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Florida is running out of doctors at an alarming rate according to a new study.  As Matt Galka tells us, it is affecting patient care right now.

Florida is in need critical need of doctors and the problem is getting worse according to a new study from the Teaching Hospital Council and Safety Net Hospital Alliance.

“There is bad news, the bad news is that we will be at least 7 thousand doctors short to meet our citizens needs by 2025,” said Tim Goldfarb with UF Shands.

The shortage is affecting every region of the state and impacts various specialty care programs from general surgery to oncology.

“It will be manifest by delayed care, it will be manifest by more rescue therapy, that which we don’t like.  If you don’t get good management of your health, or good management of your chronic condition, what we’ll wind up doing is seeing busy emergency departments taking care of you when in crisis,” said Rep. Cary Pigman (R-Avon Park) who is also a doctor.

Part of the problem is not being able to keep medical school residents. Dr. Gary Goforth says patients in southwest Florida are already feeling the squeeze.

“I refer patients now, sometimes it takes me months, to get them in to the specialists they need. We’re already seeing that shortage, and it’s going to get worse,” said Dr. Goforth.

Nurse practioners say they may not be the answer but could help close the gap.

Nurse practitioners are asking for authority to diagnose and prescribe medications.  Other states already do it, and they say it can seriously benefit rural areas.

“These other states, the Medicaid costs are going down, the medicare costs are going down, health of people are going up, 30 day readmissions are going down when nurse practitioners have the ability to practice with full authority,” said Susan Lynch, Florida’s representative in the American Association of Nurse Practitioners.

Bills have been filed, but lawmakers say that the root problem of a physician shortage would still remain.