Baptist Health will provide more than $1.6 million in strategic investments to free and charitable health clinics in Northeast Florida over a five-year-period as part of the health system’s long-standing commitment to expand access to health care throughout the community.
As a not-for-profit health system deeply rooted in the communities it serves, Baptist Health regularly invests in initiatives aimed to strengthen the health and wellbeing of all those living in Northeast Florida. The new funding will provide general operating support for qualified community health clinics in addition to the existing funding that Baptist Health already makes available to address health inequities.
“Baptist Health’s mission has always been about more than providing excellent care in our hospitals and clinics – it’s about showing up for our neighbors wherever needs exist,” said Michael A. Mayo, president and CEO of Baptist Health, who announced the funding at a luncheon for the beneficiaries on Monday. “By investing in and collaborating with free and charitable health clinics, we are meeting people where they are, removing barriers to care and helping families stay healthy proactively.”
To help build a stronger, healthier community, Baptist Health has established a donor-advised fund at The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida. The Baptist Health Community Health Clinic Fund opens with an initial amount of $1,665,500. Federally qualified health centers and free and charitable health clinics that are members of the Florida Association of Free and Charitable Clinics and are based in Baker, Clay, Duval, Nassau and St. Johns counties may be eligible to receive support from the fund.
“The Community Foundation is proud to support Baptist Health with its goal of providing steady, reliable funding for local health clinics,” said Isaiah M. Oliver, president of The Community Foundation of Northeast Florida. “We are grateful for their generosity and foresight as they seek to address a pressing community need.”
Katie Ensign, Baptist Health’s vice president of community impact, said improving access to health care is one of the priorities outlined in the recent Community Health Needs Assessment, a report created by local nonprofit hospitals to guide efforts to improve the region’s health outcomes.
The assessment showed that 14.5% of adults in Northeast Florida – more than 140,000 people ages 18 to 64 – do not have health insurance, compared to 12% nationwide. It also showed that 7% of local children – more than 26,000 – are uninsured, compared to 5.3% nationally.
“Lack of health insurance is a primary barrier to health care access, including regular primary care, specialty care and other health services,” Ensign said. “Charitable health clinics, such as those that will benefit from this fund, help to reduce that barrier to care. We are proud to collaborate with these clinics to improve access to health and well-being for all who live in our region.”
