Why Physicians Should Practice Medicine in Florida

The best thing about practicing in Florida is the climate and "never being more than 50 miles from the beach," family physician Robert Raspa, who is based in Jacksonville, Fla., told Physicians Practice. Here's more on what Raspa, president of the Florida Academy of Family Physicians, said about practicing medicine in The Sunshine State.

What do you enjoy about practicing in Florida?
Cost of living in most of the state is very reasonable (except in the Miami area); no state income tax; very protective laws for homeowners - so that a house cannot be lost in a lawsuit; lots of patients, with not a lot of competition. Over the past few years the legislature has been very physician friendly - but this may change at any time of course.

What would you change about practicing in Florida?
The worst thing about practicing in Florida is the malpractice climate, which has been improved by limiting judgments - but that hasn't limited the number of suits. This limits scope of practice and ultimately limits care to patients.

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