As Central Florida faces a physician shortage, some hospitals are recruiting physicians directly from Puerto Rico "because Puerto Rican doctors know Spanish" and "they are a good cultural fit for Metro Orlando," which has a large Hispanic population, the Orlando Sentinel reports. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey, an estimated 455,592 Hispanics live in the area. Jorge Lopez -- president of Florida Emergency Physicians, who recruits physicians for the Florida Hospital System -- has traveled many times to Puerto Rico to recruit physicians. He said, "What we try to do is identify those who have already decided to leave. And when we go, we're lucky if we can recruit one or two because there are so many other hospitals competing for them." He added, "They are very competent doctors with fantastic hands-on experience. They are American citizens and bilingual.

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