Florida is the third-largest state by pediatric population and the state’s 4.4 million children deserve access to world-class cancer care right here at home. No child should ever have to leave the state for the best cancer care,” said Martha McGill, BSN, MBA, MHA Central Florida Region President at Nemours Children’s Health. “This investment from the state will enable us to enhance care, conduct groundbreaking research and recruit the best clinicians.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (Nov. 5, 2025) – Nemours Children’s Hospital, Florida received $7.5 million in renewable grant funding through the State of Florida’s Cancer Connect Collaborative Research Incubator to develop and improve access to clinical trials, advance treatment protocols, and discover cures for childhood cancer.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and First Lady Casey DeSantis announced the $30 million initiative awarding four specialty children’s hospitals $7.5 million per year. The other facilities are Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, Nicklaus Children’s Hospital in Miami and Wolfson Children’s Hospital which in collaboration with Nemours Children’s Health, Jacksonville offers cancer care for the North Florida and South Georgia region.
“Florida is the third-largest state by pediatric population and the state’s 4.4 million children deserve access to world-class cancer care right here at home. No child should ever have to leave the state for the best cancer care,” said Martha McGill, BSN, MBA, MHA Central Florida Region President at Nemours Children’s Health. “This investment from the state will enable us to enhance care, conduct groundbreaking research and recruit the best clinicians.”
The Cancer Connect Collaborative Research Incubator was created in 2025 to further Florida efforts as a leader in cancer research and treatment. The Incubator is funded with $30 million and will focus on pediatric cancer in its first five-year funding cycle with each facility receiving $7.5 million per year. While pediatric cancer accounts for just one percent of cases nationally, Florida’s pediatric cancer population is significant, with the state accounting for six percent of all new pediatric cancer cases in the U.S., thereby impacting thousands of children and families every year.
Funding provided through the Research Incubator will support a range of programmatic priorities designed to strengthen infrastructure, improve patient outcomes, and foster clinical excellence.
Key areas of investment include:
- Establishment of advanced treatment programs
- Development of specialized clinics
- Expansion of community outreach efforts
- Enhancement of clinical research infrastructure to support participation in cutting-edge trials
- Support for capital improvements that reinforce the long-term sustainability and impact of cancer programs
About Nemours Children's Health
Nemours Children’s Health is one of the nation’s largest multistate pediatric health systems, which includes two freestanding children's hospitals and a network of more than 70 primary and specialty care practices. Nemours Children's seeks to transform the health of children by adopting a holistic health model that utilizes innovative, safe, and high-quality care, while also addressing children’s needs well beyond medicine. In producing the highly acclaimed, award-winning pediatric medicine podcast Well Beyond Medicine, Nemours underscores that commitment by featuring the people, programs and partnerships addressing whole child health. Nemours Children's also powers the world’s most-visited website for information on the health of children and teens, Nemours KidsHealth.org.
The Nemours Foundation, established through the legacy and philanthropy of Alfred I. duPont, provides pediatric clinical care, research, education, advocacy, and prevention programs to the children, families and communities it serves. For more information, visit Nemours.org.
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