Proposed legislation would designate four behavioral health teaching hospitals in Florida, the Tampa Bay Business Journal reported Feb. 14.
The legislation, which passed out of a state Senate committee Feb. 14, would set aside $100 million in state funding for pilot behavioral health teaching programs. The legislation would also fund additional psychiatric residency slots in the state and establish a center for studying the behavioral health workforce, the outlet reported.
The four proposed sites for the teaching hospitals are: Tampa (Fla.) General Hospital and the University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine; University of Florida (Gainesville) Health Shands; University of Florida Health Jacksonville and the University of Florida Medical School; and Jackson Memorial Hospital (Miami) and the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.
The state is eyeing other initiatives to boost the behavioral health workforce, including a package that would reimburse student loans for behavioral health professionals.