Clermont, located just 22 miles west of Orlando in Lake County, seems to have everything that a small growing community would want—quality housing, good schools, and a thriving business community. Everything, that is, except enough physicians.

Clermont, like many Florida cities, has experienced explosive growth during the last several years. The number of residential housing units in the city increased 113.6 percent from 3,995 in 2000 to 8,534 in 2005. The Clermont area had the largest percentage of population growth, nearly 140 percent, in the state between 2000 and 2006, and the population within a five mile radius of Clermont’s South Lake Hospital has an average household income of $67,546—attractive demographics by any measure. The physician population, however, has not kept pace with the growing needs of the community. A recent study by the WellFlorida Council, Inc. concluded that Clermont could use physicians in the following specialties: allergy/immunology, dermatology, endocrinology, gastroenterology, infectious disease, nephrology, neurology, oncology/hematology, otolaryngology, physical medicine/rehabilitation, plastic surgery, pulmonology, rheumatology and urology. In addition to the current shortages, the need for physicians will be even greater in years to come as doctors retire. In a recent WellFlorida poll of Lake County physicians, 56.2 percent said they planned to retire before 2021. For the savvy practitioner, Clermont could be an enticing place to live, work and play.

“The striking population growth in Clermont and Lake County makes the area an ideal location for medical practitioners looking to open new practices or to expand existing ones,” said Tom Adams, president of Adams Property Consultants, Inc., which specializes in healthcare real estate. If there is a silver lining in the ongoing residential real estate crisis, a piece of it may be the increased opportunities for healthcare professionals to lease and buy office space at more attractive prices.

Adams said now may be an ideal time for physicians to evaluate their office space requirements. “We are advising our clients to take advantage of the great deals in this kinder and gentler real estate market,” said Adams.

Practitioners, who try to acquire new office space without expert help, often find the process challenging. The first step, according to Adams, is to determine the amount of office space needed for the practice. This may not be as easy as it sounds, because the square footage estimate should include space for anticipated growth. Next, the market must be researched to identify the space alternatives that meet the criteria of size and price. Adams advises physicians who are considering a move to “plan early and plan well.”

Despite the physician shortage, the Clermont medical community is thriving. At its center is the 104-bed South Lake Hospital campus. The state-of-the-art facility features inpatient and outpatient cardiology services, women’s health services, diagnostic imaging, and surgery services. The hospital’s most prominent asset is the National Training Center, a 300-acre sports, health, fitness, and education campus. The sprawling complex combines world-class sports and athletic facilities with a hospital, office buildings, a community college and a four-year university. Adams said the world-class training center and South Lake Hospital are important economic engines for the area.

As Clermont continues to rapidly grow, it will be even more difficult to meet physician demand, but where there is shortage, there is opportunity, advised Adams.



June 2008