Florida covers 53,927 square miles, with a 2008 estimated population of 18,328,340 people – with 1,172,421 people living in rural Florida (USDA-ERS). Tallahassee is the state capital. The state’s largest cities are Jacksonville, Miami, and Tampa. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 80,0% of the state’s population is white, 15.9% is Black/African American, and 20.6% is of Hispanic/Latino origin (2007).
There are 187 hospitals in Florida, 29 of which are located in rural areas (North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center, Dec. 2008). The state has 11 hospitals currently identified by the Flex Monitoring Team as Critical Access Hospitals (April, 2009). There are 142 Rural Health Clinics in Florida (CMS, 2009), and 41 Federally Qualified Health Centers provide services at 372 sites in the state (Kaiser, 2008). 20.7% of Florida residents lack any health insurance (Kaiser, 2006-2007).
According to the USDA Economic Research Service, the average per-capita income for all Florida residents in 2007 was $38,417, although rural per-capita income lagged at $27,382. Estimates from 2008 indicate a poverty rate of 17.8% exists in rural Florida, compared to 13.0% in urban areas of the state. 2000 data reports 26.5% of the rural population has not completed high school, while 19.7% of the urban population lacks a high school diploma. The unemployment rate in rural Florida is 6.4%, while in urban Florida it is 6.2% (USDA-ERS, 2008).
For a national comparison, please see an overview of the United States.
Data Sources:
U.S. Census Bureau: State & County QuickFacts
USDA Economic Research Service: State Fact Sheets
North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
Kaiser Family Foundation State Health Facts
Flex Monitoring Team: Critical Access Hospital List
Organizations
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida
Commercial
Goal is to help Floridians with their health and well-being.
Blue Foundation for a Healthy Florida (BCBSF)
Nonprofit/Foundation
A philanthropic foundation that supports community-based solutions that enhance access to quality health-related services for uninsured and underserved Floridians.
Florida Agency for Health Care Administration
State government
Committed to providing the best quality service to the citizens of Florida.
Florida Association for Community Action, Inc. (FACA)
State/regional organization
In 1981, the Florida Association for Community Action was incorporated as a united federation of Community Action Agencies, Head Start programs, Weatherization programs and concerned citizens.
Florida Association of Community Health Centers (FACHC)
State/regional organization
Provides advocacy, resources and assistance to Florida's Federally Qualified Health Centers in their efforts to deliver quality healthcare services throughout the state.
Florida Child Support Enforcement Program
State government
Is charged with the responsibility of helping assure that children in Florida are supported by both parents.
Florida Department of Children and Families
State government
Serves vulnerable adults (elderly and disabled) who are victims of abuse, neglect, exploitation, or in need of services due to neglect by the vulnerable adult themself. Also serves
permanently disabled adults who need assistance to remain in their homes in the community.
Florida Department of Community Affairs
State/regional organization
Provides housing and community development resources.
Florida Department of Health
State government
By providing quality services and promoting healthy communities, we are valued by those we serve and by our partners.
Florida Department of Health: Office of Minority Health
State government
Provides leadership in improving minority health and reducing health disparities through education, collaboration, mobilization and coordination statewide.
Florida Disaster Recovery Fund
Nonprofit/Foundation
The mission of the Florida Hurricane Relief Fund is to raise funds to help Floridians with recovery through strengthening families and rebuilding communities.
Florida Hospital Association (FHA)
State/regional organization
Through advocacy, education, research, representation, and service, the FHA carries out its mission "to promote the ability of member hospitals and healthcare systems to effectively and efficiently serve the healthcare needs of their communities."
Florida Office of Rural Health
State government
Addresses the healthcare needs of the state's rural citizens. A division of the Florida Department of Health.
Florida Rural Health Association (FRHA)
State/regional organization
Advocates for policy initiatives that strengthen healthcare services in Florida's rural communities.
Florida State Rural Development Council (FSRDC)
State/regional organization
Designed to bring a clearer focus to rural development policy and programs and to promote collaborative intergovernmental partnerships with the private sector
HUD Community Development Block Grants: Florida
Federal government
Contact information for the State CDBG program. Provides funding for community development projects.
National Network of Libraries of Medicine, Southeastern/Atlantic Region (NN/LM-SE/A)
State/regional organization
Works to improve access to health information for health care providers, librarians and the public in Alabama, the District of Columbia,
Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Virginia and West Virginia.
Research and Training Center for Children's Mental Health at the University of South Florida
State/regional organization
Formed to address the need for improved services and outcomes for children with serious emotional/behavioral disabilities and their families.
Southeast Rural Community Assistance Project (Southeast RCAP)
State/regional organization
Helps rural communities in Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida to improve community infrastructure, including water and wastewater treatment.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development: Florida
Federal government
Works to increase homeownership, support community development and increase access to affordable housing. The HUD state office provides information about HUD housing programs and local contacts for the state.
USDA Rural Development Florida State Office
Federal government
Committed to helping improve the economy and quality of life in all of rural America. The Rural Development State Office provides information about Rural Development programs and applications for financial assistance.
Tools
ERS State Fact Sheet: Florida
Web site
Lists statistics on population, educational attainment, employment, income, farm characteristics, and farm financial indicators for the state.
Florida QuickFacts
Web site
Basic demographic and economic statistics for the state, with links to county-level data.
Florida Health Centers Data
Web site
Provides access to information on Federally Qualified Health Centers for the state. Includes a map of FQHC locations, as well as information on the populations served by health centers, services provided, staff, patient visits, costs of care, and use of electronic health information.
Florida Health Workforce: Highlights from the Health Workforce Profile
Web site
Highlights compile 2000 data on levels of employment, projected growth and key environmental factors that affect demand for health care. Details for medicine, nursing, dentistry, pharmacy, mental health and aides.
Florida KIDS COUNT Data Center (KCDC)
Web site
Provides data on child well-being for the state.
Florida Resource Directory
Web site
The Directory will help rural and distressed urban communities, as well as community based organizations find and access sources of assistance.
Florida State Health Facts
Database
The latest state-level data on demographics, health, and health policy, including health coverage, access, financing, and state legislation. Individual state profiles and 50-state comparisons.
National Healthcare Quality Report State Snapshot: Florida
Web site
Health care quality report for the state, based on the National Healthcare Quality Report.
State Profiles- Florida: Health Information Technology (HIT)
Web site
Profiles the state’s health information technology (HIT) issues. Contains sections on demographics, HIT legislation, telemedicine, Health Information Exchanges (HIE) & Regional Health Information Organizations (RHIO), grant funded HIT projects, and HIT survey information.
See also: Resources for All States: Tools Maps & Map Collections
Florida Rural Definition Maps
Geographic coverage: Florida
Set of maps showing the geographic coverage provided by 9 different rural definitions for the state.
Florida's Rural Counties
Geographic coverage: United States
A map of the State of Florida highlighting the rural counties with a population
density of less than 100 individuals per
square mile or an area defined by the
most recent U.S. census as rural.
See also: Resources for All States: Maps Funding
BJ’s Charitable Foundation
Funding for safety, security and well-being of children and families, education and health programs, community service opportunities, and hunger and disaster relief.
Gulf Coast Emergency Response Fund
Emergency grants to grantee organizations working in communities affected by this Hurricane Gustav and possible future disasters.
Southeast Rural Community Assistance Loan Fund Program
Provides low-interest loans to low-income rural communities for predevelopment costs, system upgrades and new construction of water and wastewater services and facilities.
Inactive Funding
Inactive Funding Opportunities -
Lists additional funding programs for this state that are not currently accepting applications. Programs that are inactive may be offered again in the future.
Documents, Reports and Other Publications
Border County Health Workforce Profiles: Florida
Sponsoring organization: Health Resources and Services Administration
Provides information on the health workforce, relevant population characteristics, and basic health indicators in Florida.
Date: 05 / 2007
Charting Florida's Mobility Course
Author(s): Beth Wilson
Sponsoring organization: Community Transportation Association of America
Describes how transportation systems across Florida have found several ways to serve a variety of needs, while at the same time building a network to serve for all Floridians.
Date: 2006
Demographic and Economic Profile: Florida
Author(s): Kathleen K. Miller
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute
Discusses demographic and economic data including population, race, education, age, poverty, income, and more. Includes maps and graphics.
Date: 02 / 2009
Florida's Transportation Disadvantaged Program: Filling in the Gaps
Author(s): Beth Wilson
Sponsoring organization: Community Transportation Association of America
Describes how all one local countywide entity provides human service transportation for everyone.
Date: 2006
P-3 Community Foundation: Building a Community Coalition to Advance Rural Family Economic Success
Author(s): Betsy Rubiner
Sponsoring organization: Annie E. Casey Foundation
Profiles the development of a new community foundation to serve struggling families in three Florida counties.
Date: 2006
Small Business Profile: Florida
Sponsoring organization: Small Business Administration
Profile of the state's economy, covering the number of firms, industry composition, small business income, banking, women and minority business ownership, and employment.
Date: 2008
State Profiles - Florida: Reforming the Health Care System
Sponsoring organization: AARP Public Policy Institute
Detailed profile of the state's health care system. Covers demographics, expenditures and financing, health status, utilization and quality of services, health care providers, Medicare, Medicaid, health insurance coverage, and key trends.
Date: 12 / 2005
Taking SSTRIDEs to Recruit and Retain Physicians
Author(s): Alex McEllistrem-Evenson
Sponsoring organization: Health Workforce Information Center
Features the SSTRIDE education outreach program, which provides educational enrichment to Florida students interested in health care, from seventh grade through medical school.
Journal citation: Health Workforce News
Date: 07 / 2009
See also: Resources for All States: Documents Success Stories
Healthy Connections West
The goal of this project was to provide mental health intervention services to targeted children and their families in order to achieve improved academic and social performance.
EMS Co-op Helps Rural Providers
Using the power of group purchasing within a cooperative structure, the North Central EMS Cooperative (NCEMSC) is an Emergency Medical Services (EMS) cooperative developed to serve Minnesota and surrounding states.
Farmworker Case Management Across Borders
This project's overall objective for the migrant and seasonal worker populations was to increase their access to health services and specifically: (1) to increase management of their chronic diseases; (2) to increase completion of their treatment for communicable diseases; (3) to reduce their need for emergency dental care; and to increase their access to vision care.
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