TAMPA, Fla. — BayCare is announcing plans to expand its medical residency programs at St. Joseph’s Hospitals in Tampa, Riverview and Lutz.

The expansion comes as Florida is facing a critical shortage of doctors in the next six years. 

A recent Florida Tax Watch report shows by 2030, Florida will need an additional 22,000 doctors.

What You Need To Know

  • BayCare says the Tampa area will have a critical doctor shortage by 2030 if actions aren’t taken now

  • BayCare recently expanded its medical residency program by 170 positions, and will expand by 500 positions by the end of the year

  • A recent report from Florida Tax Watch says the retention rate of medical residents at Florida’s hospitals is declining because of the high cost of medical malpractice insurance and the high population of uninsured patients

  • The Florida Tax Watch report shows Florida needs to hire 22,0000 new doctors by 2030 to keep up with population growth

BayCare officials said by 2030, the Tampa area will only have enough doctors to support 65% of its population.

In response to the projections, CEO and President of BayCare Stephanie Connors says it has recently expanded its medical residency program by 170 positions.

By the end of the year, it hopes to expand to more than 500 positions. By 2029, BayCare said its hospitals will add more than 650 residency positions.

Bringing in new doctors and nurses, according to Connors, isn’t just about attracting out-of-state candidates.

“We have to look at individuals in our community deeper than what we see on the exterior, and we have to really see their potential,” Connors said. “And there is so much potential from the young people in our community and beyond.”

In recent years, studies have shown as much as a 35% loss in the retention of medical residents once they complete their training, due in part to high medical malpractice insurance and Florida’s large uninsured population.

The Florida Senate recently approved the “Live Healthy” program, which will help infuse hospitals in the state with $70 million of funding to help increase resident retention rates.