The Florida Department of Health has outlined its main achievements for 2025, focusing on improvements in health care access, emergency preparedness, workforce investment, and public health outcomes. The department said these efforts have strengthened programs across the state and advanced Florida’s role in national public health.
“From Florida’s rural communities to large cities statewide, the investments by Governor DeSantis and the Florida Legislature have allowed the Department of Health to continue improving the everyday lives of Floridians,” said State Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo. “The Department and our dedicated employees across Florida’s 67 counties have made incredible strides throughout the past year. As we reflect on accomplishments, the unwavering commitment to investing in the health and wellbeing of Floridians is evident.”
Among legislative changes in 2025, a law enacted in July banned community water additives statewide, making Florida the second state to prohibit fluoridation at this level. The department worked with municipalities as about 70% of community water systems were affected by this policy shift.
In September, rulemaking began to remove requirements for childhood immunizations. According to the department, this aims to increase patient and family involvement in medical decisions while reducing coercion from previous mandates.
Efforts to expand care included a range of programs: over 62,000 infants and toddlers benefited from Early Steps services; more than 9,000 women received prenatal and postpartum telehealth maternity care; genetic screenings were introduced for over 175,000 newborns; and more than 148 million meals were served through child care food programs supporting nearly 300,000 children each day.
Additionally, a swimming lesson voucher initiative launched in late 2024 has so far provided nearly 40,000 lessons to young children.
On emergency response, a new partnership was formed with the University of South Florida’s Morsani College of Medicine to create an academic center focused on advancing emergency medical services (EMS) through research and education. Investments totaling $10 million improved infrastructure at rural hospitals serving underserved areas. Other measures included designating an eleventh Level I Trauma Center in Florida and enhancing trauma registry systems for better quality control.
Eighteen hospitals were recognized as Resuscitation Centers of Excellence under an expanded statewide initiative. The department also invested $4.9 million into local EMS agencies and increased readiness for public health emergencies through planning exercises covering triage procedures, hospital surge capacity training, and infectious disease transport capabilities.
In research and prevention efforts during 2025: nearly $60 million was distributed through the Cancer Innovation Fund for projects at healthcare institutions around the state; $30 million supported pediatric cancer studies via a collaborative incubator; a revolving loan program allocated $50 million toward new healthcare projects; and a new data dashboard was introduced for real-time monitoring of key health indicators.
To address environmental safety concerns, Poison Control Centers managed more than 110,000 exposure cases last year—resolving most without hospital visits—and radiation control officials conducted thousands of inspections while responding to over one hundred incidents.
Workforce development remained a priority as well. The MOBILE Act created new pathways for out-of-state practitioners seeking licensure in Florida via interstate compacts or endorsement procedures—helping fill needs with greater flexibility. A record number of licenses were processed or renewed among health professionals during the year. Over 8,000 regulatory investigations were carried out related to public safety issues.
The FRAME Program awarded $46 million in assistance payments to support almost 1,300 healthcare workers (including mental health providers), while its dental counterpart distributed funds benefiting about one hundred dental professionals across Florida.
Looking ahead into next year’s priorities—according to department leadership—the focus will remain on policies promoting individual responsibility for movement, nutrition, wellness practices, prevention strategies rather than treatment alone.
“Advancing health and medical freedom will continue,” stated Dr. Ladapo.
The department remains nationally accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board.
