Ascension St. Vincent’s Riverside, which is on the St. Johns River in Jacksonville, will receive nearly $53 million in federal funding to strengthen the hospital against hurricane-force winds and storm surges.
The funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency will go toward $70 million in improvements to the hospital's roof, walls and exterior windows, among other things. The Ascension grant is part of $317 million FEMA recently announced for projects across Florida.
"For more than 100 years, families across Jacksonville have relied on Ascension St. Vincent’s Riverside for care, including during hurricanes and other emergencies," said Andrew Gnann, president and CEO, Ascension St. Vincent’s Riverside. "This investment will help us strengthen
the hospital against severe weather while continuing to ensure we remain ready to serve the needs of our community for decades to come."
The FEMA funding will finance 75% of the project cost, with Ascension paying the remaining $17 million.
"Hospitals are a critical part of a community’s emergency response infrastructure. Strengthening the Riverside campus against high winds will help protect care operations and reduce the risk of disruption at times when patients and families may need care most," according to the hospital.
The main Riverside hospital's roof will be replaced, as will all its exterior windows and doors to meet current hurricane rating standards. The project will "harden" the hospital's exterior by reinforcing the structural integrity of the oldest sections and resealing the majority of the main facility, Ascension said.
Hardening makes a structure, including windows and doors, water supply and electrical equipment, less vulnerable to damage from flooding, high winds and flying debris.
Ascension also plans "targeted flood mitigation measures," including installing removable aluminum flood barriers and a sump pump system "to protect against potential water intrusion," the hospital said.
In 2024 similar systems helped protect Baptist Health's facilities in flood-prone San Marco and on the St. Johns River from potential Hurricane Milton damage. The Baptist flood-protection system includes massive metal barriers, inside and out, to block the river and floodwaters advancing into the property, and hurricane doors.
"This nearly $53 million investment will have a direct impact on the resilience of healthcare in Northeast Florida," said Ascension St. Vincent’s Health System CEO Scott Kashman, who oversees all Jacksonville-area Ascension hospitals. "Protecting access to care and investing in the future of our facilities are all part of our responsibility to the communities we serve. This funding will help ensure Riverside remains a strong and reliable healthcare resource for generations to come."
Planning is underway for the work, which is expected to begin around April 2027.
The $317 million coming to Florida includes $150 million awarded through FEMA's Public Assistance Program that provides grants primarily to state, tribal, territorial and local governments. One of those grants is $3.5 million to JEA for repairs to storm-damaged electrical transmission and distribution systems.
The remaining $167 million is part of the agency's Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, which helps finance projects to "prevent, eliminate or reduce future disaster-related damage," according to FEMA. "Eligible projects include strengthening buildings, protecting infrastructure from flooding and high winds, improving emergency power systems and making other improvements that increase community resilience."
"FEMA continues its renewed commitment to help communities recover from disasters like hurricanes, severe storms, tornadoes and wildfires while making them more resilient to future disasters," the agency said.
In 2021, Ascension received an $8.4 million FEMA grant to help protect the Riverside campus from hurricane-related winds and storm surges. The same year, the health system also received $4.6 million from FEMA to help retrofit two 1980s-era buildings on its Southside campus for wind protection during storms.
Beth Reese Cravey has been a reporter for The Florida Times-Union for 45 years, currently specializing in nonprofits and health. She can be reached at bcravey@jacksonville.com.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville hospital gets $53 million for storm safety improvements
