As Florida’s physician shortage grows, AdventHealth Tampa is helping fill the gap

TAMPA, Fla. — Before delivering a baby for the first time, Dr. Paige Thompson, a resident physician, practiced the moment repeatedly in AdventHealth Tampa's clinical simulation lab.

There, she worked through real-world delivery scenarios, learning where to stand, how to respond and what to expect before ever entering a patient's room.

"All of that really prepared me to be with patients for the first time, because especially for a delivery, you don't want to feel like you have no clue where you're supposed to be or what you're supposed to do," Thompson said. "This experience definitely helped me, and I know the other residents felt the same way with getting prepared."

Now in her third year as an OB/GYN resident at AdventHealth Tampa, Thompson is among the physicians being trained to care for Florida's rapidly growing population.

Her experience reflects a larger effort at AdventHealth Tampa to address a growing physician shortage across the state.

According to the Florida Hospital Association, Florida could face a shortage of approximately 36,000 physicians by 2035.

Training and retaining physicians locally is a key part of the solution, with more than 64% of doctors who complete residency in Florida remaining in the state to practice.

That commitment recently earned AdventHealth Tampa designation as a statutory teaching hospital from the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration.

The designation recognizes hospitals that demonstrate a significant commitment to physician education through accredited residency programs, specialized clinical training and academic medicine.

At AdventHealth Tampa, residents learn through hands-on patient care, physician mentorship and simulation-based training designed to prepare them for real-life clinical situations.

For patients, that means care delivered in an environment focused on learning, collaboration and continuous improvement.

"Behind every resident physician is a patient, a family and a community counting on them," said Dr. Raj Wadhawan, chief clinical officer for AdventHealth's West Florida Division. "Graduate medical education allows us to prepare physicians in the environment where they'll ultimately care for patients. As our community continues to grow, we must create opportunities for talented physicians to train here, build relationships here and, we hope, continue practicing here. This designation recognizes the work our teams have done to develop high-quality training programs while helping ensure our community has access to exceptional care for years to come."

Today, residents train within a 626-bed tertiary hospital, home to accredited residency programs in Internal Medicine, Emergency Medicine, Transitional Year, Obstetrics and Gynecology and General Surgery, with fellowships available in Cardiovascular Disease and Critical Care Medicine.

As AdventHealth Tampa continues expanding its graduate medical education programs, it is helping strengthen Florida's physician workforce while creating opportunities for physicians to serve the communities where they trained.

For Thompson, the impact can be seen in the confidence she gained before caring for her first patient. For the community, it means more physicians are receiving the training needed to care for Florida families.

Learn more about graduate medical education programs at AdventHealth.