Taylor Freeman, a community health project coordinator at the Florida Department of Health, discussed some of Polk County's biggest health care needs at a "State of the County" forum on April 24, 2025.
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If you’ve struggled to find a health care provider in Polk County or had to wait months for an appointment, you’re not alone.
A ‘provider-shortage area’: Although new medical facilities are on the way, Polk County had less than half as many doctors and dentists per 100,000 residents as the Florida average in 2023.
“Polk County is a provider-shortage area,” Taylor Freeman, a community health project coordinator at the Florida Department of Health, said at a State of the County forum hosted by Polk Vision on Thursday.
A survey of more than 2,000 Polk County residents found that 42% needed health care but were unable to receive it last year, Freeman said.
The most common shortage was in dentistry, with 27% reporting that they couldn’t get dental care when needed.
Statistically, the biggest shortage was in pediatrics. Florida overall had on average 2.5 times as many pediatricians per 100,000 residents as Polk County.
Obstetrics and gynecology were also big needs. Florida on average had 2.3 times as many ObGyns per 100,000 residents as Polk County.
Big changes are already underway: The health care landscape in Polk County is changing rapidly, said Jenna Levine, a public health planning manager with the Florida Department of Health.
Among those changes is the new seven-story Orlando Health Watson Clinic Lakeland Highlands Hospital that is set to open next year.
A 10-story AdventHealth hospital is expected to open in 2027.
Full report due in June: Freeman said the county performs an in-depth Community Health Assessment every five years to “assess the health status and health needs of our community.”
The report, which takes about 18 months to prepare, incorporates the survey, input from focus groups and data from a variety of official sources.
It is expected to be published in June and will be followed by a 2026-2030 Community Health Improvement Plan.
Insight Polk examines community conditions and solutions in six target areas from UCIndicators.org: economic & employment opportunity, education, housing, food security, transportation & infrastructure, and quality of life.
LkldNow’s Insight Polk independent reporting is made possible by the United Community Indicators Project with funding by GiveWell Community Foundation & United Way of Central Florida. All editorial decisions are made by LkldNow.
Cindy's reporting for LkldNow focuses on Lakeland city government. Previously, she was a crime reporter, City Hall reporter and chief political writer for newspapers including the Albuquerque Journal and South Florida Sun-Sentinel. She spent a year as a community engagement coordinator for the City of Lakeland before joining LkldNow in 2023. Reach her at cindy@lkldnow.com or 561-212-3429.
