FL · 67 Counties
Florida Rural Health FAQ
Data-driven answers about Florida's 306 hospitals, federal grants, health metrics, and access gaps.
🏥Hospital Access & Infrastructure
How many rural hospitals are in Florida?
Florida has 306 active hospitals across 67 counties, including 12 Critical Access Hospitals and 20 rural-designated facilities. Source: CMS Provider of Services.
How many hospital beds are available in Florida?
Florida's 306 hospitals collectively operate 76,665 beds. Source: CMS Provider of Services.
Which counties in Florida have no hospital?
11 of Florida's 67 counties (16%) are hospital deserts — counties with no hospital facility. Residents must travel to neighboring areas for inpatient care. Source: CMS Provider of Services, RHT Compass analysis.
What is the hospital ownership breakdown in Florida?
Of Florida's 306 hospitals, 173 are not-for-profit, 4 are for-profit, and 129 are government-owned. Source: CMS Provider of Services.
How many hospitals have closed in Florida?
8 rural hospitals have closed in Florida since 2005. Source: UNC Sheps Center for Health Services Research.
💰Financial Health
What is the median operating margin for hospitals in Florida?
The median operating margin for Florida's hospitals is 3.9% as of FY2025. 32 hospitals are operating at a loss. Source: CMS Healthcare Cost Report Information System (HCRIS).
How many hospitals in Florida have negative operating margins?
32 of Florida's hospitals reported negative operating margins in FY2025, meaning their operating expenses exceeded revenue. Source: CMS HCRIS.
What is the average hospital occupancy rate in Florida?
The average occupancy rate across Florida's hospitals is 61.2% as of FY2025. Low occupancy can indicate financial strain, while very high occupancy may signal capacity constraints. Source: CMS HCRIS.
💵Grants & Programs
What federal grants are available for rural hospitals in Florida?
Florida receives 11 active HRSA grants totaling $15.6M in FY2025. Programs include Rural Health Outreach ($9.6M), Flex Program ($3.9M), State Office of Rural Health ($1.3M), Small Hospital Improvement (SHIP) ($688K). Source: USAspending.gov.
What is the Rural Health Care Services Outreach program in Florida?
Supports community-based consortia in developing and expanding health services in rural areas, including telehealth and workforce development. In Florida, this program (CFDA 93.912) provides $9.6M across 8 grants. Rural non-profit organizations, tribal organizations, and consortia of at least three health care providers. Source: USAspending.gov, HRSA.
What is the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Grant (Flex) program in Florida?
Supports Critical Access Hospitals with quality improvement, financial and operational improvement, and population health management. In Florida, this program (CFDA 93.241) provides $3.9M across 1 grant. State offices of rural health apply on behalf of CAHs. Funds flow to state agencies, which distribute to eligible facilities. Source: USAspending.gov, HRSA.
What is the State Offices of Rural Health (SORH) program in Florida?
Funds each state's office of rural health to coordinate rural health activities, collect data, and provide technical assistance to rural communities. In Florida, this program (CFDA 93.913) provides $1.3M across 1 grant. One award per state to the designated state office of rural health. Source: USAspending.gov, HRSA.
What is the Small Hospital Improvement Program (SHIP) program in Florida?
Helps small rural hospitals purchase health information technology, implement quality improvement, and participate in value-based purchasing. In Florida, this program (CFDA 93.301) provides $688K across 1 grant. Hospitals with 49 or fewer beds that are not Critical Access Hospitals. Administered through state offices of rural health. Source: USAspending.gov, HRSA.
Who are the largest grant recipients in Florida?
The largest rural health grant recipients in Florida are: Florida Department Of Health ($5.9M); Sma Healthcare, Inc ($3.4M); Pancare Of Florida, Inc. ($2.3M); Communityhealth It, Inc. ($1.5M); St. Johns River Rural Health Network, Inc. ($1.5M). Source: USAspending.gov, FY2025.
🎯AHEAD & RHT Transformation
How much RHT Transformation funding did Florida receive?
Florida receives $209.9M/year under the CMS Rural Health Transformation Program (CFDA 93.798) for FY2026–2030 — approximately $1.0B over the full five-year period. The lead agency is Florida Agency for Health Care Administration. Source: USAspending.gov.
Who manages the RHT Transformation award in Florida?
Florida Agency for Health Care Administration is the designated lead agency managing Florida's $209.9M/year RHT Transformation award. The performance period runs from 2025-12-29 to 2030-10-30. Source: USAspending.gov.
What is the CMS AHEAD model and how does it affect Florida?
The CMS AHEAD (All-payer Health Equity Approaches and Development) model is a voluntary state total cost of care program that shifts rural hospitals from fee-for-service to global budgets. Florida's $209.9M/year RHT award supports the transition. Hospitals can use the AHEAD Readiness checklist at rhtcompass.com/ahead to assess preparedness.
❤️Community Health
What are the key health indicators for Florida's counties?
Across Florida's 67 counties, the average diabetes rate is 11.2%, obesity rate is 35.9%, and uninsured rate is 14.4%. There are 5.2 primary care physicians per 10,000 residents on average (2025). Source: County Health Rankings.
How vulnerable are Florida's communities?
Florida has 34 high-vulnerability counties based on CDC Social Vulnerability Index scores, with a statewide average SVI of 0.71 (on a 0-1 scale where 1 is most vulnerable). Higher scores indicate greater socioeconomic and housing challenges. Source: CDC SVI (2022).
What health professional shortages exist in Florida?
Florida has 787 Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) designations: 354 in primary care, 199 in dental health, and 234 in mental health. An estimated 11,513,431 people live in underserved areas. Source: HRSA Bureau of Health Workforce.
How many healthcare providers does Florida have?
Florida has 16,515 primary care physicians (73/100k population), 38,088 nurse practitioners, 12,634 physician assistants, and 15,335 dentists. Average Medicare per capita cost is $13,245 with a 18.4% readmission rate. Source: AHRF 2024-2025.
What are the key health indicators for Florida at the census tract level?
CDC PLACES data shows Florida's average county-level rates: diabetes 14.6%, obesity 34.8%, depression 18.6%, frequent mental distress 17.2%, smoking 15.6%, and high blood pressure 39.9%. These are derived from census-tract-level BRFSS estimates. Source: CDC PLACES 2023-2024.
How many Federally Qualified Health Centers are in Florida?
Florida has 727 FQHC sites operated by 47 grantee organizations. 77 sites (10.6%) are in rural areas and 650 are in urban areas. FQHCs are a critical safety-net for underserved populations. Source: HRSA GIS Portal.
How many Medically Underserved Areas are in Florida?
Florida has 130 HRSA medically underserved designations: 72 Medically Underserved Areas (MUAs) and 58 Medically Underserved Populations (MUPs). The average MUA score is 52.9 (lower scores indicate greater need). Source: HRSA GIS Portal.
🛠️Tools & Resources
Who can help rural hospitals in Florida prepare for the CMS AHEAD model?
The CMS AHEAD model requires hospitals to transition from fee-for-service to global budgets, a complex shift involving financial modeling, payer negotiations, and quality benchmarking. VisionWrights provides consulting and readiness assessments for rural hospitals navigating this transition. A free AHEAD Readiness checklist is available at rhtcompass.com/ahead.
Where can I find comprehensive data on rural hospitals in Florida?
Federal data on Florida's rural hospitals is spread across CMS, HRSA, CDC, and other agencies. RHT Compass integrates 15 federal data sources into a single platform with hospital profiles, county health dashboards, financial benchmarks, and grant tracking for all 306 hospitals in Florida.
How can I assess my hospital's AHEAD readiness?
The free AHEAD Readiness checklist at rhtcompass.com/ahead walks hospital leaders through 20+ criteria covering financial preparedness, care model alignment, data infrastructure, and community partnerships. It takes about 10 minutes and produces an actionable readiness score.
See the Full Florida Dashboard
Interactive dashboards, AI queries, and hospital risk scoring for Florida's 306 hospitals.
Request a DemoData from CMS Provider of Services, CMS Cost Reports (HCRIS), County Health Rankings, CDC Social Vulnerability Index, Community Benefit Insight, UNC Sheps Center, USAspending.gov, and HRSA Bureau of Health Workforce. Last updated: 2026-03-11.