A shortage of nursing home space across Florida will be helped by the addition of almost 1,000 more new beds.
The state Agency for Health Care Administration on Monday approved requests for new beds across Florida.
Most of the approvals are in North Florida and Central Florida, where long waiting lists are common.
Earlier this year, the state estimated it needed 3,115 nursing home beds to serve the state’s aging and disabled population. And before Monday's announcement, it had been more than a decade since the state issued certificates for new nursing home spots.
Also on Monday, Memorial Regional Hospital learned it received preliminary approval to start for pediatric and adult kidney transplant programs.
(8/25/15, 11:15 a.m.: This story has been updated with a link that clarifies which hospitals were approved.)
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