TAMPA, Fla. — First Lady Casey DeSantis and Florida's top doctor were in Tampa on Thursday to host a roundtable at the University of South Florida.
During the roundtable, she announced the Florida Cancer Connect Collaborative, which is meant to help streamline cancer care for doctors and patients.
“Through this collaborative we need to empower Floridians with the most accurate, up-to-date information so that we can make better positions to put ourselves and our families in the driver’s seat to hopefully prevent or catch a cancer diagnosis early,” DeSantis said during the roundtable.
“At the end of the day, we really hope this collaborative looks at this moment in time as an opportunity to reanalyze and rethink the way that we approach cancer care in the state of Florida,” she continued. “As somebody who has personally lived through hell, I cannot thank this collaborative enough for your service, for your time and for your unwavering commitment to find solutions to ultimately saving lives and giving people like me hope.”
Florida Cancer Connect is an "initiative created by First Lady Casey DeSantis in partnership with the Florida Department of Health and Florida Agency for Health Care Administration," according to its website.
Back in May 2022, both Gov. Ron DeSantis and the first lady announced $100 million for cancer research would be included in the budget for 2022-2023, a $37 million increase over the previous year. Casey DeSantis first mentioned this funding back in December 2021 during a visit to Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa.
The first lady is a cancer survivor.
She was joined by Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo, Agency for Health Care Administration Secretary Jason Weida and Rep. Sam Garrison, R-Orange Park.
Casey DeSantis' cancer diagnosis was first announced publicly in October 2021. She finished her last chemotherapy treatment in January. Then, in March 2022, Gov. DeSantis announced she was "cancer-free."
Casey DeSantis, a former Emmy-winning television personality, has taken an active role in her husband's administration. She has spearheaded efforts touching everything from mental health to substance abuse and education.
The Ohio native has a bachelor's degree in economics from the College of Charleston. She's an equestrian, with three national titles.
Ron and Casey DeSantis married in 2010. They have three young children: Madison, Mason and Mamie.