Confined Patient's Case May Fuel New [Florida] Laws

Florida officials' anxiety over a recent tuberculosis (TB) patient and their ensuing battle through the court to keep him in a medical facility may well lead to a change in state public health laws. Melvin Sherrod violated three court orders mandating that he remain in the A.G. Holley State Tuberculosis Hospital until his treatments could be completed. While he was temporarily incarcerated in the county prison system, he willingly took his medication; however, when release was given to admit him to the hospital, he refused treatment, became abusive, and walked away from the facility. While Florida law requires TB patients to obtain treatment for the disease, the measure has no provisions about keeping someone in treatment against their will.