Press Release: In a Quickly Changing Policy Landscape, Florida Voices for Health Offers “Hope and Healing in Our Fragmented Democracy”

Lake Mary, Fla. – On Wednesday, May 7th and Thursday, May 8th, Florida Voices for Health is set to host its annual health policy and advocacy conference in Lake Mary, Florida. In line with this year's theme “Hope and Healing in a Fragmented Democracy,” the Summit will equip patients, providers, policy analysts, elected officials, and other stakeholders with a better understanding of the rapidly changing health care system, while strengthening the collective ability to advocate on behalf of Floridians needing improved access to care.

“In real time, we are seeing a fragmented democracy come at the cost of vital health care programs by our government systems,” said Scott Darius, Executive Director of Florida Voices for Health. “Our Summit seeks to give everyone a shared understanding of what’s happening in health care on the state and federal level and to give people the tools to be a part of the solution.”  

The Summit’s keynote speaker is Dr. Jamila Michener, an Associate Professor at Cornell University and author of “Fragmented Democracy: Medicaid, Federalism, and Unequal Politics”, an inspiration for this year’s summit theme. The book examines how Medicaid - the nation’s public health insurance program for people with low income - affects democratic citizenship, assessing American political life from the vantage points of those living in poverty. 

The 2025 FVH Summit also includes a day and a half of workshops on a wide variety of health care policy and advocacy issues.  

• 2025 Florida Legislative Debrief: Impacts on Health Policy and Beyond and View from the Hill: Health Policy at the Federal Level, featuring lawmakers, lobbyists, and policy experts 

• From Your Backyard to DC: How to Launch a Campaign and Build Coalitions, with panelists from Florida Decides Healthcare, Partners in Health, and Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida 

• Focus on rural communities including Rural Realities: Overcoming Barriers to Health Care Access in Florida’s Underserved Communities and Bridging the Divide: Effective Health Care Messaging for Conservative Audiences 

For more information on the event, workshops, panelists, or to register for the conference, please visit: https://www.fvhsummit.org. 

For media organizations planning on sending a crew for coverage, or if you would like to get an online link to attend or cover the conference virtually: please RSVP to Jossie Barroso at jossie@healthyfla.org or contact me at 352-362-3461. 

 # # #  

About Florida Voices for Health

Florida Voices for Health is a nonprofit advocacy organization working to improve health care outcomes for all Floridians. We are a coalition of community organizations, businesses, and individuals working to create a health care system that works for every Floridian. Our partners work together to bring the latest resources and information into our communities. We also make sure that the stories and the interests of hard working, low and moderate income Floridians are represented in the health reform debate.