Flagler Schools Partnership With AdventHealth To Benefit High School Students

Palm Coast, FL – A partnership between AdventHealth and Flagler Schools will benefit high school students in Flagler County. The five-year partnership between the two represents a $750,000 commitment from the health system to provide a mental health fund for students, employ an athletic trainer for each of Flagler County’s two high schools and establish more classroom to career pathways for graduates. “This agreement is the result of establishing a great partnership with AdventHealth,” said Flagler Schools Superintendent Cathy Mittelstadt. “This will enable our students to have access to much-needed services targeting their physical and mental health.” Ron Jimenez, chief executive officer of AdventHealth Palm Coast, said the agreement represents new access to much-needed services for families in Flagler County. The organization will provide $10,000 a year for five years to pay for new ways to help identify students in need of early intervention as well as mental health services for students and their families. “Our commitment, through our mental health fund, will help our schools identify students who could benefit from services and make those services more accessible,” Jimenez said. “At AdventHealth, we take care of the whole person – not just the body, but also the mind and spirit. That is even more crucial in today’s stressful world.” The largest portion of the money, $500,000, will provide athletic trainers for Flagler-Palm Coast High School and Matanzas High School. Enhanced services for school athletic programs will include concussion protocols and testing, pre-participation physical with screenings for cardiac abnormalities, and training for employees and volunteers on the use of CPR and AEDs. AdventHealth and Flagler Schools also aim to establish more career opportunities for graduates such as coaching programs, job fairs, and more. “The Flagler County Education Foundation and Flagler County Schools are excited to partner with AdventHealth to make a difference in the lives of our students and their families,” said Joe Rizzo, executive director of the foundation. “Community partners are becoming increasingly important to the success of our students and our schools.” David Ottati, chief executive officer of AdventHealth hospitals in Flagler, Lake, and Volusia counties, said the agreement also symbolizes the health system’s commitment to Flagler families as construction is about to begin on AdventHealth’s second hospital in the county.