Gov. Mike Dunleavy (R) on Tuesday announced all individuals ages 16 and older who live or work in Alaska are now eligible for Covid-19 vaccines, making Alaska the first state to eliminate eligibility requirements for vaccinations, in today's bite-sized hospital and health industry news from Alaska, Florida, and Hawaii.

• Alaska: Gov. Mike Dunleavy (R) on Tuesday announced all individuals ages 16 and older who live or work in Alaska are now eligible for Covid-19 vaccines, making Alaska the first state to eliminate eligibility requirements for vaccinations. Dunleavy said the move is a "historic step" and "another nationwide first for Alaska." Dunleavy noted that the vaccine developed by Pfizer is available to everyone 16 and older, while the vaccines developed by Johnson & Johnson and Moderna are available to everyone 18 and older (Ng, CNBC, 3/9; Stanley-Becker, Washington Post, 3/9; Pietsch/Gold, New York Times, 3/9).

• Florida: Tampa General Hospital has named Annmarie Chavarria as SVP and CNO. Chavarria most recently served as SVP and CNO of Abington-Jefferson Health, which is part of Thomas Jefferson University System. In her new role, Chavarria will be responsible for leading inpatient nursing services at Tampa General (Gooch, Becker's Hospital Review, 3/9; Tampa General Hospital release, 3/9).

• Hawaii: The Hawaii Department of Health announced the launch of a mental health crisis hotline that will provide Hawaiians of all ages with mental health counseling during America's coronavirus epidemic. The program, called "Ku Makani—The Hawaii Resiliency Project," will also offer education and information for those experiencing mental health crises amid the epidemic (Associated Press, 3/8).