CAPE CORAL, Fla. — Lee Health is launching a new OBGYN residency program at Cape Coral Hospital to train the next generation of women's doctors and combat an expected physician shortage in Southwest Florida.
FOX 4's Bella Line spoke with the Chief Physician Executive about what the new program means for healthcare in Cape Coral:
"We know across the country that there is going to be a shortage in the coming years, especially in primary care, and probably in OBGYN. That's what the trending is telling us," said Dr. Cherrie Morris, Chief Physician Executive of the Women’s Health Institute at Lee Health.
The strategy focuses on training residents locally with the hope they will remain in the community after graduation. Lee Health's data from existing family medicine and internal medicine residencies shows that half of graduates choose to stay in Southwest Florida.
"If we can have our own place where we can train these residents, have them fall in love with our healthcare system and our community. The goal is that they'll stay here," Morris said.
The OBGYN residency will welcome six residents next July for a four-year program that emphasizes hands-on experience. Morris highlighted the advantages of training at a community-based hospital versus a large university setting.
"The other beautiful thing about being a community, kind of based hospital, as opposed to a big university, is that we're not that big, right? So, their chances of getting hands on experience on a regular basis is, is going to happen," Morris said.
Beyond addressing the physician shortage, the program positions Lee Health as an academic center, which Morris says will drive research opportunities for the future.
"Once you become an academic center, it really drives research," Morris said.
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