On Monday, the Florida State University College of Medicine and Lee Memorial Health System will unveil plans for a doctor training program intended to create more primary care physicians for Southwest Florida.

At present, Florida ranks 43rd nationally in number of the number of medical residents. The fourth most populous state in the nation, Florida faces a severe physician shortage particularly in primary care specialties, in rural areas and in the number of doctors to care for the state’s rapidly expanding population of older patients.

On average, 60 percent of graduating medical students in Florida leave the state for residency training. A physician is far more likely to set up practice in the community where he or she completes graduate medical education (residency or fellowship) than near where he or she graduated from medical school. Presently, there are no allopathic residency programs south of Tampa along Florida’s west coast.

Participating in the announcement will be Florida State University College of Medicine Dean John P. Fogarty and Richard Akin, chairman of the board at Lee Memorial Health System and president and CEO of Collier Health Services, Inc.

MONDAY, AUGUST 8

NOON

LEE MEMORIAL HOSPITAL AUDITORIUM
2776 CLEVELAND AVE.
FORT MYERS
(near the entrance to the emergency room)