Dr Yousef Hasanzadah DO with Nurse
HCA Florida Healthcare welcomes nearly 100 new doctors in Greater Orlando area
~Residents and fellows are training in high-demand specialties at HCA Florida Lake Monroe Hospital and HCA Florida Osceola Hospital~
August 15, 2025 – Orlando, Fla. – Nearly 100 new doctors began residencies or fellowships this summer at HCA Florida Lake Monroe Hospital and HCA Florida Osceola Hospital. The residents are among more than 720 physicians being trained across the state in needed specialties like primary care, surgery, emergency medicine and cardiology through the University of Central Florida – HCA Florida Healthcare Graduate Medical Education (GME) Consortium.
“Our goal for our GME programs is, ultimately, increasing access to expert care for our patients throughout Florida,” said Cheryll Albold, Ph.D., vice president of graduate medical education for HCA Healthcare’s North Florida Division. “HCA Florida Healthcare’s strategic partnership with UCF’s College of Medicine is providing a pipeline that will directly benefit patients by continually training the best and brightest new doctors, many of whom will ultimately build their own practices right here in the Sunshine State.”
At HCA Florida Osceola Hospital, more than 70 new doctors have begun training across multiple specialties, including the first community-based reproductive endocrinology and infertility fellowship in the country.
“HCA Florida Osceola Hospital has a proud tradition of serving the community through excellence in resident medical education,” said Dr. Ross Taylor, chief medical officer at HCA Florida Osceola Hospital and an associate professor of orthopedic surgery at UCF. “This year’s resident class was selected not only for their strong academic performance as medical students, but for the integrity and compassion they will bring to the bedside as well. After training at HCA Florida Osceola Hospital, many of our finest residents remain in the HCA Florida Healthcare community, and continue to provide high quality patent care to our communities most in need. It is because of this that we are honored to be hosting the next generation of physician learners through our academic partnership with UCF.”
Doctors must first complete residencies after graduating from medical school before they can practice medicine. There are 35 residents undergoing training at HCA Florida Lake Monroe Hospital, including about 20 who began programs in July specializing in internal medicine, a new physical medicine and rehabilitation program, and 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.
“I chose HCA Florida Lake Monroe Hospital for my transitional year because I immediately connected to their team during the interview process,” said Flor Alcocer, M.D., an intern in the transitional year program at HCA Florida Lake Monroe Hospital. “It was clear to me that their leadership team is committed to building a solid program, and I knew I wanted to be a part of it.”
“I love interacting with people which is why one of the reasons I chose to become a physician,” said Yousef Hasanzadah, D.O., psychiatry resident at HCA Florida Osceola Hospital. “HCA Florida Osceola Hospital had all the components I was looking for and I could see myself developing long-lasting friendships with the team.”
The UCF-HCA Florida Healthcare GME Consortium is the fastest-growing graduate medical education program in the state, with 44 accredited programs across Florida.
“As the need for physicians grows in Florida, with an estimated physician shortage of 18,000 projected over the next decade, we are helping to meet those needs,” said Dr. Stephen Cico, UCF’s associate dean for graduate medical education and the UCF-HCA Florida Healthcare GME Consortium’s designated institutional officer. “We are focused on medical specialties that are or are going to be in the highest demand.”
With 300+ residency and fellowship programs across the U.S., HCA Healthcare leads the nation in graduate medical education. To learn more about the UCF-HCA Florida Healthcare GME program, please visit this link. To learn more about HCA Florida Healthcare and find your nearest healthcare provider, visit hcafloridahealthcare.com.
About HCA Florida Osceola Hospital
HCA Florida Osceola Hospital is a Joint Commission-accredited 407-bed tertiary hospital and a designated Level II Trauma Center. The hospital is a teaching hospital in collaboration with UCF College of Medicine and offers the highest level of heart and stroke care in Osceola County at the Heart and Vascular Institute and the Certified Comprehensive Stroke Center, respectively.
Other only-in-the-county services include: the highest level of Neonatal Intensive Care (NICU Level III) in affiliation with Nemours Children’s Health, Acute Inpatient Physical Rehabilitation and Inpatient Mental Health and Wellness. HCA Florida Osceola Hospital also provides robotic surgery in General Surgery, Spine, Orthopedic, Gynecology, Urology and Oncology. 24/7 emergency services include Chest Pain Center with Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI), and four free-standing emergency rooms: Hunter’s Creek Emergency, Millenia Emergency, Airport North Emergency and Osceola East Emergency. In addition to the Women and Children’s Services, the hospital offers outpatient services including the Osceola Imaging Center, Wound Healing Center, Kissimmee Physical Therapy Center, Kissimmee Surgery Center, and Mental Health and Wellness Outpatient Center. For more information, please visit HCAFloridaHealthcare.com.
About HCA Florida Lake Monroe Hospital
HCA Florida Lake Monroe Hospital, a 221-bed acute care hospital, Level II Trauma Center and Comprehensive Stroke Center, serves the communities of Seminole, west Volusia and Lake counties. The hospital provides the only full-service comprehensive cardiovascular program in Seminole and west Volusia, including open heart surgery, interventional cardiology, electrophysiology, cardiac rehabilitation and comprehensive diagnostic services. Other specialized services include orthopedic and spine care, robotic surgery, acute inpatient medical rehabilitation and complete imaging services. HCA Florida Lake Monroe Hospital is located 3.6 miles east of I-4 between S.R. 46 and Highway 17-92 in Sanford. The hospital provides 24/7 emergency care at its main location as well as at HCA Florida Heathrow Emergency located at 4525 International Parkway in Sanford, HCA Florida Mount Dora Emergency located at 16831 US-441 in Eustis, and HCA Florida Casselberry Emergency, located at 2560 S US-Hwy 17-92 in Casselberry.
About HCA Florida Healthcare
HCA Florida Healthcare, a part of HCA Healthcare, is a family of more than 650 affiliated sites of care, including hospitals, physician practices, freestanding emergency rooms and urgent care centers. As one of the state’s leading healthcare networks, HCA Florida Healthcare’s 11,100 experienced doctors and more than 84,000 colleagues work together to deliver equitable, evidence-based collaborative care through more than 12 million patient encounters annually. HCA Florida Healthcare is committed to improving more lives in more ways and giving back to the communities it serves. In 2024, the network provided more than $1 billion in uncompensated care and contributed more than $3.7 million to community organizations across the state. In addition, HCA Florida Healthcare offers patients access to highly trained specialists, including the state’s most comprehensive cardiovascular network. A strong advocate for the next generation of healthcare professionals, HCA Florida Healthcare is a leader in training future healthcare professionals, offering 151 Graduate Medical Education (GME) programs at 27 different hospitals with more than 2,400 residents. For more information, please visit HCAFloridaHealthcare.com.
About UCF College of Medicine
The UCF College of Medicine is the academic cornerstone of Orlando’s Medical City at Lake Nona, located just minutes from one of the world’s most visited airports. Founded in 2006 to expand Central Florida’s economic development, UCF’s young, research-based medical school has a growing national reputation for its innovation, partnership and a pioneering spirit. Based on its success, UCF created an Academic Health Sciences Center that now includes a partnership teaching hospital, cancer center and this fall will add the Dr. Phillips Nursing Pavilion next door to the medical school. The UCF College of Medicine also includes the Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, which is training undergraduate, master’s and Ph.D. students to be tomorrow’s scientific leaders. Burnett School faculty also conduct medical research in cancer, infectious, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. The medical school’s clinic, UCF Health Faculty Physician Practice, provides primary and specialty care to the community in two locations – in East Orlando blocks from the main UCF campus and in Lake Nona. For more information visit med.ucf.edu
