South Florida State College received $351,549 from the Rural Health Transformation Program to create Rural Care Connect and develop pathways in five academic programs for rural communities. The initiative will strengthen three existing programs and support the creation of two new programs.
The Rural Health Transformation Program is funded by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services through the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration. The agency was created through Florida Statute to serve as the chief health policy and planning organization for the state.
Five programs included
Rural Care Connect will strengthen South Florida State College programs in Nursing Assistant, Phlebotomy and Electrocardiography Technology, also known as EKG. Grant funding will support the creation of Central Sterile Processing Technology and Emergency Medical Responder.
South Florida State College created the initiative as an institution that provides education and services to rural communities. The five programs are being developed to create academic pathways through the Rural Health Transformation Program grant.
“The application process was highly competitive, and we are thrilled to have the opportunity to help expand access to quality healthcare in rural communities,” said Dr. Kathleen Cappo, dean of health sciences at South Florida State College. “This grant allows SFSC to be part of a meaningful statewide effort to address healthcare needs in rural Florida, and we look forward to seeing the impact that SFSC and our fellow award recipients will have in the communities we serve.”
Community partners included
South Florida State College included AdventHealth, CareerSource Heartland, Mosaic and Who We Play For as community partners in developing the five academic programs. The programs will serve communities in South Florida State College’s rural district.
South Florida State College announced the grant and Rural Care Connect initiative on Sept. 24, 2026. The college provided no program start dates or enrollment details in the announcement.
For more information about the programs supported by the grant, contact Danielle Nuccio, health sciences advisor, at 863-784-7027 or danielle.nuccio@southflorida.edu.
FSB Take
South Florida State College’s grant combines support for three existing health care programs with the creation of two new ones. Rural Care Connect gives the college a defined structure for developing those five academic pathways in rural communities.
Source: Original report