HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin Hospital welcomes latest class of graduate medical education resident

HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin Hospital welcomes latest class of graduate medical education residents

Fort Walton Beach, Fla. – HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin Hospital is helping grow the region’s healthcare workforce as 25 new resident physicians begin the next phase of their medical training in Fort Walton Beach.

“I’m so excited to be doing my residency in Internal medicine at HCA Florida Fort Walton Destin Hospital”, said Samantha Jacobsmeyer, MD, who is moving to the area from St. Louis, to begin her residency training. “I have chosen to specialize in internal medicine because I really enjoy how all of the organ systems intersect, coming together like a unique puzzle for each individual, and I’m looking forward to helping my patients here in Northwest Florida live healthier lives.”

Many of HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin Hospital’s incoming physicians are relocating to the area, where they will live, work and become part of the community they serve. Graduate medical education programs play an important role in addressing Florida's growing physician shortage, as more than 50% of residents and fellows, on average, choose to establish their practices in the communities where they complete their training.

"Welcoming new resident physicians and fellows is one of the most exciting times of the year because they represent all the possibilities of the future of healthcare," said Graduate Medical Education Program Director Dr. Amanda Finley, HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin Hospital. "These doctors bring exceptional talent, curiosity and a commitment to improving lives. We are honored to help shape the next generation of physicians while providing expert care for our community."

With the new doctors joining the program this month, there are now 49 resident physicians training at HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin Hospital. Of the residents, 24 are specializing in the high-demand field of internal medicine and 13 are beginning a new transitional year program, which provides recent medical school graduates with a year of comprehensive clinical skills training before they go on to more specialized training.

Throughout their training, residents and fellows will care for patients under the guidance of experienced physician faculty while gaining hands-on experience with advanced technologies, evidence-based medicine and multidisciplinary care teams. Their training helps ensure patients receive high-quality, compassionate care while preparing physicians to practice in their chosen specialties.

Last month, we were excited to announce a new collaborative clinic space in partnership with White-Wilson Medical Center. This new clinic, along with GME residents and experienced physician leaders, will play a vital role in supporting patients transitioning from hospital to home by offering dedicated follow-up appointments after discharge.

"HCA Florida Healthcare is committed to developing tomorrow's physician leaders," said HCA Healthcare North Florida Division Vice President of Graduate Medical Education Cheryll Albold, Ph.D. "By investing in graduate medical education, we're not only training exceptional physicians, we are also strengthening the future of healthcare across North Florida."

HCA Florida Healthcare’s graduate medical education programs train more new doctors than any other program in the state. With 153 GME programs across 29 teaching hospitals, HCA Florida Healthcare’s 2,580 residents and fellows are the next generation of doctors local communities will depend on for care. For more information about healthcare services near you, visit hcafloridahealthcare.com.

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About HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin Hospital 

HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin Hospital is a 331-bed full-service hospital. It is the only Level II Trauma Center in the Tri-County Area, with nearly 200 highly respected and qualified physicians. For women and children services, we have the area's only in-house midwifery program. Its expanded emergency services include 24/7 HCA Florida Destin Emergency, 24/7 HCA Florida Navarre Emergency, and the full-service 24/7 HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin Emergency. It is the only acute care hospital in the Tri-County area that offers open heart surgery, an Accredited Advanced Primary Stroke Center, an Accredited Chest Pain Center, and a Cancer Care Center that is accredited by the Commission on Cancer and an Associate of the UAB Birmingham Health System Cancer Community Network. HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin Hospital is the only inpatient acute care rehab facility in the tri-county area – HCA Florida Northwest Rehabilitation Center, located in Destin, Florida.

About HCA Florida Healthcare

HCA Florida Healthcare, a part of HCA Healthcare, is one of Florida’s leading healthcare networks. Its 11,200 physicians and 80,000 colleagues work together to deliver evidence-based, collaborative care through nearly 12.8 million patient encounters annually. With more than 670 connected care sites—including hospitals, physician practices, urgent care centers and freestanding emergency rooms—across the state, HCA Florida Healthcare helps expand access to the specialized care patients need. HCA Florida Healthcare hospitals are annually recognized for excellence in patient experience and clinical outcomes, including three facilities ranked in the top 2% nationally for overall clinical excellence. A leader in healthcare education, HCA Florida Healthcare supports the next generation of healthcare workers through its 153 graduate medical education programs across 29 hospitals. In 2025, the network provided more than $1.1 billion in uncompensated care and contributed more than $3.5 million to community organizations across the state. Visit HCAFloridaHealthcare.com. HCA Florida Healthcare is helping build Florida's future physician workforce through one of the state's largest graduate medical education programs. Across Florida, HCA Florida Healthcare offers 153 residency and fellowship programs at 29 teaching hospitals, training more than 2,580 residents and fellows in a wide range of specialties. As part of HCA Healthcare's national GME enterprise, physicians receive comprehensive clinical training focused on innovation, quality outcomes and compassionate patient care.