Sunburn — The Morning Read Of What’s Hot In Florida Politics — 12.15.21

By Peter Schorsch    

Good Wednesday morning.

A tandem of statewide hospital associations is asking the Florida Legislature to bump spending on graduate medical education programs by $95 million, a move it says will help stave off a projected shortfall of 18,000 physicians in the state by the year 2035.

The Safety Net Hospital Alliance of Florida and the Florida Hospital Association released a report Wednesday conducted by IHS Markit that showed Florida had 55,083 physicians practicing in the state in 2019 — enough to cover about 93% of demand.

By 2035, the study estimates there will be 56,859 full-time physicians in the state. As their ranks grow at an anemic 3%, Florida’s population growth shows no signs of a slowdown. If the trend continues unabated, nearly a quarter of physician demand will go unmet.

Safety Net Hospital Alliance of Florida CEO Justin Senior likens it to a “one-two punch of Florida’s growing population and a wave of older physicians retiring from practice.”

However, he said the Florida Legislature could punch back by increasing state funding for residency programs at Florida hospitals.

Senior, along with Florida Hospital Association President and CEO Mary Mayhew, will ask Lawmakers to spend an additional $38 million in general revenue which, when matched with federal Medicaid funds, will increase GME funding in the state by $95 million.

Since Florida launched the state Medicaid GME Residency program, physician teaching slots have grown from 3,562 to 6,432. Senior said the additional investment could add another 3,000 to 6,000 slots.

“Research shows that physicians are most likely to practice medicine where they complete their residency, which is why it is so critical to invest in quality residency programs throughout our state,” Mayhew said.

Read the report here.

— SITUATIONAL AWARENESS —

Tweet, tweet:

— @AshaRangappa_: BTW, it’s not just that FOX News hosts blamed Antifa while privately imploring (Donald) Trump to stop riot that same day. The network made a three-part “documentary” *a month ago* claiming that Jan. 6 was a false flag operation BY THE FBI … and not one of those anchors has disavowed it

—@DWUhlfelderLaw: The Villages is trending because three Republican residents have been charged with voter fraud for voting multiple times in 2020 election, but Ron DeSantis isn’t going to do or say anything about it @RemoveRon

—@SundaeDivine: Between the IRS, STD outbreaks, dueling golf carts, and voting fraud, I would definitely watch a series about The Villages.

—@BiancaJoanie: Rent prices in Miami affecting lawyer retention: At the Miami-Dade delegation meeting this morning, Dade Public Defender Carlos Martinez says that his office has lost 62 attorneys in the past year (35% turnover). He says the office is having a hard time competing with pay in NYC.

Tweet, tweet:

Tweet, tweet:

—@ChrisSprowls: Being Speaker of the Florida House can make you feel like every day is your birthday, but that’s not actually true. @lobbytools I wasn’t born in December, but thanks for the thought!

— @NateMonroeTU: So Shad Khan got really upset when someone asked if the Four Seasons play is real. Then he reveals the Four Seasons basically laughed off the idea of associating with a hotel in Jax, but also asserts he — who has no decision-making role with the company — can make it happen.