Dr. Lee Coghill, right, presents Dr. Bradley Green with his Global Health Fellowship diploma. PHOTO PROVIDED

Lee Health recently celebrated the graduation of the Class of 2021 of The Florida State University College of Medicine Family Medicine Residency Program and Global Health Fellowship. The residency program, based at Lee Memorial Hospital, was created to address an expected national shortage of primary care physicians. This issue is compounded locally by a rapidly growing aging population.

This year’s graduates include:

* Dr. Kathleen Dixon, who will join AdventHealth in Orlando

* Dr. Tatianna Pizzutto, who will join Bardmoor Family Practice in Largo, Fla.

* Dr. John Schmidt, who will join Lee Physician Group College Pointe location in Fort Myers.

Dr. Lee Coghill, right, presents Dr. Alice Shallcross with her Global Health Fellowship diploma. PHOTO PROVIDED

* Dr. Miri Shlomi, who will be working part time as a Hospitalist in Boston, Mass.

* Dr. Diana Sitar, who plans to remain in Fort Myers to practice Family Medicine

* Dr. Tyler Spradling, who will join Lee Physician Group Bonita Urgent Care location in Estero.

* Dr. Renee Wong, who will join Parrish Medical Center on the space coast of Florida.

* Dr. Bradley Green, Global Health Fellow, who will join a residency program as faculty in Alabama.

From left are Dr. Tyler Spradling, Dr. Katie Dixon, Dr. Diana Sitar, Dr. Tatianna Pizzutto, Dr. Miri Shlomi, Dr. Renee Wong and Dr. John Schmidt. PHOTO PROVIDED

* Dr. Alice Shallcross, Global Health Fellow, who will join a residency program as faculty in New Mexico.

The Florida State University College of Medicine Family Medicine Residency Program at Lee Health provides 36 months of training, which is divided into four-week blocks. These rotations are completed at Lee Memorial Hospital, HealthPark Medical Center and Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida. The program began with its inaugural class in July 2014.

In December 2016, the residency program was approved for expansion from 18 residents to 24 and received Continued Accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) for the next 10 years.

This year’s graduating class brings the total number of graduates to 32, with 18 physicians choosing to continue practice in Southwest Florida.

About Lee Health

Since the opening of the first hospital in 1916, Lee Health has been a health care leader in Southwest Florida, constantly evolving to meet the needs of the community. A non-profit, integrated health care services organization, Lee Health is committed to the well-being of every individual served, focused on healthy living and maintaining good health. Staffed by caring people, inspiring health, services are conveniently located throughout the community in four acute care hospitals, two specialty hospitals, outpatient centers, walk-in medical centers, primary care and specialty physician practices and other services across the continuum of care.

Learn more about Lee Health at www.LeeHealth.org.