Watson Clinic Tackling Healthcare Staffing Crisis From Multiple Angles
by REBEKAH PIERCE
Good help is hard to find, and unfortunately, that problem is perhaps more pronounced for Polk County’s medical community than anywhere else.
Earlier this year, the Florida Department of Health in Polk County released the results of its Community Health Assessment. Nearly half (42%) of all respondents stated that they were unable to get the healthcare they needed within the last year, with the Department of Health referring to Polk County as a “provider-shortage area” with fewer medical, mental and behavioral health, and dental providers than average.
Multiple Contributing Factors
Kristin McFarland, Watson Clinic Professional Services Director, says this problem, though compounded by a growing population in Polk County, is not a new one.
“I’ve been recruiting physicians and other healthcare professionals for nearly 20 years, and it’s never not been challenging,” she says. “While population growth in Polk County has certainly put a strain on healthcare resources, the problem is much bigger than the number of people moving to the area.”
Among the many challenges facing recruiters in the healthcare space are demographics and regulation.
“People are living longer, and an aging population requires more care. In addition, there are fewer physicians choosing Primary Care as a specialty. In 2024, there were 636 vacant Family Medicine residency spots across the U.S. and 252 vacant Pediatric residency spots – that’s over 800 open training positions in just one year.”
McFarland also notes that pandemic-related staffing shortages are still present, with providers struggling to recruit and retain nursing staff, a variable that ultimately impacts clinician-to-patient ratios.
“There’s also the regulatory component of healthcare and the bureaucracy of insurance. This reduces the overall number of physicians available to see patients with insurance and those who cannot afford to pay out-of-pocket,” she explains.
Currently, Watson Clinic has 30 physician openings across 17 specialties, and while wait times for a new patient to establish with a primary care physician are reasonable (generally less than a week in most locations), many specialists are seeing lengthy waits for non-emergent visits.
Adding to the delays is the fact that many healthcare services are out of reach for patients who struggle with transportation, of which there are a disproportionate number in Polk County.
“While telehealth certainly provides a viable option to in-person care, it doesn’t take the place of a face-to-face visit and may not be suitable for everyone. Preventive screening, which is one of the best ways to prevent many cancers, often requires consultation, diagnostic testing and follow-up care. Only a portion of this can be done remotely.”
Shaping a Solution
To combat these challenges, Watson Clinic recently teamed up with Orlando Health to provide expanded access to high-quality medical care for county residents.
In addition, Watson Clinic regularly connects with the Graduate Medical Education (GME) programs in Florida, which helps them tap into a reliable pipeline of local physicians who want to stay close to home after graduating from medical school as well as those from other parts of the country who want to put down new roots in the Sunshine State.
“We love to reach out to these physicians in December or January as they’re usually over the cold by then,” McFarland quips.
Collaboration with local universities is another integral part of Watson Clinic’s boots-on-the-ground approach to filling vacancies.
“We have partnerships with several schools for clinical rotations, and we have great success in placing many of the students who rotate through our clinic. For example, through an agreement with local colleges, their Nurse Practitioner students can complete their clinical rotations at Watson Clinic, and many have gone on to accept employment offers with us once they graduate,” she adds.
Watson Clinic employs a physician-owned, private practice model that, though appealing to newer physicians who are looking at long-term growth, can be challenging for those who prefer to operate outside this framework.
McFarland elaborates, “Many of the business aspects of running a doctor’s office – dealing with insurance authorizations, surgery approval, scheduling, marketing, etc. – is already established for physicians as part of this model. Once a physician earns partner status, they share an investment with the Clinic’s performance and are empowered to offer input on how the Clinic operates day-to-day, the services and technologies we offer, and other decisions that are vital to overall patient care.”
“I wish I had one of those Magic 8 Balls,” she says, when asked if there was a single best way to recruit more providers.
“It’s not always about the money or the location. It’s about the physician finding a sense of being welcomed, listened to, respected, and appreciated. As soon as we come up with a creative solution to recruit more physicians, the market changes or someone else comes up with a bigger, shinier solution.”