Beginning July 1, four physician residency programs at Ascension Sacred Heart hospitals in Northwest Florida will fall under the sponsorship of Florida State University's College of Medicine.
The residency programs include internal medicine as well as obstetrics and gynecology at Ascension Sacred Heart Pensacola; pediatrics at Studer Family Children's Hospital at Ascension Sacred Heart; and family medicine at Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast, in Miramar Beach. Combined, there are 90 spots available to train future physicians with plans to increase that number, as well as the number of specialties to address Florida's growing physician shortage.
"With our most recent graduating class, we will have more than 600 physicians practicing or completing residencies across the state, providing critical health care services," said Dr. Alma Littles, dean of the College of Medicine. "We look to add to these numbers by growing our Graduate Medical Education (GME) program and the impact of FSU Health through partnerships with outstanding health care providers and hospitals such as Ascension Sacred Heart."
"We look to add to these numbers by growing our Graduate Medical Education (GME) program and the impact of FSU Health through partnerships with outstanding health care providers and hospitals such as Ascension Sacred Heart.
-Dr. Alma Littles, dean of FSU College of Medicine
The population of Florida and the physician shortage are growing at such a fast pace that they've drawn the attention of the Florida Legislature. In March 2024, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law four bills, collectively known as Live Healthy. One key component of the legislation calls for the expansion of medical residency slots. Due to Florida's federal designation as having a shortage of primary care physicians, Ascension Sacred Heart has obtained matching funds from the federal government to enhance primary care residency programs.
"Building collaborative partnerships is essential to enhancing physician workforce development in Florida," said Bill Boyer, associate dean of GME and the Designated Institutional Official for all sponsored programs at the College of Medicine. "Building a medical school and graduate medical education pipeline is not just an investment in our future health care providers, but a commitment to the health and well-being of our communities."
According to Boyer, plans are already in the works for a potential residency in emergency medicine, as well as general surgery.
"Working with Ascension Sacred Heart, we hope to add seven to 10 additional residencies and fellowships," he said.
With these latest additions, the FSU College of Medicine sponsors 13 residencies and five fellowships, including a Forensic Pathology Fellowship in Pensacola with the District One Medical Examiner's Office.
"This new partnership with Florida State University allows us to expand on our ongoing mission to meet the growing health care needs of this region," said Sacred Heart Chief Medical Officer Dr. Peter Jennings. "We are excited to add new training programs, as we build on our almost 60-year legacy of training young doctors who graduate from our programs and go on to have long, satisfying careers in our communities, providing care to those we love."
Statistics show there is a 75% retention rate for physicians who attend medical school and complete their residencies in Florida. According to a recent study released by the Safety Net Hospital Alliance of Florida, FSU-sponsored residency programs rank among the most in-demand in Florida. The study examined the percentage of available residency slots filled by medical school graduates in 75 Florida hospitals and other health care providers from 2020 to 2024. FSU-sponsored residency and fellowship programs received a 100% match rate in each of the five years, a rate realized by only nine others.
About Ascension Sacred Heart
Ascension Sacred Heart, based in Pensacola, Florida, operates five hospitals and more than 100 other sites of care and employs more than 6,440 associates. In fiscal year 2024, Ascension Sacred Heart provided more than $193 million in community benefit and other care for vulnerable persons. Ascension is a faith-based health care organization dedicated to transformation through innovation across the continuum of care. As one of the leading non-profit and Catholic health systems in the U.S., Ascension is committed to delivering compassionate, personalized care to all, with special attention to persons living in poverty and those most vulnerable.
