Learn the signs, ask the questions and share what you know. Emily Adkins was my daughter. In October 2022, after she broke her ankle, a blood clot took her life. She was 23. For a long time afterward, my wife, Janet , and I kept asking how many other Florida families were living through this. No one could tell us, because Florida did not track blood clots.  That has changed. In 2025, the Legislature passed the Emily Adkins Family Protection Act without a single vote against it. The law requires hospitals with emergency rooms to assess patients for blood clot risk and train their staff. It requires nursing home aides to learn the warning signs and assisted living facilities to inform new residents. And it directed the state to measure the problem.

Nassau County, Fernandina Beach, Hilliard and Callahan have joined our family in recognizing October as Emily Adkins Blood Clot Awareness Month. Thank you. Every proclamation helps another family learn the signs of a blood clot. This year, we have something new to share. Florida’s first statewide blood clot report found that almost 45% of patients hospitalized with a blood clot were back in the hospital with another clot diagnosis within 15 days. Before you or someone you love leaves the hospital, ask: What is my risk of a blood clot? What signs should bring me back? Swelling, pain or warmth in a leg, sudden shortness of breath and chest pain can all be warning signs. Do not wait them out. Learn more at emilypromises.com/october. Doug Adkins Fernandina Beach

Janet Adkins addresses the Hilliard Town Council Thursday night. The town proclaimed October as Emily Adkins Blood Clot Awareness Month. Photo courtesy of Emily’s Promise. Britney Fletcher West NCR Reporter The Hilliard Town Council proclaimed October as Emily Adkins Blood Clot Awareness Month during its Oct. 1 meeting, honoring the memory of a Nassau County woman whose death led her family to advocate for greater awareness and prevention of blood clots. Mayor John Beasley presented the proclamation to Emily Adkins’ parents, Doug and Janet Adkins. She died Oct. 21, 2022, at age 23 from a pulmonary embolism resulting from a preventable blood clot after a fractured ankle. Her parents created Emily’s Promise in her memory to educate the public and medical professionals about blood clot risks and prevention. The proclamation noted that blood clots can affect people of any age and can be associated with risk factors including surgery, pregnancy and cancer treatment. It also highlighted the Caprini Risk Score, which can be used to assess an individual’s risk of developing a blood clot. Doug Adkins, who leads Emily’s Promise, told the council the organization continues to work on blood clot prevention and medical education. “This past legislative session, the foundation received a $200,000 appropriation for the Emily Adkins Fellowship program,” he said. “The fellowship is aimed at educating and teaching physicians.” Adkins said physician and staff training was among the recommendations of a state workgroup established following advocacy efforts surrounding the Emily Adkins Prevention Act. A law signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2025 requires training for certified nursing assistants in nursing homes. “When you go to the hospital, you need to make sure you ask them regarding the blood clot prevention act because it’s now the law,” Adkins said. He said the Agency for Health Care Administration has established citations and deficiencies for noncompliance and that Florida hospitals with emergency rooms are required to have policies and procedures related to blood clot prevention and to train staff annually on their implementation. The Emily Adkins Prevention Act was enacted following advocacy by Emily’s Promise. The organization’s materials state that the law directs the secretary of the Agency for Health Care Administration, in conjunction with the state surgeon general, to establish a policy workgroup focused on blood clot surveillance and developing a standard of care to improve early identification and treatment. The proclamation also recognized Emily’s Promise efforts to educate the public about blood clot prevention and medical advancements, including thrombectomy, a procedure used to remove blood clots. Janet Adkins thanked the council for recognizing her daughter. “It’s been almost four years, and it’s still hard,” she said. “Thank you for remembering Emily.”

Duval County recorded 5,009 health care visits involving a blood clot from July 2024 through June 2025. That is the sixth-most of any Florida county. The number comes from the state's first blood clot report, released this past June by the Agency for Health Care Administration. The state calls that count conservative because it leaves out doctors' offices, urgent care and clots that were never diagnosed. Even so, the number is alarming. 

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Florida Legislature has officially passed the Emily Adkins Family Protection Act, a bipartisan bill that aims to improve emergency care protocols, training, and patient screening for life-threatening blood clots such as pulmonary embolisms. The first-in-the-nation legislation, passed by both the Florida House and Senate, now heads to Governor Ron DeSantis’s desk. Named in memory of Emily Elizabeth Adkins, a 23-year-old woman whose sudden passing from a blood clot could have been prevented with proper screening, the bill represents a major step forward in protecting Floridians from one of the most underdiagnosed medical emergencies. The legislation requires hospitals to implement clot risk screening protocols, improve training for emergency and post-acute care providers, and report data to strengthen prevention efforts statewide. “It is an esteemed honor to have worked on this milestone piece of legislation that we believe will help save the lives of more Floridians,” said Senator Yarborough. “My sincere thanks to Doug & Janet Adkins and Emily’s Promise for their tireless dedication in seeing this become a reality.”  “This bill builds on the work we have done with the Blood Clot and Pulmonary Embolism Workgroup and honors the memory of Emily Adkins,” said Representative Black. “It will save lives in Florida and set an example for other states.” “I lost my daughter to something that should have been caught,” said Doug Adkins, Emily’s father and CEO of Emily’s Promise. “No parent should have to go through that. This bill is about giving families a fighting chance, so no one has to wonder ‘what if’ like we do every day.” Emily’s Promise extends its deepest gratitude to Senator Clay Yarborough, Representative Dean Black, and the 42 co-sponsors for their steadfast leadership and compassion in championing this life-saving legislation. Their commitment has turned the personal heartbreak of the Adkins family and so many others into lasting progress across Florida. “Janet and Doug Adkins have long been part of the FHCA family, and we’re proud to honor Emily’s memory through this important legislation,” said Emmett Reed, CEO of the Florida Health Care Association. “Pulmonary embolisms are a serious but preventable risk, especially for seniors, where underlying conditions and immobility are more common. This bill is a powerful reminder that smarter screening and better training can make all the difference.” Supporters from across Florida, including public health advocates and patient safety organizations, are celebrating the bill’s passage as a meaningful, life-saving measure. ### ABOUT EMILY’S PROMISE Emily’s Promise, Inc. is a not-for-profit private foundation dedicated to the memory of Emily Elizabeth Adkins and raising awareness of blood clots, pulmonary embolisms, and ankle fractures, along with promoting kindness as a community value.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida’s statutory Blood Clot and Pulmonary Embolism Policy Workgroup has released its final report, supporting a detection system and policies to improve care standards, detection, treatment, and education on the serious risk posed by blood clots and pulmonary embolisms. The workgroup was established by The Emily Adkins Prevention Act, which was signed into law by Governor Ron DeSantis in July 2023. The law was passed in honor of its namesake, a 23-year-old Fernandina Beach woman who tragically died on October 21, 2022, due to a preventable blood clot caused by a fractured ankle. The report set out multiple findings and recommendations for the state, including: ● Blood clots are a major public health threat: Up to 45,800 Floridians experience blood clots each year, with pulmonary embolism remaining a leading cause of preventable hospital deaths. ● Statewide monitoring and standardized care are critical: Florida should create a statewide surveillance system to track cases and improve early detection, and hospitals and health care facilities should be required to conduct risk assessments to ensure that patients receive timely and appropriate blood clot treatment. ● Expanding public awareness and access to care: Education campaigns should be conducted for both the public and health care providers, medical facilities should improve post-discharge follow-ups for high-risk patients, and state support should be provided for specialized treatment centers to enhance care and reduce preventable deaths. “Our goal is to prevent other families from experiencing the heartache we’ve endured,” said Doug Adkins, Emily’s father and CEO of Emily’s Promise. “The recommendations provided by the workgroup will make meaningful progress toward making sure that people don’t die from easily preventable complications with blood clots.” Dr. Ali Ataya, an associate professor of medicine at the University of Florida, leads the workgroup. Other members include representatives from the National Blood Clot Alliance and the Florida Senate. The report also included expert consultations from doctors at the University of Florida, University of Chicago, Indiana University, and Cleveland Clinic. Blood clots are a serious health epidemic in Florida and across the country. The report documents that blood clots account for 10% of all maternal morality and are the leading cause of preventable deaths in hospitals. The report also explores the economic impacts of blood blots, including an annual cost of $7-10 billion to manage new diagnoses. To learn more about the recommendations of the Blood Clot and Pulmonary Embolism Policy Workgroup, view the full report here.  ### ABOUT EMILY’S PROMISE Emily’s Promise, Inc. is a not-for-profit private foundation dedicated to the memory of Emily Elizabeth Adkins and raising awareness of blood clots, pulmonary embolisms, and ankle fractures, along with promoting kindness as a community value.

FERNANDINA BEACH, Fla. – Emily's Promise, a family foundation committed to preventing blood clots and raising awareness of the life-threatening dangers they pose, hailed the long-awaited first meeting of Florida’s Blood Clot Policy Workgroup as an important step toward addressing the issue of preventable blood clot deaths in the state. The Blood Clot Policy Workgroup, led by Dr. Ali Ataya of the University of Florida, was established by the Secretary of the Agency for Health Care Administration in conjunction with the Florida Surgeon General, as directed by the Emily Adkins Prevention Act. At this inaugural meeting, the gathering of health care providers, patients who have experienced blood clots, family members of patients who have died from blood clots, and other interested parties conducted an overview of venous thromboembolism (VTE) and current areas of need, including better access to care or medication for individuals suffering from VTE, as well as structured reporting of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolisms. “It was such a privilege to witness the first meeting of a group whose work literally will save lives,” said Douglas Adkins, CEO of Emily’s Promise, Inc. “Blood clots are killing more people than breast cancer, car crashes, and AIDS combined. I am excited to see the consensus building around the need for a statewide data surveillance system and taking bold steps to address the standard of care.” Douglas and Janet Adkins founded Emily’s Promise after losing their 23-year-old daughter Emily, an aspiring health care professional, to a fatal blood clot stemming from a fractured ankle. Emily’s Promise aims to honor their daughter’s legacy of kindness and compassion, and to increase awareness of blood clots and pulmonary embolisms. ### ABOUT EMILY’S PROMISE Emily’s Promise, Inc. is a not-for-profit private foundation dedicated to the memory of Emily Elizabeth Adkins and raising awareness of blood clots, pulmonary embolisms, and ankle fractures, along with promoting kindness as a community value.

The blood clot that killed Emily Adkins had likely been in her body for some time. How did doctors miss it?