florida is launching a new initiative aimed at accelerating pediatric cancer research and treatment, with officials anticipating it will bolster enrollment in clinical trials and enable pediatric hospitals and community clinics to collaborate on expanding educational programs for families and healthcare providers. Shevaun Harris, secretary of the Florida agency for Health Care Governance, announced the program’s expected benefits on Wednesday.
Michael Mayo, President and CEO of Baptist Health, expressed his belief that the cancer research efforts will draw “the world’s top talent” to practice pediatric cancer medicine within Florida.
Casey DeSantis, who spearheaded the establishment of this collaborative effort, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2021 and subsequently declared cancer-free in March 2022. Reflecting on the urgency of the mission, she stated, “We’re at war with cancer. We don’t want to wait for a fiscal year to end to then do all these grants. Let’s go. If somebody knows that they have a good idea and they want to put gas on that brush fire to try make an impact, you should get that funding quickly.”
