Justification
Governor's Recommendations 2023-24

The Governor's Budget Recommendation for Fiscal Year 2023-2024 includes $4,000,000, 497,215 in salary rate and four
positions department-wide to establish Graduate Medical Education (GME) slots to create a 48-month psychiatric residency
program to support the state mental health treatment facilities.  This issue is funded by a nation-wide settlement
agreement negotiated with opioid manufacturers, distributors and retailers, the proceeds of which will be used to abate
the opioid epidemic.

This issue provides funding to build a residency program, with locations across the state mental health treatment
facilities for medical students within the State of Florida.  Florida State Hospital will partner with the Accreditation
Council for Graduate Medical Education and become a comprehensive GME sponsoring institution.  Florida State Hospital
will additionally utilize the network of five additional state mental health treatment facilities to establish
participating sites.  Medical residents will learn to provide treatment to the state mental health treatment facility
population of civil and forensic behavioral health patients.

There is currently a physician shortage, including physicians working in specialties such as psychiatry.  Creating a GME
program provides an opportunity to increase the number of physicians available in Florida to treat patients in state
mental health treatment facilities.