Ascension Florida has been awarded nearly $7.25 million to help expand healthcare access for rural communities across the state, part of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ announcement of nearly $188 million through Florida’s Rural Health Transformation Program.
Ascension Florida will direct the funding toward services designed to meet patients where they live, reducing travel barriers between rural Floridians and the care they need.
“Many individuals in rural Florida drive long distances for specialty care and early screenings,” said Dr. Syed Jafri, Chief Clinical Officer, Ascension Florida. “This investment allows us to bring rapid stroke evaluation, cancer screening, and clinical training directly into the communities that need them most.”
The funding supports three core initiatives:
- Mobile cancer screening network (Northeast Region/Ascension St. Vincent’s): $4.3 million. Designed to expand access to early detection and screening services for breast, thoracic, gynecologic, and colorectal cancers, connecting patients to virtual specialty care and navigation.
- Mobile stroke unit (Northwest Region/Ascension Sacred Heart Health System): $2.4 million. Custom-built with diagnostic imaging technology to assess stroke symptoms in the field and connect patients directly to care teams when time-sensitive interventions are clinically appropriate.
- Rural residency clinic equipment (Walton County/Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast): $450,000. Provides diagnostic and imaging equipment for the Family Medicine Residency program to support clinician training across rural care sites, including home visits.
Administered by the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration, the Rural Health Transformation Program supports awards across 31 rural counties statewide to strengthen healthcare delivery.
Source: Heather Kretzer, External Communications Manager, Ascension Florida