Last week, St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital patient Mikey Hartnett and his family joined leaders from BayCare in Washington, D.C., lending their voices to an important national conversation about protecting access to care for children with complex medical needs. Advocating for the communities we serve is central to BayCare’s mission, and opportunities like this reflect our ongoing commitment to advancing the health and well-being of every family.
Mikey, 7, was diagnosed with medulloblastoma, a malignant brain tumor, at 3 years old and underwent a craniotomy at St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital. While the tumor was not attached to his brainstem, it had spread, requiring a complex and aggressive treatment plan. Mikey went on to complete multiple rounds of chemotherapy at St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital and proton beam radiation at the University of Florida’s Proton Therapy Institute in Jacksonville.
Proton therapy is one of the most advanced cancer treatments available today. Soon, patients of all ages in West Central Florida will be able to access this care at a new state-of-the-art proton therapy center on the St. Joseph's Hospital campus.
Michael and Becca Hartnett, Mikey’s parents, traveled to Washington D.C. with him as part of the Children’s Hospital Association’s annual
Family Advocacy Days from June 3-5. The trip included one-on-one meetings with U.S. Representatives Gus Bilirakis, Vern Buchanan and Kathy Castor, and meetings with staff from the offices of U.S. Senator Ashley Moody and U.S. Representatives Laurel Lee and Anna Paulina Luna.
Together, St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital and the family asked Congress to champion policies that strengthen and protect Medicaid funding while supporting access to cutting-edge cancer care close to home. They highlighted the family’s need to travel to Jacksonville for proton therapy, and underscored BayCare’s investment in bringing this advanced technology to the Tampa Bay region. Through these conversations, BayCare advocated for policies that ensure children and families can access high-quality, specialized care close to home.
“The Hartnetts’ participation in Family Advocacy Days powerfully demonstrates why family voices must be at the center of health care policy discussions,” said BayCare Government Relations Director Jason Rodriguez. “Mikey and his parents, along with St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital President Sarah Naumowich, did an excellent job conveying our message to BayCare’s congressional delegation and Senator Moody’s office, urging them to protect Medicaid. It is critical that our elected officials hear directly from their constituents on the issues they are voting on — issues that directly impact families.”
Family Advocacy Day brings together patients and parents from 60 children’s hospitals across the nation, urging lawmakers to protect children’s care, support the doctors and nurses who serve them, and uphold the American value that every child deserves a healthy future.
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