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Committee renews funding for We Care Jacksonville and JAX Care Connect referrals
Summary
The committee approved two items to continue council support for We Care Jacksonville and the JAX Care Connect program, funding community clinics that provide care to uninsured residents and help reduce emergency room returns.
The committee voted March 3 to continue council support for We Care Jacksonville and the Duval safety-net clinic network. Two related items, 2025-100 (appropriation) and 2025-101, passed by recorded ballots of 7-0.
Angela Strain, executive director of We Care Jacksonville, and board vice president Matt Schwarz described JAX Care Connect as a public'private program that links uninsured residents to primary and specialty care. Strain said the program has "proven a 60 percent success rate in keeping our neighbors who are uninsured and living in poverty...from returning to an emergency room for care within a full year." She said the coalition includes seven free and charitable clinics and that the City's funding helps connect low-income residents to diagnostic and specialty services otherwise unavailable.
Councilmember Michael Boylan, who introduced the items, told the committee the council had previously appropriated $1.5 million over two years to support the clinics; the current items renew $500,000 in strategic funding to continue the program another year. Committee members asked whether the program works with local homeless shelters; Strain said the program accepts referrals from Sulzbacher and other partners and includes community referral organizations.
Councilmembers Murray, Paluso, Maurer and others asked to be added as cosponsors; members emphasized the value of keeping people out of emergency rooms and lowering overall system costs. The items passed with no recorded opposition.
