A study released by the Florida Hospital Association forecasts a statewide nursing shortage that could hit The Villages especially hard.
In nearby Ocala, the College of Central Florida is racing to help meet the demand in the nation's largest retirement community.
The study, by IHS Markit, projects a shortfall of 12% among registered nurses and 30% among licensed practical nurses by 2035.
Some areas will have extreme shortages. The Villages, for instance, could have only about 30% of the nurses it needs.
College of Central Florida President Jim Henningsen is answering the demand for health care education.
“We’ve already grown our nursing program by 50 percent in the last five years by making tough choices on older programs and closing them down to repurpose those resources,” he said. “But right now we’re full court in terms of trying to get funding done so that we can expand faster.”
He’s lining up money from the Legislature, local sources and donors for a new $16 million nursing education building that could open in about two years. The two-year program would increase by 50 students to 325.
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