1Brightline bringing back commuter passesBrightline, which discontinued popular South Florida commuter passes last year, will at least partially restore them, with the help of a $33.8 million grant from Washington.The higher speed rail company, which services Miami, Aventura, Boca Raton, West Palm Beach and most recently to Orlando, will “reintroduce a new South Florida commuter pass designed for the frequent traveler,” the company announced. The program is scheduled to launch in March and details will be available on Brightline’s website and app. “The funding allows us to expedite new passenger cars into service and with that capacity, increased availability for the South Florida traveler,” Patrick Goddard, the company president, said in a statement. Brightline launched its Central Florida service in September 2023, but in order to increase seating capacity from South Florida to Orlando it canceled three popular pass options for frequent riders using South Florida stations. While overall ridership rose, short-haul numbers have declined.Brightline’s new commuter offering that will save commuters money may be seen as a bridge or interim plan before Brightline and local counties are able to establish commuter lines in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach Counties, Goddard said. Miami-Dade and Broward counties continue to advance projects to provide commuter service along the FEC corridor and discussions to finalize an agreement are ongoing.“We’ve been working on developing a true commuter system in South Florida for years, but that solution takes time and can’t be turned on overnight. This is the next best thing and can be seen as an interim commuter program before Miami Dade and Broward launch service,” said Goddard.2Report: Warburg Pincus exploring a $5B+ ModMed salePrivate equity firm Warburg Pincus is weighing options, including a sale, for Boca Raton-based Modernizing Medicine (ModMed) that could value the medical software provider at more than $5 billion, including debt, according to a report in Reuters

Michael A. Brickman, MD, Medical Director of Plastic Surgery at ModMed       Eye contact and good desk-side manner have always been incredibly important in the plastic surgery specialty, where patients’ decisions can be heavy with emotion around the perception of their image. Even what some see as a “small touchup” like dermal fillers are huge decisions for others because it is a change in how they present themselves physically and then carry themselves emotionally. The practice of plastic surgery is inherently human, in the most sentimental sense. But, as we are today, we can use a little help from artificial intelligence (AI) to become more human. Plastic surgeries are still on the rise, with or without new providersAccording to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, there has been continued steady growth in both plastic surgeries and minimally invasive procedures, with many individuals now considering certain procedures as part of regular self-care. With such a shift in cultural perspectives towards plastic surgery, the specialty is positioned to experience increasing patient volumes from every generation.However, providers should prepare accordingly without a matching increase in plastic surgeons and specialists. This includes finding ways to ensure that keeping up with administrative tasks doesn’t drive a wedge between patient-provider relationships, a huge risk for any plastics practice. Technology, particularly AI, stands to protect those relationships, if our industry is willing to trust it.The impact of AI will be worth the big leapI have had several conversations with fellow practitioners and private practice owners about the general hesitancy to jump into AI technology – some older physician folks are even still weary of fully integrating EMRs, a now basic technology necessity, into their healthcare practices! I’ll admit, at the risk of sounding curmudgeonly, that earlier in my career I, too, would have been reluctant to try such new digital tools. And, those hesitant providers aren’t all wrong