Florida lawmakers approved an additional $2.8 million for the development of a Florida State University health research center in Panama City, according to a Sept. 11 report from Florida Politics.
A joint legislative budget committee approved the funds through the Local Support Grants program. The project will be allocated toward the planning phase of the Florida State University Health Academic Research Center, also known as the FSU Health ARC.
The $70.8 million project already has $33 million in state funding and $5 million in federal funding, according to the funding request. The funding request asserts that this project will have a broader regional impact on advancing healthcare.
"This new facility will create a transformational health sciences research environment in Panama City that will not only serve communities across northern Florida, but will also have a broader regional and national impact by developing novel therapies for important diseases, advancing technologies to maintain health and prevent illness, and educating health care providers for the future," the funding request said.
The FSU Health ARC will also provide patients access to new drugs, devices and clinical innovations.