While Hurricanes Milton and Helene might be over, we’re still dealing with their devastating effects across the state. These brutal storms left their mark, from flooding to gas shortages to power outages, and left so many Floridians trying to piece their lives back together.

Fortunately, many local and state organizations, including many local hospitals, are stepping up to ensure Floridians have the resources they need to recover. Like many others, I have been incredibly impressed with Florida’s hospitals’ efforts to preserve patients’ access to care, even during a Category 4 hurricane.

On the Gulf Coast, the staff of Tampa General Hospital constructed an entire “aquafence” to prevent flooding during the storms so that health-care providers could continue to care for their patients inside. Other Florida hospitals stocked up on supplies like food, water, generators and medications to ensure they could shelter and support people throughout the storms. Hospital emergency departments throughout the state remained open and accepted patients during the storms. Florida patients could receive the needed care thanks to hospital physicians, nurses, and staff.

Going above and beyond the call of duty is par for the course of our hospitals and those who provide care. Every day of the year, hospitals are open to patients who come through their doors. Hospitals remain open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, so patients with any medical emergency can get care. I read a recent study that showed how much we all count on hospitals’ 24-7 care.

In 2021, Americans visited hospital emergency departments more than 83 million times after regular business hours or on weekends, when many other providers are closed. Rural and underserved patients mainly rely on hospitals for care. More than one in 10 emergency department visits in 2021 occurred in rural areas with physician shortages. Even when access to physicians or insurance coverage is limited, communities can rely on hospitals. Hospitals provide a broad range of services, whether it’s an emergency like a hurricane or a pediatric patient with a chronic condition requiring a team of specialists.

However, in the past few years, hospitals have faced increasingly serious challenges — including rising supply costs, workforce shortages, low reimbursement rates, and corporate insurance companies doing everything they can to avoid paying for patient care. In some instances, these financial obstacles have left overstretched hospitals with no choice but to reduce services or even close entirely. Due to our state experiencing more hurricanes and storms of severity, we need our hospitals to be well-funded and well-supported. Florida’s population is growing. Last year, the number of people moving to Florida from other states was the highest it’s ever been. As our population continues to grow in number and age, hospitals will become even more important, both during natural disasters and in everyday life.

To protect Floridians and our state’s growing population, we need federal policymakers to support hospitals by giving them the resources they need to continue offering around-the-clock care. We cannot take our hospitals and their staff for granted. If we want our state to be strong and healthy, we must ensure our hospitals remain strong and healthy.

State Rep. Rita Harris serves District 44, which covers sections of north Orlando.