721 New Residency Slots Created at Florida's Safety Net Hospitals

The Safety Net Hospital Alliance of Florida, representing 14 hospital systems across the state, announced the creation of 721 new graduate medical education, or GME, positions to address the increasing demand for medical providers in the state.

The new positions are funded by GME programs like the "Slots for Doctors Program," which most recently received a boost of $150 million from lawmakers as part of a push by Senate President Kathleen Passidomo to expand the state's health care worker shortage (SB 7016).

The state is projected to experience a shortage of 18,000 physicians by 2035, mainly attributed to Florida's growing population. Over the past six years, including this year's addition, the GME Startup Bonus Program has added 2,505 new training slots across Florida hospitals.

The residency expansion targets areas of critical need and involves major hospitals like Tampa General Hospital, UF Health Shands and Broward Health – all safety net hospitals. GME programs help retain practitioners in the state, especially among those who also attend medical school in the state. Other states, such as California and Texas, have implemented similar initiatives to help retain medical professionals in their states. Read More

Source: The Capitolist