Ascension CEOs: Gratitude to Florida legislators for investing in health care in 2024

Scott Kashman, Kevin Rinks and Cory Darling
·2 min read
The old (foreground) and new (background) Florida State Capitol buildings in Tallahassee are shown in this photo from the 2005 start Florida Legislature's annual session.
The old (foreground) and new (background) Florida State Capitol buildings in Tallahassee are shown in this photo from the 2005 start Florida Legislature's annual session.

The Florida Legislature passed monumental health care legislation and funding this year. With this funding, our communities across North Florida will benefit from additional access and infrastructure to meet their needs. The passage of the “Live Healthy” legislation (SB 7016, 7018) is a testament to our policymakers’ and health leaders’ commitment to investing in a healthier and more stable Florida.

We would like to express our gratitude to the Florida Legislature, especially Senators Clay Yarborough, Tracie Davis and Jennifer Bradley, along with Representatives Paul Renner, Sam Garrison and Wyman Duggan for prioritizing the health of our state’s residents. The approved legislation ushers in a modern approach to advancing health care innovation, strengthens the health care pipeline and improves access to behavioral health resources.

All said, this legislation allows for greater access to health care including:

  • $134 million in increased Medicaid reimbursement for mothers and babies

  • $10 million of recurring funds to rural hospital capital improvement projects

  • $50 million per year for a health care innovation fund

  • Increased funding for health care workforce pipeline programs

  • $100 million in education funding at teaching hospitals

  • $11.5 million in behavioral health services.

  • An additional $50 million to Slots for Docs program to increase medical residencies

This historic legislation will benefit our hospitals in Jacksonville that are investing in innovations in cardiovascular care. Our hospitals’ cardiovascular programs are creating a robust and active clinical trials infrastructure that provides first-line access to promising new breakthroughs for heart failure, stroke prevention and AFib.

Letters: TikTok fears are not unfounded, but U.S. tech innovators can handle it

The nursing retention legislation and funding will allow Ascension St. Vincent’s to continue its health care educational partnerships in Duval County. St. Vincent’s has established a CNA career technical program with Westside High School, which allows high school seniors to perform their clinical rotations alongside our nursing teams to provide valuable learning and professional development for our community. We are also looking at partnerships with area universities and colleges to continue to attract new nurses.

The historic legislation and focus on health care passed this year will strengthen our sites of care and enhance the services provided to the thousands of Floridians who trust Ascension with their health needs every day. We are grateful to be part of a community of leaders who put our patients first and adequately prepare for what lies ahead.

Kashman
Kashman
Rinks
Rinks
Darling
Darling

Scott Kashman, president and CEO, Ascension St. Vincent’s Riverside; Kevin Rinks, president and CEO, Ascension St. Vincent’s Southside; and Cory Darling, president and CEO, Ascension St. Vincent’s St. Johns County

This guest column is the opinion of the author and does not necessarily represent the views of the Times-Union. We welcome a diversity of opinions. 

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Funding for mental health, innovation part of new Florida bills