FHCA Awarded $224,000 Federal Grant to Improve Quality in Florida’s Nursing Centers

Program aims to reduce preventable rehospitalizations of long term care residents

Tallahassee, Fla. – The Florida Health Care Association (FHCA) has received a $224,166 grant from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to improve quality care in Florida’s skilled nursing centers by reducing the number of preventable rehospitalizations of long term care residents. FHCA’s Reducing Rehospitalization Collaborative is an educational, interactive one-year pilot program that will strengthen the training and resource tools for nursing center staff. The program will help centers take a systems-based approach to developing performance improvement plans for reducing preventable rehospitalizations of residents and strengthening quality care. 

"Unnecessary hospitalizations can lead to negative outcomes for residents and increased healthcare costs,” said Emmett Reed, FHCA Chief Executive Officer. "Our goal with this project is to create a collaborative approach among center staff, residents and their family members to promote person-centered interventions that will have a positive impact on residents' well-being." 

The Reducing Rehospitalization Collaborative grant was awarded to FHCA through its nonprofit Education and Development Foundation. The program will be implemented in partnership with the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) and will use funds from the Quality of Long-Term Care Facility Improvement Trust Fund, which was created within AHCA to support activities and programs directly related to improving the quality of care for nursing center residents.

“Florida continues to be a national leader in nursing home quality, and with strong partners like the Florida Health Care Association and under the leadership of Governor Ron DeSantis, we’re advancing innovative initiatives that improve care and outcomes for nursing home residents,” said Shevaun Harris, Secretary for the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration. “With one of the largest elderly populations in the country, we recognize the importance of evolving care models. This pilot program reflects our commitment to proactive, person-centered solutions that enhance the well-being of seniors across our state.”

Preventable rehospitalizations remain a critical issue in Florida nursing centers, with Florida's short-stay and long-stay rehospitalization rates exceeding the national average. Minimizing unnecessary hospital readmissions is a strategic goal of FHCA’s Quality Cabinet, as doing so can help long term care residents avoid disruption to their stability, recovery and quality of life. 

FHCA’s Reducing Rehospitalization Collaborative is a one-year pilot program that will include 45 nursing centers participating in a series of collaborative learning sessions, practical application of Quality Assurance Performance Improvement (QAPI) principles and team coaching on data-driven approaches to address root causes of preventable rehospitalizations. Providers will learn how to implement evidence-based interventions and effectively monitor residents' conditions and progress to prevent unnecessary rehospitalizations. The pilot program, which launched September 1, will be implemented in west central Florida on behalf of FHCA by Q3 Healthcare Consulting.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 2, 2025

PRESS CONTACT:
Kristen Knapp, APR
850-510-4389 or kknapp@fhca.org