LAKELAND, Fla. — A doctor shortage across Central Florida and the state is projected to get worse, but two new bills aim to allow hospitals, which have offered part-time training in the past, to start their own full-time teaching programs.
It could mean hundreds more doctors for the region.
About three students at a time from the Florida Hospital system can get supplement training at Lakeland Regional Hospital, where's there's a high-level trauma center.
If the bills pass, the hospital could take on more than 200.
For years, Florida Hospital's Emergency Residency program has gotten help from Lakeland.
“According to studies, we're the single biggest emergency room site in America,” said Michael Spake, vice president of Lakeland Regional Health.
His facility and Level 2 trauma center is also the largest in country without a full-time teaching program, making it one of 11 hospitals nationwide caught by a glitch in Medicare's graduate education law.
He said that could change with two new bipartisan bills sponsored by Florida Sen. Bill Nelson.
The bills aim to transition hospitals already poised to offer the best training into full teaching programs.
“This is in essence an opportunity to meet a current critical need but also from the long-term address a problem we are predicting for the future,” said Spake.
He said with more teaching hospitals, more doctors can help address Central Florida's emergency rooms, which have become overcrowded partly from a growing lack of primary care
“We're hoping to complement that increase by increasing the amount of residency sites so these medical graduates who are being trained will stay in our state,” said Spake.
More doctors in the area could have an economic impact on the region.
Statistics show each resident who stays in the area, has a family and buys a home contributes $1.5 million a year to their local economy.
They also save their region an average $3.6 million in unnecessary hospitalization.
Cox Media Group