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Every day, hundreds of sick and injured patients walk into free and charitable clinics around the Tampa Bay area in need of a doctor.Many are suffering from chronic conditions, such as diabetes or high blood pressure. Some patients were referred to the clinics by staff at hospitals where they landed after years of neglecting to care for treatable conditions.The clinics allow the patients to pay what they can, or nothing at all. They are staffed by doctors and nurses who volunteer their time. They survive off donations and small grants.Many of the patients have jobs but they are living paycheck to paycheck. None have health insurance, either because they do not qualify for Medicaid or can’t afford private coverage. For these patients, the clinics are often their only option for primary care.

New Psychiatry Residency Program Will Help With Shortage In Central Florida

Leon County Judge John Cooper on June 30, 2022, in a screen grab from The Florida Channel.
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The Florida Channel
More than 600 new psychiatrists will be trained each year at the University of Central Florida.

A new psychiatry residency program will help offset rising demand for mental health providers throughout Florida. The University of Central Florida says it will eventually train more than 600 providers a year.

UCF says there were more than 17-hundred applicants for six spots in the program that will train residents at Osceola Regional Medical Center and Orlando VA Medical Center.

A Teaching Hospital Council of Florida and Safety Net Hospital Alliance of Florida report that the Orlando area will be short more than 230 psychiatrists by 2025.