In 2006, Betty Jane France founded The NASCAR Foundation. From the outset, she instilled within the organization her commitment to supporting causes that work to improve the lives of children in need.

The wife of the late Bill France Jr., NASCAR’s former Chairman and CEO, Betty Jane France served NASCAR in a variety of capacities over six decades, including as Executive Vice President. But she also served her community, driven especially by a desire to improve the quality of life for children.

This desire led her to become involved in establishing the renowned racing-themed Speediatrics children’s care unit at Halifax Health in Daytona Beach. There, she envisioned a place where kids are not intimidated by the overwhelming experience of being hospitalized. Out of this vision Speediatrics was born, as was the Speediatrics Children’s Fund which is now facilitating medical assistance to children on a national level.

Over the years, the Speediatrics Unit has continued to expand to meet the growing needs of the Daytona Beach community. In 2010, the unit was re-designed to further bring the color and excitement of NASCAR to all areas of the unit.

Speediatrics characters like Safety Sam, Victory Lane and Chase adorn the walls of the unit…and each child who is admitted to the unit receives a cuddly Speedy Bear, specially designed by Betty Jane France, to help ease the stress of being in the hospital.

In 2022, Halifax Health Acute Care Pediatric Unit completed another renovation, moving the pediatric emergency room to the Speediatric Unit. This change has reinvented the way children are cared for in the Emergency Department and the hospital, providing specialized emergency care with a seamless transition of care to pediatric acute care.

Halifax Health offers the area’s only level III Neonatal ICU, the area’s only child and adolescent behavioral services, and now the only Acute Care Pediatric Unit with 24-hour a day pediatrics specialists.

Please visit halifaxhealth.org/pediatrics to learn more about Halifax Health Acute Care Pediatric Hospital Services.

Halifax Health – Betty Jane France Center for Pediatrics was designed with the idea of caring for the whole family in mind. Brightly decorated with a NASCAR racing theme, Speediatrics creates a cheerful and reassuring environment for the children that are receiving care and for their families.

The Daytona International Speedway is located near the medical center, and NASCAR drivers often come to visit with young patients during Race Week and other events. There are displays of memorabilia from NASCAR drivers and cars, with autographs from the many famous visitors on the Speediatrics Wall of Fame. With the help of the NASCAR Foundation and community partners, we are able to create positive and memorable experiences for the children and families that come to Speediatrics. 

The NASCAR theme is carried throughout all aspects of our 32-bed pediatric unit, even with the ceiling tiles that have the Speediatrics characters on them. First opened in 1999, it was newly renovated and reopened on November 10, 2010. Speediatrics cares for more than 2,000 children each year, including about 300 of those receiving care in the PICU. Speediatrics care extends to the Pediatric Emergency Department located in Halifax Health Medical Center’s Emergency Department, France Tower Ground Level and is also NASCAR-themed. 

What can I expect in the Speediatrics Unit?

• Highly experienced physicians and pediatric intensive care specialists are supported by a team of skilled nurses and staff
• Sleep beds for parents in patient rooms
• Teen Room with movies, video games and activities for older children
• Kids Room with toys and activities for younger children 
• Parent Lounge 
• Iconic signature wall that includes autographs from drivers and other guests who have visited the unit
• Betty Jane France Pediatric Resource Library consisting of a computer/printer with access to top pediatric medical books and publications
• Laptop computers available to patients for use in their rooms with patient access to the Internet and email to communicate with their schools, families and friends

Halifax Health – Betty Jane France Center for Pediatrics was designed with the idea of caring for the whole family in mind. Brightly decorated with a NASCAR racing theme, Speediatrics creates a cheerful and reassuring environment for the children that are receiving care and their families.

The Daytona International Speedway is adjacent to the medical center, and NASCAR drivers often come to visit with young patients during Race Week and other events. There are displays of memorabilia from NASCAR cars and drivers and the Speediatrics Wall of Fame has autographs from the many famous visitors. With the help of the NASCAR Foundation and community partners, we are able to create positive and memorable experiences for the children and families that come to Speediatrics.

The NASCAR theme is carried throughout all aspects of our 32-bed pediatric unit, even with the ceiling tiles that have the Speediatrics Characters on them. The unit opened in 1999 and was newly renovated and reopened on November 10, 2010. Speediatrics cares for more than 2,000 children each year, including about 300 of those receiving care in the PICU. Speediatrics care extends to the Pediatric Emergency Department located in Halifax Health Medical Center’s Emergency Department, France Tower Ground Level and is also NASCAR-themed.

What can I expect in the Speediatrics Unit?

• Highly experienced physicians and pediatric intensive care specialists are supported by a team of skilled nurses and staf
• New sleep beds for parents in patient rooms
• Teen Room with movies, video games and activities for older children
• Kids Room with toys and activities for younger children
• Parent Lounge
• Iconic signature wall that includes autographs from drivers and other guests who have visited the unit
• Betty Jane France Pediatric Resource Library consisting of a computer/printer with access to top pediatric medical books and publications
• Laptop computers available to patients for use in their rooms with patient access to the Internet and e-mail to communicate with their schools, families and friends