Meeting the need for doctors in the Tampa Bay region

The need for doctors across Florida is growing along with the state’s population. One sign of the growing need: Sarasota Memorial Hospital recently opened a new, expanded Emergency Department in Venice. By 2035 Florida could be short of 18,000 physicians. And it’s not just doctors: the state is also facing a shortage of nearly 60 thousand nurses. Acadia Jacob, advocacy director at Florida Voices for Health and Jeff Johnson, state director for AARP Florida, joined Florida Matters to talk about who’s affected by the shortage of medical professionals. You’ll also hear about efforts to train a new generation of doctors from Dr. Gaelle Laurore-Fray, Executive Vice President of Medicine & Medical Education with Tampa Family Health Centers.