Description

In this episode of The Health Disparities Podcast, host Joyce Knestrick sits down with Mia L. Jones, Chief Executive Officer of Agape Family Health, a community‑rooted health system serving Jacksonville with comprehensive medical, pharmaceutical, and behavioral health services.

Agape’s mission is simple and powerful: “everyone deserves quality, affordable care delivered with compassion, regardless of insurance status or ability to pay.” Mia shares the experiences that shaped her path to leadership and the values that fuel her commitment to community‑centered care. She discusses the gaps she saw when stepping into her role and how Agape works every day to remove barriers to access—from sliding‑scale payment options to neighborhood‑based clinics across Jacksonville.

Together, Joyce and Mia explore:

• What a new patient experiences when accessing Agape’s family practice, women’s health, pharmacy, and behavioral health services
• How integrating medical, pharmaceutical, and behavioral health improves outcomes for patients managing chronic conditions
• The importance of trust, dignity, and compassionate care for patients who have faced dismissive or negative healthcare experiences
• Jacksonville’s legacy of community‑based care—from Brewster Hospital to Dr. Alexander Darnes—and how that history shapes Agape’s mission today
• Real‑world inequities such as transportation, insurance gaps, chronic disease burdens, and mistrust in the healthcare system
• The partnerships, funding challenges, and operational realities of sustaining a mission‑driven nonprofit health system

Mia also shares powerful stories of impact—moments when Agape’s care changed the trajectory of someone’s life—and offers practical advice for clinicians and listeners who want to support health equity in their own communities.

This episode is essential listening for anyone working in community health, public health, philanthropy, health equity, or systems‑level change.

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