Between now and 2030, Florida will have to create two million net new jobs to help meet the needs of Florida’s businesses. At the Florida Chamber of Commerce, we believe a talented workforce is Florida’s best long-term, economic strategy for Florida. This is why the Florida Chamber has had a long standing history of supporting Graduate Medical Education (GME) programs. These important programs allow Floridians to not only train in Florida, but also remain in Florida.
Earlier this month, the Florida Chamber was proud to join in the release of the Safety Net Hospital Alliance of Florida (SNHAF) and the Teaching Hospital Council of Florida’s annual report: Training Tomorrow’s Doctors: Graduate Medical Education in Florida 2016 Annual Report. A report that shows Florida hospitals have increased their number of residency slots by 19 percent since 2013.
GME physician training is an investment, both in our education system and in Florida’s overall quality of life. But it’s also an investment in high-paying, high-demand jobs; a number one priority for the Florida Chamber
“This is a first and foremost a quality of life issue,” said David Hart, Executive Vice President of the Florida Chamber of Commerce. “Second, it comes down to protecting a taxpayer investment. Many students who come out of medical school leave the state. This causes Florida taxpayers to make and investment and not reap any return on investment.”
Creating GME residency positions is the best way to build the high quality physician workforce we need to care for our communities. At the Florida Chamber, we want to make sure Florida businesses and their employees can access quality healthcare that prioritizes better outcomes and lower costs. The GME program is an integral part of Florida’s health delivery system.
“This is our first glimpse at both where we are now in terms of medical residency slots and where we need to be,’’ said Carlos Migoya, President/CEO of Jackson Health System, whose hospitals provide more than 70 percent of Florida’s residency programs. “This report makes it clear that while we’re not where we want to be yet in solving the physician shortage crisis, the concerted efforts of (Alliance) members to increase the training opportunities for Florida’s next generation of doctors are already paying off.”
Strengthen Florida’s quality of life by joining the Florida Chamber’s healthcare efforts.Visit www.FloridaChamber.com/Healthcare.