Hematology is the study of the blood and blood disorders in the body. A hematologist is a physician who has expertise in diseases of the blood and bone marrow, and treats vascular and clotting problems. The hematologist also treats blood disorders such as hemophilia, leukemia, lymphoma, anemia and sickle cell disease.

Physicians in this specialty treat patients suffering from numerous diseases and illnesses, but some of the most common are Malaria, lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma, Myelomas, Evans' syndrome, AIDS, Leukemia, hemophilia, Thrombocytopenia, Sickle-cell disease, Myeloma, Pernicious anemia, Hodgkin's disease, Thalassemia, Myelofibrosis, Infectious mononucleosis, Agranulocytosis, Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), Megaloblastic anemia, and Autoimmune hemolytic anemia.

Once properly diagnosed, practitioners can perform numerous procedures on patients including Chemotherapy, Bone marrow transplant, blood transfusion, radiotherapy, Intramuscular injections, Anticoagulation therapy, and Venesection.

To diagnose patients with possible illnesses and diseases, specialists will often perform one of many tests including Coombs test, D-dimer, Prothrombin time, Bone marrow biopsy, Protein electrophoresis, serum Ferritin level, Partial thromboplastin time, Vitamin B12 and Folate levels, Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), Blood film, Full blood count, and Hemoglobin electrophoresis.

Doctor density varies by specialty and location. Florida has 732 practicing hematologists. Broken out by city, hematology doctor density in Venice is 8 and in Vero Beach is 3.

Florida’s warm and humid subtropical climate makes it a winter destination for many. Population in 2000 was 15,982,378, according to census statistics. Tallahassee, located in the north panhandle area, is the state capital. Tourism is a major industry in Florida, with Cape Canaveral, Disney World, the Everglades National Park, Universal Studios, the Atlantic coast and the Gulf coast all destinations for visitors and residents. Year-round outdoor activities include camping, golf, scuba diving, snorkeling, fishing and boating.

According to 2005 Census estimates, Florida has a population of 17,789,864. Of this population, 3,975,071 are under the age of 18 and 2,978,335 are at or above the age of 65.