VOLUSIA

Volusia County schools to partner with Florida Hospital on '1st of its kind' deal

Cassidy Alexander calexander@news-jrnl.com
Florida Hospital will provide health care services and learning opportunities for Volusia County students under a five-year, $2 million agreement that the School Board will be voting on Tuesday. [News-Journal Archives]

The Volusia County school district will trade advertising rights to Florida Hospital in exchange for health care services and education for students through a new partnership to be approved Tuesday.

The School Board will vote on an agreement with the organization that would create the Florida Hospital Healthy Futures Program of Volusia County Schools.

A release from the district calls it “a first of its kind agreement between a school district and major health care provider that will serve as a national model.”

Representatives from the school district and the hospital chain were unavailable to answer questions about the initiative in advance of Tuesday’s meeting.

The agreement spans five years and requires a $2 million commitment from Florida Hospital — $200,000 each year, plus $1 million in in-kind services. The agreement will make Florida Hospital the district’s “Official Health Care Champion.”

The agreement is “cost-neutral” for the district, according to its spokeswoman.

Florida Hospital will have direct involvement in the district’s 15 health care academies and programs, give support to athletic teams and physical trainers and offer health care services to students at 36 schools with the highest chronic student absenteeism.

That includes offering e-care or telemedicine services to students who don’t have insurance and can’t afford health care as a "non-traditional solution" to chronic student absenteeism, and to student athletes as part of implementing a "high school athlete health care ecosystem."

The only health care services currently provided at schools come from nurses in clinics.

Florida Hospital will also have the ability to establish an internship program and host career fairs on campuses to recruit graduates. Under the agreement the hospital chain must arrange for speakers and tours of the hospital facilities for students in the academies and programs.

Aside from naming rights for the health care academy and programs, the hospital will also have the right to distribute information through the school district’s websites, app, channels, social media platforms and take-home information. Additionally, the hospital will advertise on signage at home athletic events, have four PA announcements at each sporting event and provide apparel with the Florida Hospital logo for adult athletic personnel.

“Our School Board is committed to expanding vocational and college readiness programs but cannot do it alone,” Superintendent Tom Russell said in a release. “Florida Hospital has stepped up to the plate. This is an exciting time for students in Volusia County schools.”

Florida Hospital operates four hospitals in Volusia County, along with physicians offices and outpatient facilities.

A special School Board meeting about the agreement will take place at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Deltona High School auditorium at 100 Wolf Pack Run.