The prognosis Despite expansions, awards and growth, the health industry as a whole faces major hurdles. Jonathan Infinger is examined by nurse Jeremy Johnson. Worker shortages and the growing number of uninsured and underinsured patients are two. But a bigger one is reimbursement from third-party payers, including past and proposed cuts in Medicaid funding. Few other issues get officials as fired up.
Nobody understands it.
Madden said the next big challenge is balancing these issues with the system's natural growth. Florida's first medical school to be approved in 20 years will begin rotating students through Pensacola hospitals thanks to legislation pushed through by Sen. Durell Peaden, R-Crestview, a retired physician. This year, a charter class of 30 medical students will begin studies at Florida State University, but will come to Pensacola to study for their third and fourth years beginning in 2003. Peaden said Pensacola was chosen because of its advanced medical care, but he hopes this program will mean an added boost. I hope that with all the potential that we have that we'll be a referral center for Mississippi, Southern Alabama and Southern Georgia, that it will come our way instead of Birmingham and some of those other places.