Havana, a town of 1,750 people in Florida, is facing a doctor shortage after its longtime family physician retired. To attract a new doctor, town leaders are offering a rent-free medical office equipped with X-ray, ultrasound, and bone density scanners. They hope these incentives will lure a physician to their community, which is struggling to find healthcare providers.
HAVANA, Fla. — For a rural community, this town of 1,750 people has been more fortunate than most. A family doctor has practiced here for the last 30 years.But that ended in December when Mark Newberry retired. To attract a new doctor, Havana leaders took out want ads in local newspapers, posted notices on social media, and sweetened the pot with a rent-free medical office equipped with an X-ray, an ultrasound machine and a bone density scanner — all owned by the town.
'Not everybody can get to Tallahassee to get a doctor,' she said. 'Not everybody has transportation.'But it remains to be seen whether rent-free office space and equipment are enough to attract a doctor to Havana. The town's recruitment campaign has drawn a lot of interest from nurse practitioners, but few primary care physicians have applied for the position.
DOCTOR SHORTAGE RURAL HEALTHCARE FLORIDA INCENTIVES SMALL TOWN
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