Florida will become a national leader in newborn care this summer when Tampa General Hospital launches the Sunshine Genetics Newborn Screening Program, marking the first statewide effort to offer whole genome sequencing for newborns. The program aims to detect serious genetic diseases before symptoms appear. Established through HB 907, the Sunshine Genetics Act filed in 2025, the legislation was championed by Representative Larry Anderson, whose personal family tragedy drove his determination to create the program. Anderson's son Andrew, known as Drew, was born healthy in 2015 but was diagnosed with Tay-Sachs disease after enduring more than a year of misdiagnoses. Drew died at just 4 years old, prompting Anderson to work toward preventing other families from experiencing the same devastating journey.
The new program represents a significant expansion of Florida's newborn screening capabilities, broadening coverage from 60 conditions to nearly 900 rare genetic diseases. By identifying these conditions early, before symptoms develop, the program could fundamentally change how Florida approaches pediatric care. Anderson announced the legislation before an audience of more than 150 lawmakers, medical students, and patient advocates during Tampa General Hospital's annual advocacy day at the Capitol. "My hope is that families will get the answers that they need, and that babies born today won't have to live that same nightmare of that diagnostic odyssey that I did and that so many families around the country do every day," Anderson said.
The program, developed in partnership with genomic medicine company GeneDx, operates on a voluntary and free basis for participating families. Tampa General will serve as the flagship launch site this summer, with subsequent expansions planned for Orlando and Miami later in the year, leading to a statewide rollout over the next five years. Dr. Patricia Emmanuel, chief of pediatrics at Muma Children's Hospital at TGH, emphasized the program's potential. "It will greatly expand our ability to diagnose these rare conditions," she said. "My hope is that we are able to have a partnership with families to really understand some of the complexities of genetic diseases and to really advance cures. That is our ultimate goal in pediatrics. We want happy, healthy, growing kids."
Supporters of the Sunshine Genetics Newborn Screening Program project significant benefits for Florida's families and healthcare system. Early diagnosis could save the state hundreds of millions of dollars by reducing the lengthy and costly diagnostic process that many rare disease families currently endure. The program also opens pathways to gene therapies and precision treatments that can begin before symptoms appear. The legislature's decision to anchor the program's statewide launch at Tampa General Hospital reflects lawmakers' confidence in the institution's ability to advance innovative care approaches throughout Florida.