JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Florida lawmakers are one step closer to passing a major healthcare package.
The Senate passed two bills Thursday that are part of the "Live Healthy Plan" which aims to recruit and retain more healthcare workers as the state's population continues to grow.
Lawmakers claim there are not enough healthcare professionals to meet the needs of people across the state. They want to bolster medical education throughout the state. The plan would provide money for labs, increase medical residency slots, expand eligibility for loan and grant programs for nursing and medical students, and provide more help for clinical training sites.
Michael Mayo, DHA, FACHE, the President and CEO of Baptist Health, applauded these efforts and the investment in educational programs.
"We applaud the increased funding for the Linking Industry to Nursing Education (LINE) program, which is producing results in Jacksonville thanks to our collaboration with Jacksonville University and the University of North Florida to accelerate training of our next-generation nurse," Dr. Mayo said.
The Director of the School of Nursing at the University of North Florida Michelle Edmonds said the program has been able to expand thanks to state funding over the last few years. Now, she is hopeful for even more opportunities for growth if the Live Healthy plan is passed.
"It's the best case scenario, honestly. And it's so needed. Our students that are here will graduate and then take care of us, our family, and friends in this area,” Edmonds said.
Another part of the plan focuses on expanding access to care, particularly in rural areas of the state. Lawmakers expanded eligibility for free health screenings for low-income families and increased Medicaid reimbursement for certain medical services for the state's most vulnerable populations. Part of the reimbursement will support labor and delivery services at hospitals. Dr. Mayo believes this will create better health outcomes for mothers and their babies.
"As Medicaid covers 46% of all births in Florida, the $152 million increase in Medicaid reimbursement for labor and delivery services is vitally important to increasing access, addressing maternal/newborn care disparities and reducing infant mortality, especially in rural areas," Dr. Mayo said.
The plan would also make it easier for licensed medical professionals to transfer to the state. Dr. Christine Cauffield, the CEO of LSF Health Systems, said this would help close the gap that is growing in Florida's behavioral health care.
"People are really struggling. And when you don't have adequate staff to address these needs, people tend to get hopeless, spiral downward. And if they can't access the help that they need, we're in trouble," Cauffield explained.
The bills now head to the House for consideration.