Several Florida hospitals that treat children with cancer will receive a combined $30 million in state funding, Governor Ron DeSantis announced.
“I know that that’s going to go a long way,” DeSantis said at a news conference Monday in Jacksonville. “This is really going to make a difference.”
Four hospitals will receive $7.5 million each: St. Petersburg’s Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, Miami’s Nicklaus Children’s Hospital System, Jacksonville’s Wolfson Children’s Hospital, and Orlando’s Nemours Children’s Hospital.
Officials from Wolfson Children’s Hospital shared plans to use their grant funding to create a home-delivery chemotherapy program aimed at reaching more patients in need.
“This is what the Cancer Connect Collaborative Research Incubator is all about—not only advancing the science around treatment and prevention but also overcoming the barriers to accessing care,” said Shevaun Harris, Secretary of the Florida Agency for Healthcare Administration.
Housed within the Florida Department of Health, the Cancer Connect Collaborative Research Incubator focuses on increasing research into pediatric cancer. DeSantis noted that pediatric cancer is the leading disease killer for children under 14.
The Governor emphasized the need for more pediatric cancer research, citing limitations in cancer trials for children. “Since 2019, when I took office, we’ve invested more than $1 billion in cancer research and treatment,” he said.
Cancer research is a personal cause for DeSantis, who is the father of young children. His wife, First Lady Casey DeSantis, is also a cancer survivor.
Dr. Mark Toney, Wolfson’s vice president of medical affairs, called the $30 million investment a game-changer for Florida’s hospitals.
“Although Florida is the nation’s third-largest state for children, we still lack a top-25 pediatric cancer program,” Toney said at the press event, standing alongside the DeSantises. “Too many families have to travel out of state for specialized treatment and added burden during an already difficult time. That will change. Today’s investment is a critical step forward.”
https://floridapolitics.com/archives/763554-florida-is-giving-30-million-to-four-hospitals-for-pediatric-cancer-programs/
