Welcome to Florida's
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Program Overview |
Established by the Florida Legislature in 1991 (Chapter 381.0405, Florida Statutes)
, the Florida Office of Rural Health is charged with addressing the particular healthcare needs of the state's rural citizens. Currently, the Office is staffed by two positions: the Director of the Office of Rural Health and a Critical Access Hospital Coordinator.
In general, the Office of Rural Health is assigned the responsibility for the following:
- Coordinate with other state programs and agencies (e.g., Medical Quality Assurance, Emergency Medical Services, Planning, Evaluation and Data Analysis within the larger Department of Health; the Agency for Health Care Administration; the Department of Children and Families), area health education centers, state universities, and rural health interest groups such as the Florida Hospital Association and the Florida Rural Health Association.
- Provide technical assistance to rural providers.
- Collect and disseminate information about rural health.
- Acquire grant funds for rural health programs and providers.
- Work to improve access to emergency medical services in rural areas.
Since 1997, the Office of Rural Health has been focused on three key programs within rural health; the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Program, the Rural Hospital Capital Improvement Program, and the development and support of the state's statutory Rural Health Networks.
What is Rural Health in Florida? |
Although Florida is the fourth most populous state in the U.S., it has substantial areas that are rural both by definition and use. Florida is the ninth largest producer of farm commodities in the nation with 30% of its total land area in farmland. An additional 10% of the state is set aside for recreation and preservation in the form of state and federal parks, forests, wilderness areas, wildlife preserves, and national seashores.
As of the 2000 Census, 33 of Florida's 67 counties are considered rural based on the statutory definition of an area with a population density of less than 100 individuals per square mile or an area defined by the most recent United States Census as rural. In area, these 33 counties cover just over 42 percent of Florida's nearly 54,000 square miles of land area. Rural counties are located primarily in the Florida Panhandle, north central Florida, the south central portion of the state, and the Florida Keys. Approximately 1.1 million of Florida's 16 million citizens live in those rural counties. Portions of other Florida counties also contain large, rural areas but are not classified as rural. Many of the counties bordering on the Atlantic and Gulf have populations concentrated near the coast, but thinly populated interiors (e.g., Collier, Palm Beach, or Escambia counties.) To take these rural populations into account, several of the statutory Rural Health Networks include them in their service areas.
RURAL COUNTIES (pdf less than .37MB, all open in new window)
Additional Links & Information |
Use the links below to learn more about Rural Health in Florida:
- Directory of Rural Hospitals Updated June 2010 (pdf-125kb)
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Florida Rural Health Association |
National Rural Health Association |
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Rural Assistance Center |
Office of Rural Health Policy |
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Florida Association of Community Health Centers | |
Reports, Publications and News Items |
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The Rural Health Plan is currently being revised. | ||
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Under Florida Law, e-mail addresses are public records. If you do not want your email address released in response to a public records request, do not send electronic mail to this entity. Instead, contact this office by phone or in writing.
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For more information write or FX: (850) 414-6470 For general comments, or questions about this site please email: Web Manager
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