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Gov. DeSantis signs bills to address state's health care worker shortage

Gov. DeSantis signs bills to address state's health care worker shortage
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Gov. DeSantis signs bills to address state's health care worker shortage
The need for health care workers across the state is growing daily, but the state claims it has a solution to the problem.Gov. Ron DeSantis signed several bills on Thursday that he said will help keep doctors in the state. The state’s health care worker shortage is growing, and clinics and hospitals are having trouble attracting and keeping workers.Young resident physicians like Dr. Snigdha Ilha say the cost of medical school can be painful when it comes to paying off loans.“In the state of Florida if you went medical school like me, it's approximately about $100k a year,” Ilha said.DeSantis signed several bills that allow the state to offer grant money and low-interest loans to help her and others pay off their medical school debt.“Us residents right now are able to apply for this Frame Scholarship which provides us some added benefits to pay back some of those loans faster than we might be able to,” Ilha said.It requires healthcare workers to volunteer time in rural areas or smaller hospitals.Florida Senate President Kathleen Passidomo said this is not a loan forgiveness program being discussed at the federal level.Passidomo sponsored several of the bills she calls them a game changer for Florida health care.“It's going to blow open the whole workforce development of healthcare personnel in Florida,” Passidomo said.Lee Health CEO Dr. Larry Antonucci said the bills expand residency programs and help cover the cost for expecting mothers.“Increasing that, I think, will keep labor and delivery units throughout Florida viable,” Antonucci said.To keep young doctors like Ihla in the state longer, the state sees more permanent residents than doctors moving in each year.

The need for health care workers across the state is growing daily, but the state claims it has a solution to the problem.

Gov. Ron DeSantis signed several bills on Thursday that he said will help keep doctors in the state.

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The state’s health care worker shortage is growing, and clinics and hospitals are having trouble attracting and keeping workers.

Young resident physicians like Dr. Snigdha Ilha say the cost of medical school can be painful when it comes to paying off loans.

“In the state of Florida if you went medical school like me, it's approximately about $100k a year,” Ilha said.

DeSantis signed several bills that allow the state to offer grant money and low-interest loans to help her and others pay off their medical school debt.

“Us residents right now are able to apply for this Frame Scholarship which provides us some added benefits to pay back some of those loans faster than we might be able to,” Ilha said.

It requires healthcare workers to volunteer time in rural areas or smaller hospitals.

Florida Senate President Kathleen Passidomo said this is not a loan forgiveness program being discussed at the federal level.

Passidomo sponsored several of the bills she calls them a game changer for Florida health care.

“It's going to blow open the whole workforce development of healthcare personnel in Florida,” Passidomo said.

Lee Health CEO Dr. Larry Antonucci said the bills expand residency programs and help cover the cost for expecting mothers.

“Increasing that, I think, will keep labor and delivery units throughout Florida viable,” Antonucci said.

To keep young doctors like Ihla in the state longer, the state sees more permanent residents than doctors moving in each year.