Brandon, FL — Sixty-three new physicians began their residency training this month at HCA Florida Brandon Hospital in the specialties of internal medicine, obstetrics, surgery, pathology, emergency medicine and cardiology. Brandon Hospital also offers a transitional year program for physicians preparing to enter specialized residencies like anesthesiology.
Through Graduate Medical Education (GME), Brandon Hospital is helping prepare the next generation of physicians while addressing the growing need for healthcare providers in the Tampa Bay region. Brandon Hospital is one of ten HCA Healthcare hospitals in Tampa Bay with accredited residency programs.
“At Brandon Hospital, we are committed to preparing the physicians who will care for our community for years to come,” said Dr. Christine Van Cott, chief medical officer at Brandon Hospital. “We are continuing to expand our Graduate Medical Education program to meet the increasing need for high-quality, specialized care. The opening of our new medical office building this year provides additional space to support the education of our residents. Through mentorship from our experienced physicians, we are preparing future caregivers with the knowledge and clinical expertise they need to deliver exceptional care.”
“Our residents care for patients from day one. They are treating people in Brandon and across the surrounding community, and many of them will stay and build their careers here,” said Dr. Harold Gomez Acevedo, emergency medicine program director at Brandon Hospital. “Our department’s responsibility is to build a program that trains our physicians to practice independently and to the highest standard because in three years, when one of our graduates is the physician at the bedside, that standard is what Brandon receives.”
Brandon Hospital launched its Graduate Medical Education program on July 1, 2015 with 20 residents. Since then, the program has expanded significantly to meet the region’s growing physician workforce needs. To date, 1,386 residents have completed their training at Brandon Hospital and gone on to practice medicine.
After graduating from medical school, physician’s complete residency training under the supervision of experienced physicians before practicing independently. Most residencies are a four-year program depending on the specialty.
HCA Healthcare is the nation’s largest sponsor of graduate medical education, training more than 5,400 residents and fellow physicians at 79 teaching hospitals in over 350 residency and fellowship programs.