet Adkins, Emily Adkins’s mother, said.

Emily’s Promise, Inc. is a Florida not-for-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness around blood clots, especially those associated with ankle fractures, legislative advocacy, educational scholarships for healthcare workers. To learn more, go to www.emilypromises.com 

To get involved or follow the work of the workgroup sign up for updates or follow Emily’s Promise on Facebook.