Passidomo promises health care improvements for Floridians in session opening

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, R-Naples, delivered remarks at the beginning of the 2024 Legislative Session where she emphasized her “Live Healthy” policy agenda.

“The robust package Senator Burton, Senator Harrell and I have been working on will expand Florida’s health care workforce with new opportunities for education, training and retention,” Passidomo said.

“This includes enhancing partnerships between hospitals and colleges and universities that train health care workers, and residency slots and loan repayment options that drive providers to underserved areas,” she added.

Several pieces of legislation in the package allocate over $800 million for health care workforce education and technological innovation.

“We want to make sure our medical school graduates stay in Florida, and also attract more out-of-state residents to build their lives and medical practices here in our communities,” she continued.

“We are funding provider increases that incentivize health care workers to continue serving in needed fields like mental health, labor and delivery, and helping Floridians with disabilities,” she said. “And, we are expanding clinical training to include more rural, remote, or other locations difficult to access.”

Specifically, SPB 7016, led by Sen. Colleen Burton, R-Lakeland, would deregulate the healthcare workforce industry in order to improve mobility and job retention.

SPB 7018, led by Sen. Gayle Harrell, R-Stuart, would directly provide financial resources to the healthcare technology sector in order to lower development costs and increase production.

“This is a robust package of bills. It is complex, but critically important. In order to care for our growing population and meet the increased demand for health care, we must expand our workforce, increase efficiencies and elevate quality,” Passidomo said.