July 21, 2026 – HCA Florida Lake Monroe Hospital is helping grow the region’s healthcare workforce as 29 new resident physicians begin the next phase of their medical training this month in Sanford. Many of the incoming physicians are relocating to the area, where they will live, work and become part of the community they serve.
“I’m so excited to be doing my residency in the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Residency Program at HCA Florida Lake Monroe Hospital,” said Dr. Peter Gallos, who moved from Blacksburg, Virginia, and is originally from Illinois. “As a kinesiology and health undergrad, and with my master’s research in neuro-adaption and biomaterial development, I had an appreciation for human movement at the gross and cellular level. In addition to wanting superior anatomical and biomechanical training while also remaining procedurally conservative as provider, there was only one field that fit that mold for me, and that was physical medicine and rehabilitation.”
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.
“We are thrilled to welcome this talented group of residents,” HCA Florida Lake Monroe Hospital’s Internal Medicine Residency Program Associate Director Dr. Allison Ferrara. “We look forward to watching them grow into the next generation of internists serving our community.”
Along with the high-demand fields of internal medicine and physical medicine and rehabilitation, some of the hospital’s new residents are in a Transitional Year Residency Program that provides recent medical school graduates with a year of comprehensive clinical skills training before they go on to more specialized training.
“Welcoming our newest class of resident physicians is always an exciting time, and this year is especially meaningful as our internal medicine residency program reaches its full complement of residents for the first time,” said HCA Florida Lake Monroe Hospital Internal Medicine Residency Program Dr. Joshua Shultz. “This milestone reflects the dedication of our faculty, hospital leadership and clinical teams to building a new program that attracts outstanding physicians and prepares them to deliver exceptional, compassionate care.”
“Being part of the Internal Medicine Residency Program at HCA Florida Lake Monroe Hospital is a dream come true,” said Dr. Waqar Haider, who moved from Phoenix, Arizona, and is originally from Karachi, Pakistan. “I have chosen to specialize in internal medicine because of the variety and complexity of patient presentations. I enjoy managing multiple medical conditions at the same time and the critical thinking involved in balancing treatment plans.”
Resident physicians 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.
“It has been incredibly rewarding to be part of the growth of the graduate medical education program at HCA Florida Lake Monroe Hospital,” said HCA Florida Lake Monroe Hospital GME Director Krystal Hernandez. “Having witnessed our evolution from day one, I am immensely proud of how far we have come, and we have an exciting road ahead with dynamic new programs on the horizon. Welcoming this year’s incoming class of residents highlights our commitment to fostering a diverse, collaborative environment across all of our specialties.”
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.
“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, PhD. “By investing in graduate medical education, we’re not only training exceptional physicians, we are also strengthening the future of healthcare across North Florida.”
For more information about healthcare services near you, 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 and Orange counties. The hospital provides the only full-service cardiovascular program in Seminole and west Volusia, including open heart surgery, interventional cardiology, electrophysiology 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, HCA Florida Casselberry Emergency, located at 2560 S US-Hwy 17-92 in Casselberry, HCA Florida West Volusia Emergency, located at 2490 S Woodland Blvd in DeLand, and HCA Florida Wekiva Emergency, located at 2757 W Orange Blossom Trail in Apopka.
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.
