February 16, 2024 – The Bradford County School District was awarded $4 million by Gov. Ron DeSantis to support expanding Santa Fe College’s (SF) Associate in Science in Nursing program into Bradford County.
The school district’s collaboration with SF will increase access to healthcare education in Bradford County as well as access to healthcare for county residents by addressing nursing shortages experienced locally and across the United States.
“Nurses are an indispensable part of an effective health care system, and both locally and nationally, there is a need for trained, qualified nursing professionals,” Santa Fe College President Paul Broadie II, Ph.D. said. “We are excited to partner with North Florida Technical College on this transformational opportunity to address the nursing shortage, while providing the citizens of Bradford County easier access to the training needed to enter this in-demand field.”
The program will be located at the school district’s North Florida Technical College in Starke, allowing students to earn their Associate in Science degrees in Nursing without having to travel to SF’s Northwest Campus in Gainesville.
The collaboration with Bradford County complements SF’s efforts to expand nursing education, including the Nursing ANEW program launched in 2022, which provides instruction on nights and weekends for working professionals.