TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Today, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Jimmy Patronis announced the appointment of Dr. Julie Ann Zemaitis DeCesare and Dr. Robert London to the Florida Birth-Related Neurological Injury Compensation Association (NICA) Board of Directors. This past legislative session, CFO Patronis submitted many reforms to the Legislature regarding the efficiency with which NICA fulfills its obligations to provide medical care to children with the NICA program. As a result, the Legislature passed SB 1786, which became law July 1, 2021, 766.315(1), Florida Statutes. Additionally, the new law made changes to the Board of Directors, increasing the board from five to seven members with qualifying attributes. DeCesare will serve as the physician representative and London will serve as a representative of the non-participating physicians on the Board of Directors.

CFO Jimmy Patronis said, “I’m pleased to appoint both Dr. DeCesare and Dr. London to the NICA Board of Directors. Fortunately, NICA has been reformed to ensure the board not only pays attention to the balance sheet but prioritizes the health and well-being of children in the program. These two physician-appointments will be critical in ensuring NICA is properly meeting the needs of children who need access to medications and equipment for their health and well-being. They both bring tremendous experience and expertise to the program. These families will forever deal with challenges, but thanks to Governor DeSantis, President Simpson, Speaker Sprowls, Senator Burgess, and Representative Koster, they will get more relief and support that they so badly deserve. I thank Dr. DeCesare and Dr. London for their service to the State of Florida and the families who participate in the NICA program.”

DeCesare, of Gulf Breeze, is a Board-Certified Obstetrician and Gynecologist and cares for patients in Pensacola, Florida. Dr. DeCesare is a graduate of Eastern Virginia Medical School. She is currently a Professor at University of Central Florida and founding program director for the West Florida/UCF Obstetrics and Gynecology Program. She serves as the Chair for the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology as well as the Residency Program Director at the West Florida Hospital. Her appointment is effective immediately and expires on August 31, 2022, at which time she will be eligible for a three-year term.

London, of Orlando, has been an anesthesiologist in Central Florida since 1986, an Attending Anesthesiologist at AdventHealth, and a senior partner at US Anesthesia Partners. He is a Fellow of the American Society of Anesthesiologists, a Fellow of the Federation of State Medical Boards and has sub-specialty certifications in Patient Safety and Risk Management. He is a past member of the Florida Board of Medicine and is a past Chairman of its Credentials Committee. He received his medical degree from Cornell Medical College. His appointment is effective immediately and expires August 31, 2024.