When most of us think about health care, we think about a hospital. We think about doctors, nurses, emergency rooms, operating rooms, hospital beds and the technology that helps save lives.
Some of the most important work of improving health happens long before someone enters a hospital, and often far beyond its doors.
In the few years I’ve spent in Northeast Florida, I have seen firsthand how much this community values looking after its neighbors. As the leader of Ascension St. Vincent’s, I believe our responsibility is to carry that spirit into everything we do.
October is Mission Month at Ascension, a time to reflect on how that impacts our approach to health care.
Our faith-based mission calls us to deliver comprehensive care that treats the
whole person and supports the whole community. That means treating illness when someone is sick, while also addressing the circumstances that can make it harder for people to stay healthy in the first place.
Sometimes the barrier is transportation, the cost of a prescription or not having enough nutritious food at home. Sometimes it is simply not knowing where to turn for support.
If we want to improve the health of our community, health care cannot stop at the hospital doors.
We saw that principle in action recently during our Medical Mission at Home at the Prime Osborn Convention Center in Jacksonville. Hundreds from our community received free health screenings and exams, fresh produce, clothing and other resources. St. Vincent’s associates and volunteers came together to provide care where people live, work and gather.
There is something especially meaningful about bringing care into a neighborhood. It reflects the legacy of the Daughters of Charity, who brought health care to Northeast Florida more than a century ago. Their example reminds us that caring for a community has never meant simply waiting for people to come to us. It means meeting people where they are.
That same philosophy guides our work to make essential medications more accessible.
For someone living paycheck to paycheck, the cost of a prescription can be the difference between managing a chronic condition and ending up in the hospital. Through the Dispensary of Hope, Ascension works with pharmaceutical manufacturers to make donated essential medications available to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay.
Removing that barrier is health care, too.
So is helping an expectant mother overcome challenges that can keep her from receiving prenatal and postpartum care when clinically appropriate.
Northeast Florida faces real challenges in maternal and infant health — geography and transportation can make those challenges even harder for some families. Our Telehealth Maternity Care Program, launched this year in partnership with the Florida Department of Health, connects expectant mothers with care and dedicated patient navigators.
They can help facilitate access to resources ranging from transportation and nutrition counseling to medical devices and other support when available. We’ve already cared for more than 260 families and look forward to helping many more.
The goal is straightforward: Make it easier for mothers and babies to access the care they need, when they need it.
This is what it means to live our mission beyond the hospital walls.
In fiscal year 2025, Ascension St. Vincent’s provided more than $174 million in community benefits and other community contributions, including care for people facing financial hardship. That number represents a commitment: to be present not only when our neighbors are sick, but also in the places and circumstances that shape their health.
We are proud of the progress we have made, but we know there is more to do.
For more than a century, Ascension St. Vincent’s has been part of the fabric of this community. The technology, programs and challenges we face may change. Our responsibility does not. We will continue to meet people where they are, remove barriers that stand between them and the care they need, while working alongside our community partners to create a healthier Northeast Florida.
Because health care doesn't stop at the hospital doors. It begins with caring for our neighbors wherever they are, and recognizing that when our community is healthier, we are all stronger together.
Scott Kashman, CEO, Ascension St. Vincent’s Health System, Jacksonville
This guest column is the opinion of the author and does not necessarily represent the views of the Times-Union. We welcome a diversity of opinions.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: How Ascension St. Vincent's implements its mission of health | Opinion
