A $500,000 grant has been awarded to University of Florida Health to reduce barriers in access and improve healthcare for residents in east Gainesville.
The grant is from the Florida Blue Foundation and will allow UF Health to implement programs in east Gainesville over the next five years, which include a mobile food pharmacy and new transportation options.
UF Health said in a press release that community needs assessments it conducted suggest that east Gainesville has the area’s highest incidence of health disparities along with the most limited access to health.
The years-long project will focus on three main factors: transportation obstacles, language barriers and a lack of access to healthy foods. Lakesha Butler, associate vice president for organizational culture and strategic engagement and chief culture officer at UF Health, said these focal points can positively impact the treatment of many common chronic conditions such as hypertension, heart disease and diabetes, among others.