Hallway in a hospital. (Getty Images)
A state committee tasked with writing an annual report about medical school graduates’ training in Florida hospitals had its first meeting Thursday, but the law that created the committee required it to meet no later than July 1, 2024.
The six-month delay in the inaugural meeting means the committee will only have six months, instead of a year, to meet its deadline to report the cost of training residents and how much the state’s health infrastructure relies on the trainees. According to the Live Healthy Act, the report is due to Legislative leaders and Gov. Ron DeSantis by July 1.
“I think the priority interest now is that we were able to bring everyone together and to focus and to create a report that the governor, the Senate, and the House wishes to receive by July 1,” said Christopher Cogle, chief medical officer for Florida Medicaid, during the virtual meeting. “I think the information that this, that this committee, is asked to put together is a priority interest because it’s going to help them shape their thinking going forward.”
Florida is trying to catch up to the retention rate of medical residents in other states
Cogle, who will act as staff for the committee, led the meeting but said he didn’t know if it mattered that the committee hadn’t met until Thursday. The 13 committee members are hospital CEOs and directors, faculty, and administrators of graduate medical education programs. Live Healthy, which Sen. Kathleen Passidomo spearheaded in her last session as Senate President last year, will pour $50 million annually into residency slots for medical school graduates.
However, several committee members raised concerns about the group’s ability to meet its deadline.
“I think I feel a little bit of anxiety just around timing and timeliness and how much work is ahead of us,” said Matthew Love, president and CEO of the Nicklaus Children’s Health System in Miami.
Before starting the report, the committee will have to establish bylaws and pick leaders. The next meeting has not been scheduled yet, but Cogle said it would take place within the next couple of months.
Broward County cardiologist Kayvan Amini urged the group to meet more frequently than the two annual meetings the law requires. Amini is a faculty member at Nova Southeastern University and a trustee at the Florida Osteopathic Medical Association.
“Obviously, we’ve got all challenging schedules, but probably, you know, it’s better to sit down and get together as many of us for a quorum, but I think we’re going to have to require a certain level of frequency and delegating,” he said.
He added: “We got to really kick up into high gear as soon as possible, the way I see it, in order to accomplish this task by July 1.”
The Florida Agency for Health Care Administration overseeing the committee did not immediately respond to Florida Phoenix’s request for comment about the delay.
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