Keys AHEC Health Centers

EWE Spirit Grant Recipient Story:

While in Key West for the 2026 Southernmost Regatta and Key West 5k & Half-Marathon, the EWE Spirit Foundation was pleased to support The Keys AHEC Heath Centers with a $10,000 grant.

In the Florida Keys, many families face barriers to healthcare, including financial hardship, lack of insurance, and geographic isolation. Without access to routine medical and dental care, local children are at increased risk of preventable diseases, untreated chronic conditions, and poor academic performance due to health-related absences. Florida Keys Area Health Education Center clinics serve as a lifeline, delivering critical healthcare services to the children who need them most.

Keys AHEC has been providing health services in the community since 1990. Seeing a lack of children’s health services, both in availability and affordability, they expanded in 2013 to start the children’s health program with a school-based clinic model. This program has steadily grown and now provides year-round medical and dental care to thousands of school-age children, Pre-K through 12th grade, throughout Monroe County.    Ten school-based clinics in Monroe County providing physicals, sick child visits, screenings, preventive dental treatments, and acute care. In 2025, Keys AHEC provided over 4,145 dental patient visits to local children as well as 5965 medical visits.

Pediatric dental providers are particularly sparse in the Keys- enter the Mobile Dental Clinic. Traveling to the same 10 school locations on a rotating basis, the clinic provides comprehensive dental care through a full dental team including dentist, hygienists, and dental assistants.

After losing a significant amount of government funding in 2025, Keys AHEC has been hard at work to create awareness of the important work they’re doing. Developmental Director, Michelle Nevel, says “If people don't know about you, they can't support you. Our staff is very small and mostly made up of the health professionals who provide care to the children, so volunteers are always welcome! We receive funding through private foundation grants, individual donors, DAFs, corporate and civic organization partnerships, and fundraising events. We are so thankful to the EWE Spirit Foundation for their support.”

For more information visit https://keysahec.org/ or contact Development Director, Michelle Nevel, michelle@keysahec.org .