County briefing highlights heart‑scan pilot; officials say screenings found previously undetected disease

Broward County officials told commissioners Tuesday that an ongoing heart‑scan pilot has screened thousands of asymptomatic residents and identified a substantial number of previously undetected serious conditions.

Vice Mayor Bogan said the program had tested 5,323 people to date and had another 6,900 appointment slots scheduled, and he highlighted several short video testimonials from participants whose scans revealed urgent problems. “Out of that, 62 percent had either very abnormal or found cancer or other issues,” Bogan said during his update, citing summary numbers from the pilot.

Three participants provided video testimonials during the briefing. Robert Diaz, a long‑time county court judge, said the scan discovered severe blockages that led to open‑heart surgery. “I had quadruple bypass last June 3,” Diaz said in video testimony, adding that he had no symptoms before the scan. Another participant, former professional athlete Steve Sachs, said the scan found coronary blockages that will be addressed after follow‑up tests. A third participant, Neil Kachera, said a follow‑up to his scan led to an evaluation and treatment for stage‑4 cancer.

Commissioners praised the pilot and discussed next steps for data collection and insurer engagement. “I’m hopeful that we can get the data and documents when we approve so we can get this to the state of Florida so that they can mandate insurance covers this stuff,” one commissioner said. Vice Mayor Bogan said he had recently met the president of a major insurer and planned to pursue conversations to encourage coverage of the screening.

The presentation was informational; no vote was required. County staff said they will work to assemble pilot data and outreach materials for potential use with insurers and state partners. Commissioners said the pilot results were an early sign that broader screening and insurer reimbursement discussions may be warranted.