At UF Health, we are committed to using problem-solving strategies to improve lives. As an integral part of the University of Florida, UF Health physicians and faculty are using more than $408 million in grant funding to advance new discoveries to impact health care locally, nationally and around the world. UF Health clinicians provide care to patients from all 67 counties in Florida and from numerous states and other countries.
University of Florida Health
Expanding the Focus on Patient Care
The UF Health network of hospitals serves patients from all 67 Florida counties, from around the nation, and from more than a dozen countries. And the family, as well as the quality of care, just keeps growing.
UF Health opened the UF Health Heart & Vascular and Neuromedicine hospitals in Gainesville in 2017 and cut the ribbon on UF Health North Hospital in Jacksonville. The expansion continued in 2018 as UF Health opened a second medical building at its Springhill site to better serve the Northwest Gainesville area while unveiling plans for a unique project: opening a new outpatient facility in vacated retail space at The Oaks Mall, the area’s largest shopping destination.
UF Health has two major teaching hospitals, UF Health Shands Hospital in Gainesville and UF Health Jacksonville, each with a state-designated Level 1 trauma center and an emergency air and ground transport program serving neonatal, pediatric, and adult patients.
UF Health Shands Hospital includes UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital and UF Health Shands Cancer Hospital. The system also includes two specialty hospitals in Gainesville: UF Health Shands Rehab Hospital and UF Health Shands Psychiatric Hospital. Along with UF Health Jacksonville, our sister hospital near downtown Jacksonville, UF Health has a network of outpatient rehabilitation centers, two home health agencies, and more than 100 physician practice locations throughout North Central and Northeast Florida. UF Health Shands owns a minority interest in four community hospitals in Lake City, Live Oak, and Starke.
In addition, a statewide presence exists through satellite medical, dental, and nursing practices staffed by UF Health professionals and affiliations with community-based health care facilities stretching from Hialeah and Miami to Orlando and the Florida Panhandle. UF Health also is home to UF Veterinary Hospitals, which include a small animal hospital and a large animal hospital.
Innovative New Research
UF Health is a world leader in interdisciplinary research. With eight major research centers and institutes, UF Health is focused on health issues of importance to Floridians. Clinical research is growing rapidly at our vibrant regional campus in Jacksonville. The institutes are designed to create collaborative opportunities that follow the continuum from fundamental research to clinical studies and trials to patient care.
Dedicated to Education
From the time of the health center’s founding in 1956, we have operated as a single academic enterprise dedicated to training a variety of professionals and to introducing knowledge that will safeguard the health of Florida’s citizens. UF Health encompasses the Gainesville-based colleges of Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Public Health and Health Professions, and Veterinary Medicine; the UF Health Shands family of hospitals; UF Health Jacksonville, including an academic campus that offers graduate education programs in medicine, nursing and pharmacy; and UF Health North. The colleges teach the full continuum of higher education, from undergraduates to professional students to advanced postdoctoral students. Together with clinical programs and services across all six colleges, UF Health is helping to create Florida’s future health care workforce.
Committed to Improving Community Health
UF Health hosts an array of community seminars, screening opportunities and health fairs to improve the health of the communities we serve. If you would like to be added to the mailing list to learn more about these opportunities, please visit UFHealth.org/events or call 352-733-0000.
A Note from the President
Each day, more than 22,000 employees of the University of Florida, UF Health Shands, and UF Health Jacksonville faculty and staff set out to make life better for people in Florida, the Southeast, and beyond. Their shared vision and commitment to excellence informs everything they do, from advancing medical research to easing the suffering of all of our patients, including our loved ones who have more than two legs.
As part of the University of Florida, we have an exceptional set of resources in health care services and the sciences, and an extraordinarily talented faculty and staff committed to the goal of making UF Health truly great across our missions of patient care, teaching, research and community service.
UF Health is an academic health center, unique nationally in the breadth of health-related colleges, centers, and institutes present on our Gainesville campus, coupled with the strength of the UF Health Shands hospital system. UF Health Shands Hospital and UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital are consistently ranked among the very best in the United States and are recognized nationally in a total of 12 specialties.
UF Health Jacksonville continues to grow to serve the expanding population centers in Northeast Florida, including the new town of Wildlight in Nassau County, where UF Health is helping to create a dynamic community focused on healthy living for the entire family. Our research arm extends to Orlando and other sites around the state.
In the following pages, you will get glimpses of the many ways in which the people of UF Health influence the lives of their neighbors around the corner and across the state. But this special section only touches on the countless ways we seek to serve.
At UF Health, we extend to you a helping hand, for whatever reason you turn to us. We look forward to getting to know you.
David R. Nelson, M.D.
Interim senior vice president for health affairs, UF
President, UF Health
Primary Care, Specialty Care, and After-Hours Options
From sore throats to serious illnesses, UF Health is here to care for your family every step of the way. With primary care locations across Gainesville and the surrounding areas and more than1,300 providers in more than 100 specialties, UF Health offers a continuum of care for you and your loved ones. Visit UFHealth.org/locations to learn more or to make an appointment.
Emergency Care
UF Health has four emergency centers at locations around Gainesville:
UF Health Shands ER, 1515 SW Archer Road, 352-733-0111
UF Health Shands Pediatrics ER, 1600 SW Archer Road, 352-265-5437
UF Health Shands Emergency Center – Springhill, 8475 NW 39th Ave., 352-627-0400
UF Health Emergency Center – Kanapaha, 7405 SW Archer Road, 352-627-0500
Primary Care After Hours
UF Health offers after-hours adult primary care appointments for patients of UF Health Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, and Senior Care practices. Open Monday through Friday, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. For an appointment, call 352-265-1234. After 5 p.m., call 352-273-8613.
Pediatrics After Hours
UF Health Pediatrics After Hours offers evening and weekend appointments for children with urgent needs. Open Monday through Friday, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.; Saturday, noon to 9 p.m. and Sunday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. For an appointment, call 352-265-0724.
ORTHOcare
UF Health ORTHOcare’s physicians treat sprains, strains, minor breaks, and X-rays. Walk-ins and call-ins welcome, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; or Sunday, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. For an appointment, call 352-265-BONE.
Health Colleges Offer Care
The six health colleges at the University of Florida assist in the continuum of care for area residents.
Dental Care: UF Health’s dental centers perform general and specialty dental care for adults and children in one location. Call 352-273-7954 or visit ufhealth.org/dental-care.
Community Health Care in Archer: UF Health Archer Family Health Care offers high-quality adult, pediatric, psychiatric, and women’s health. Care is provided by expert UF College of Nursing nurse practitioners and offers adult, pediatric, psychiatric, and women’s prenatal health care. Call 352-495-2550 or visit afhc.nursing.ufl.edu.
Psychology Services: UF Health Psychology offers care for those with chronic pain or illness, stress, anxiety, depression and general mental health issues. The practice also offers neuropsychological assessments and, for children, gifted assessments and treatment for learning disabilities and behavioral problems. Call 352-265-0294 or visit chp.phhp.ufl.edu/2017/05/05/psychology-and-diabetes-management
Pharmacy: Clinical pharmacists in the UF College of Pharmacy work with health care professionals to ensure optimal drug therapy and consult directly with patients to help them better understand their medications and address any questions or concerns. Visit pharmacy.ufl.edu.
Veterinary Medicine: The UF Health Small Animal Hospital and Large Animal Hospital offer a wide range of veterinary specialty services. For more information, visit hospitals.vetmed.ufl.edu. For appointments, call 352-392-2235 (small animals) or 352-392-2229 (large animals).
Among the Elite
UF Health Shands Hospital, UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital remain nationally ranked
By Bill Levesque
University of Florida Health Shands Hospital and the UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital once again have been ranked among the nation’s best hospitals in six medical specialties each in the U.S. News & World Report surveys of Best Hospitals and Best Children’s Hospitals for 2018-19.
UF Health Shands ranked No. 2 overall among Florida hospitals and ranked highest in Florida in pulmonology and in neurology and neurosurgery. No other Florida hospital has more than six specialties ranked in the nation’s top 50.
And for the fourth year in a row, UF Health Shands ranked in more adult and pediatric specialties than any other hospital in the state — a total of 12, factoring in the pediatric rankings released in June.
UF Health Shands’ highest-ranked specialty nationally is pulmonology at 22nd. Also ranked are nephrology (27th), geriatrics (32nd), neurology and neurosurgery (32nd), diabetes and endocrinology (39th), and gastroenterology and GI surgery (46th).
Four additional specialties are rated as “high performing,” meaning they ranked in the top 10 percent of the hospitals surveyed by U.S. News. Those are cancer, cardiology and heart surgery, orthopaedics, and urology.
Pulmonology jumped 12 spots in the rankings, up from last year’s 34th. The division has a highly regarded lung transplant program and was recently designated as a member of the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation’s Care Center Network. Medical centers in the network — the division is one of 60 nationwide — have the highest level of expertise and resources for the treatment of interstitial lung disease.
U.S. News also evaluated treatment involving “common procedures and conditions” at UF Health and rated five as “high performing.” Those are abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, colon cancer surgery, knee replacement, heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD.
“We take great pride in our teams and the unwavering skill and commitment they bring to patient care, and these rankings are a reflection of their dedication,” said David R. Nelson, M.D., interim senior vice president for health affairs at UF and president of UF Health.
In rankings released earlier, the UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital remained among the nation’s elite in the same six specialties as it did a year ago. But UF Health’s pediatric cardiology and heart surgery program moved up two places from last year to 19th nationwide. Additional rankings included pulmonology, which moved up 11 spots from last year to 22nd, a historically high ranking. The other ranked specialties were diabetes and endocrinology (27th), neonatology (39th), cancer (49th) and neurology and neurosurgery (50th).
The children’s hospital’s pediatric cardiology and heart surgery program was the highest-rated in Florida for the third consecutive year. Also ranked highest in Florida were pulmonology, and diabetes, and endocrinology.
“The rankings confirm that UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital continues to be viewed as one of the top children’s hospitals in the country,” said Scott Rivkees, M.D., chair of the UF College of Medicine’s department of pediatrics and physician-in-chief of the UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital.
The “Best Hospitals” rankings are based largely on objective measures such as risk-adjusted survival and readmission rates, patient volume, patient experience and safety, and quality of nursing, among several metrics, according to U.S. News.
“The physicians, nurses, and staff of a great hospital system recognize that the respect of patients is something that can never be taken for granted and must be continually renewed,” said Ed Jimenez, CEO of UF Health Shands Hospital. “We’re honored that U.S. News has again recognized our efforts. But we know the job of providing great health care begins anew tomorrow, one patient at a time.”
Best Hospital Rankings
UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital
In the U.S. News & World Report’s 2018-19 Best Hospital rankings, UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital was among the nation’s best pediatric hospitals in six medical specialties:
# pediatric cardiology and heart surgery (19)
# pulmonology (22)
# diabetes and endocrinology (27)
# neonatology (39)
# cancer (49)
# neurology and neurosurgery (50)
Best Hospital Rankings
UF Health Shands Hospital
In U.S. News & World Report’s 2018-19 Best Hospital rankings, UF Health Shands Hospital rated the No. 2 hospital overall in Florida and among the nation’s best in six specialties:
# pulmonology (22)
# nephrology (27)
# geriatrics (32)
# neurology and neurosurgery (32)
# diabetes and endocrinology (39)
# gastroenterology and GI surgery (46)
Four additional specialties are rated as “high performing,” meaning they ranked in the top 10 percent of the hospitals surveyed by U.S. News. Those are cancer, cardiology and heart surgery, orthopedics and urology.
U.S. News also evaluated treatment involving “common procedures and conditions” at UF Health and rated five as “high performing.” Those are abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, colon cancer surgery, knee replacement, heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD.
By the numbers
Our Academic Health Center
6
health colleges
9 + 2
nine hospitals and two veterinary hospitals
8
research centers and institutes
2,297
Faculty
7,010
students
$141 million
Total NIH awards to UF Health, the university’s academic health center
$408 million
Research awards
$25 million
Royalties/licensing (85 percent of UF’s total)
90,067
Overall inpatient admissions (excluding newborns)
1.34 million
Physician outpatient visits
148,500
Dental visits
78,797
Animal visits
$3,026,420.19
Amount raised by Dance Marathon at the University of Florida in support of Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals at the UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital
My UFHealth
An Easier Way to Manage Your Health
Your health is important to you 24 hours a day, not just during office hours. That’s why UF Health has invested in an electronic medical record, MyUFHealth. MyUFHealth allows you access to portions of your medical record to encourage you to take an even greater role in your health care.
MyUFHealth is safe and convenient, saves time, and gives you the privacy you deserve. You will need a personal email address and an activation code to enroll in MyUFHealth. Ask your health care provider for an activation code and sign-up instructions. Learn more at My.UFHealth.org.
With My UFHealth, you can:
Schedule appointments with your primary care and specialty care providers
View your health summary from the MyUFHealth electronic health record
View released test results keep shared family health records
Request prescription refills
Communicate electronically and securely with your health care team
Medical milestone
UF Health Shands, 60 years of moving medicine forward
By Michelle Moore
Sixty years ago, the UF Teaching Hospital opened as the first hospital in Florida affiliated with a medical school, the University of Florida’s new College of Medicine. Pausing to celebrate this significant milestone and the birth of what is now UF Health, the Gainesville community can look back on the hospital system’s history and its profound impact on health care, not only in Florida but across the nation and around the world.
Since first opening its doors on Oct. 20, 1958, UF College of Medicine faculty physicians and UF Health Shands nurses and staff have treated more than 2.75 million patients. They have opened new hospitals, primary care, and specialty medical practices and branched out with affiliations and partnerships to expand their reach, providing highly specialized and complex care to many communities throughout the state.
There have been many changes since 9-year-old Nancy Sue Smith of Williston was admitted as the hospital’s first patient, but one thing has been consistent: the mission to provide the highest level of clinical care and the best possible patient experience with every patient served.
Over the years, UF Health Shands has been at the forefront of many clinical innovations, dating back to 1959, when UF College of Medicine surgeons performed the state’s first open-heart surgery. There have been numerous other firsts over the last six decades, including Florida’s first kidney transplant and first pediatric heart transplant. UF physicians also implanted the nation’s first computerized 20-year rechargeable pacemaker, to name a few milestones.
UF Health Shands has been ranked among the top 50 in the U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Hospitals” and “Best Children’s Hospitals” lists for numerous years, and the nursing services recently earned a fourth consecutive national Magnet designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center, the nation’s top honor for quality nursing care and practice.
While anniversaries are a time to reflect on accomplishments, the goal of the hospital’s 60th celebration is to recognize all the ways that UF Health Shands has always been focused on the future. Imagine what will be accomplished in the next 60 years.
Here are just some of UF Health Shands Hospital’s clinical “firsts.’’
In 1959, UF surgeons performed Florida’s first open-heart surgery.
In 1966, UF surgeons performed Florida’s first adult and pediatric kidney transplants.
In 1970, UF surgeons performed Florida’s first total hip replacement.
In 1974, UF surgeons were first in Florida to implant a 20-year rechargeable pacemaker.
In 1981, UF surgeons performed the Southeast’s first bone marrow transplant.
In 1985, UF surgeons performed the first heart transplant at Shands.
In 1985, UF surgeons performed Florida’s first cochlear implantation for hearing restoration.
In 1986, UF surgeons performed Florida’s first pediatric heart transplant.
In 1994, UF surgeons performed Florida’s first lung transplant.
In 2000, UF surgeons performed North Florida’s first live-donor liver transplant.
In 2003, UF surgeons performed Florida’s first double-corneal transplant.
In 2006, UF surgeons performed Florida’s first mechanical Berlin Heart ventricular assist device in a pediatric patient awaiting transplantation.
In 2015, UF Health neurosurgeon and UF Health neurologist turned on first deep brain “stimulus on demand” anywhere in the world for patient with Tourette syndrome.
UF Health Bringing Care Closer to the Community it Serves
UF Health will be riding the crest of a national trend of bringing leading-edge health care services closer to the community when it opens three specialty practices this year at The Oaks Mall, Gainesville’s most-popular shopping destination.
And in another effort to improve health care services for those living in Northwest Gainesville, UF Health leaders in 2018 opened a $36 million, 72,000-square-foot facility at its Springhill medical center off Northwest 39th Avenue. The new building consolidated numerous practices that had been around the city into one location to better serve an estimated 70,000 patients each year.
The move to the mall, which will be known as UF Health The Oaks, will feature ophthalmology, otolaryngology (ear, nose, and throat), and audiology services provided by UF faculty in the 139,000-square-foot former Sears space at 6201 W. Newberry Road. The facility will also have an outpatient surgical center to support ophthalmology and otolaryngology procedures.
The mall is particularly attractive and exciting for several reasons, said Ed Jimenez, CEO of UF Health Shands: UF Health has many patients throughout the region, so finding an accessible location close to Interstate 75 was a priority. The otolaryngology and ophthalmology programs needed clinical space befitting of their national prominence. Also, the site can be renovated and opened in a relatively short time.
“Everything we have done lately has been focused on bringing services closer to our patients,” Jimenez said. “Now, we are moving two practices with a strong national reputation into a location that is ideal for patients and their families.”
UF Health’s ophthalmology and otolaryngology services are relocating from the nearby UF Health Hampton Oaks and another site. Remodeling is expected to take about a year. The long-term lease agreement also includes 500 parking spaces adjacent to the facility.
Placing medical facilities in the mall will provide an exceptional experience that is unique in the Gainesville area, UF Health officials said. It has ample parking and easy accessibility for both local and out-of-town residents. Dining and shopping opportunities abound, giving relatives and caregivers many things to do while they wait for patients undergoing treatment.
Physicians in UF Health’s ophthalmology practice have been recognized for expertise in all areas of their specialty, including hearing, balance, nasal, sinus, allergy, and facial disorders in both adults and children. The new practice will bring under one roof all practitioners for the cochlear implant program, which uses a “bionic ear” to restore hearing. Its radiology and lab services will provide a “one-stop” destination for ear, nose, and throat care delivery. Also, UF Health otolaryngologists are working with the university’s research-focused
Center for Smell and Taste on the UF Health Smell Disorders Program. This rare, new model pairs clinical care for smell disorders with the benefits of extensive research to better understand and develop treatments for these often vexing conditions. UF Health has the only ophthalmology practice in the region that covers every subspecialty, including corneal transplants, pediatric ophthalmology, specialty contact lenses, refractive surgery and low-vision services. It also has state-of-the-art surgical and diagnostic equipment. Additionally, it is the only practice in the region to perform novel procedures such as “bionic eye” retinal implants, artificial corneas, and miniature telescopes to improve vision loss caused by macular degeneration. UF ophthalmology has a world-renowned Vision Research Center, where the recently approved Luxturna gene therapy for childhood blindness was developed.
The debut of UF Health The Oaks will also bring changes to other UF Health facilities. The eye practices at the UF Health Medical Plaza on Southwest Archer Road and at Hampton Oaks on Southwest 62nd Boulevard will be consolidated at the new Oaks Mall location, freeing up Medical Plaza space for other services.
The move also allows the practices to expand and grow, raising the prospects for future job growth, UF Health officials said. Nearly 70 employees in the UF Health ophthalmology and ear, nose, and throat practices will move to the new location.
Meanwhile, the new building at Springhill offers UF Health Physicians practices and services including the primary care services of internal medicine and family medicine, as well as the specialties of allergy, child psychiatry, integrative medicine, psychology, and pain management. An outpatient pharmacy and a clinical laboratory service both Springhill facilities. A new two-story parking garage is located adjacent to the new three-story building.
The new facility complements services provided in the first Springhill building that opened in 2012. Its practices include adult psychiatry, cardiology, dermatology, general surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, plastic surgery, reproductive medicine, surgical oncology and women’s diagnostic imaging.
“We’re excited to expand clinical services at UF Health Springhill with primary care and specialty practices in a convenient location that’s easily accessible to our patients,” said David R. Nelson, M.D., interim senior vice president for health affairs at UF and president of UF Health.
“The opening of this new facility reinforces our continued commitment to serving the needs of our community,” said Joseph Tyndall, M.D., M.P.H., interim dean of the UF College of Medicine. “We remain dedicated to bringing high-quality care to the citizens of Gainesville and its surrounding areas. This new space also offers our patients the convenience of a medical lab, pharmacy, and ample parking.”
“Our goal is for the community to see our physicians for high-quality care in pleasant surroundings that are easy to access. We think you will agree that this exciting new addition to the Springhill campus meets that goal,” said Marvin Dewar, M.D., J.D., CEO, and chief medical officer of UF Health Physicians and a senior associate dean of the UF College of Medicine.
Like the first Springhill facility, the building was designed and constructed according to stringent sustainability standards to lessen its environmental footprint. Expansive windows enable natural light to stream into the building as automated blinds offer shade from the sun. Low-water landscaping adds to the welcoming atmosphere for patients.
Training Tomorrow’s Health Care Providers
From the time of the academic health center’s founding in 1956, we have operated as a single academic enterprise dedicated to training a variety of professionals and to introducing knowledge that will safeguard the health of Florida’s citizens.
This model has helped the University of Florida achieve the ranking as one of the Top 10 public universities in the United States, according to U.S. News & World Report.
College of Dentistry
The UF College of Dentistry is the only state-supported dental school in Florida and is one of the country’s top dental education programs and school’s research enterprise now ranks fifth nationally among all U.S. dental schools in NIH funding. About 90 new dentists and 56 dental specialists graduate each year, with the vast majority choosing to stay in Florida and serve the oral health needs of Florida’s citizens. The college’s educational programs have a reputation of excellence within the profession nationally and internationally, resulting in a very competitive admissions process. Each year the college receives a high number of applications from exceptionally qualified applicants — generally about 2,500 applications for approximately 140 available positions. Another unique strength is that training for all American Dental Association-recognized dental specialties is available through the School of Advanced Dental Sciences. The college offers advanced education programs in endodontics, general dentistry, oral and maxillofacial pathology, oral and maxillofacial radiology, oral and maxillofacial surgery, orthodontics, pediatric dentistry, periodontics, prosthodontics, and dental public health.
College of Medicine
The UF College of Medicine is the largest college within UF Health, the university’s academic health center. In 2018, the UF College of Medicine ranked No. 41 among the 150 medical schools nationwide by U.S. News & World Report and No. 17 among public medical schools. UF continues to be the highest-ranked medical school in Florida. The college comprises 28 research-oriented and clinical science departments and the School of Physician Assistant Studies. In addition to medical training, the college offers a highly regarded graduate training program in the biomedical sciences leading to master’s and doctorate degrees as well as a combined M.D./Ph.D. training program.
In 2012, the college revamped its curriculum to provide students more exposure to clinical training early in their medical education and to place more emphasis on small group and collaborative learning. The George T. Harrell, M.D., Medical Education Building, designed to serve the college’s modern, patient-centered curriculum, further helps students learn, care, and lead. The building opened in 2015 and serves as a home for medical education at UF, accommodating advanced simulation training and meeting the educational needs of the next generation of UF physicians and physician assistants.
College of Medicine – Jacksonville
The UF College of Medicine – Jacksonville has 440 faculty, 420 of whom are physicians, among 17 clinical departments. The college offers 37 ACGME- or CODA-accredited residency and fellowship programs, as well as 11 clinical fellowships. More than 380 resident physicians and fellows train on the UF Health – Jacksonville campus and in affiliated outpatient practices, making it the fifth-largest GME program in Florida. For 2018, 40 percent of graduating residents remained in Jacksonville, and 58 percent remained in Florida. Doximity ranks the college’s residency programs in emergency medicine and neurosurgery as among the most reputable programs in the South. The college offers clerkships for third- and fourth-year medical students, as well as physician assistant students, primarily from the university’s main campus.
College of Public Health and Health Professions
The College of Public Health and Health Professions is one of more than 60 colleges and schools in the U.S. that have achieved accreditation as a school of public health from the Council on Education for Public Health. Across its eight departments — biostatistics; clinical and health psychology; environmental and global health; epidemiology; health services research, management, and policy; occupational therapy; physical therapy; and speech, language, and hearing sciences — the college offers two bachelor’s, seven master’s, eight Ph.D. and three professional programs to more than 2,500 students. Working collaboratively in its teaching, research, and service endeavors, the college is making a meaningful difference in the lives of many by preserving, protecting, and improving the health and well-being of populations, communities, and individuals, locally, nationally, and globally.
College of Nursing
The UF College of Nursing is the premier educational institution for nursing in the state of Florida and one of the top leaders nationally. The college continually attracts and retains the highest caliber of nursing students and faculty with a passion for science and caring. The college has strong and innovative educational programs preparing students to receive their B.S.N., D.N.P., and Ph.D. degrees. The B.S.N. program has three tracks: the traditional B.S.N., the Accelerated B.S.N. for students who have degrees in other fields, and the R.N. to B.S.N. program, which is fully online. Our B.S.N. students are among the top in the state — incoming GPA typically averages 3.5 — and more than 70 percent pursue graduate education within three years of earning their degree. Our Doctor of Nursing Practice, or D.N.P., program prepares advanced practice nurses in five clinical specialties. The D.N.P. program was ranked among the top 25 public programs nationally by U.S. News & World Report and was top-ranked in the state. The Ph.D. program prepares nursing scholars and future faculty members.
College of Pharmacy
Ranked by U.S. News & World Report as the No. 1 pharmacy college in Florida and in the top 10 nationally, the University of Florida College of Pharmacy has been developing future leaders in pharmacy practice and science for nearly a century. At campuses in Gainesville, Jacksonville, and Orlando, award-winning faculty aim to improve the health of Floridians and people across the world through pharmacy education, high-impact research, and clinical innovation. As one of the top 10 federally funded pharmacy colleges nationally, the UF College of Pharmacy features preeminent researchers who are leading major medical breakthroughs in areas such as drug discovery and development, drug safety, and precision medicine.
College of Veterinary Medicine
As the state’s only veterinary college, the UF College of Veterinary Medicine is a leader in research, including initiatives in infectious diseases and immunology and broad efforts in neuroscience and environmental toxicology. Among the college’s key programs are shelter medicine, aquatic animal health, infectious disease, and “One Health” research aimed at enhancing animal, human, and ecosystem health. The UF Veterinary Hospitals serve as a major referral center, treating nearly 80,000 small and large animals last year, including through the UF Pet Emergency Treatment Services clinic in Ocala. Outreach to animal owners as well as to a variety of animal-related industries focused on species ranging from aquatic to equine to bovine and other species is provided through Veterinary Extension, which is associated with UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.
Research Centers and Institutes
UF Health Cancer Center
The UF Health Cancer Center stands alone in the state of Florida in its unique ability to blend comprehensive patient care and innovative research in a collaborative, multidisciplinary environment. It boasts a membership of more than 230 researchers and clinicians from across the University of Florida, a top 10 public university, and UF Health, the Southeast’s most comprehensive academic health center. The UF Health Cancer Center’s clinical enterprise uses a comprehensive care model, with multidisciplinary cancer programs offering advanced treatment options, such as minimally invasive and robotic surgery, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy — as well as access to clinical trials with limited availability elsewhere. The UF Health Cancer Center is a state-designated Center of Excellence, along with its partners — the UF Health Proton Therapy Institute in Jacksonville and the Orlando Health UF Health Cancer Center.
Clinical and Translational Science Institute
The UF Clinical and Translational Science Institute speeds the movement of scientific discoveries into improved health in our communities and beyond. Translational research means moving the discoveries that scientists make in the laboratory to the bedside in the form of new drugs, devices, and treatment options and ensuring that effective new approaches reach people who need them. The CTSI provides opportunities for people to participate in health research conducted at the university through clinical research studies, programs such as HealthStreet, and initiatives such as the Citizen Scientist program. Researchers need volunteers to participate in studies, some of which end early because of a shortage of participants. The institute helps connect people with research opportunities in Gainesville and beyond. Anyone wishing to become involved in such research can visit ctsi.ufl.edu/community or ufhealth.org/research-studies-clinical-trials.
Diabetes Institute
The University of Florida Diabetes Institute was founded in 2015 with a commitment to advance patient care and ultimately find a cure through pioneering research, innovative treatment, and education. The Diabetes Institute serves as the umbrella organization under which research, treatment, education, and outreach are coordinated at UF and UF Health, the university academic health center. Researchers and physicians affiliated with the Diabetes Institute are working to prevent, diagnose, and treat diabetes in a wide array of areas, including immunology, genetics, endocrinology, metabolism, pediatrics, and social sciences. At the UF Diabetes Institute, researchers are asking questions to advance knowledge and understanding of diabetes through collaboration. Widely considered to be among the top five in the nation, UF’s Type 1 diabetes research program has proved that passion for discovery and clinical innovation leads to new research paradigms and improved patient care. UF is internationally recognized for its efforts in diabetes care and research and houses a model for statewide diabetes education through collaboration with UF/IFAS Extension in all 67 Florida counties.
Emerging Pathogens Institute
Florida’s unique geography and climate require novel disease prevention and control strategies. Florida’s residents and industries, especially agriculture and tourism, are threatened by new diseases, such as Zika virus, dengue fever, H1N1 swine flu, and citrus greening. The Emerging Pathogens Institute was created in 2006 to provide a world-class research environment to facilitate interdisciplinary studies of the emergence and control of human, animal, and plant pathogens of concern to Florida, the nation, and the world. EPI’s goals are to understand the genetic changes (and evolutionary drivers) that lead to the emergence of new pathogens; to appreciate the complex interaction of environmental and host factors that permit these pathogens to spread within the plant, animal, and human populations; to train the next generation of investigators in emerging diseases, within a unique, interdisciplinary setting; and to disseminate information about emerging pathogens, and their control, to the people of Florida.
The Evelyn F. and William L. McKnight Brain Institute
The Evelyn F. and William L. McKnight Brain Institute of the University of Florida is one of the nation’s most comprehensive and diverse neuroscience research centers. More than 200 faculty members across 16 UF colleges and 50 academic departments are devoted to discovering how the normal brain operates and how we can repair the brain amid injury, disease, and aging. Collectively, the MBI’s investigators hope their research and educational efforts will advance brain aging research and make a difference for those suffering from neurodegenerative diseases, brain tumors, neurovascular disorders, neuromuscular disease, and addictive and psychiatric disorders. Led by executive director Todd Golde, M.D., Ph.D., the MBI’s investigators strive to help change the understanding of many neurological disorders from untreatable to treatable, incurable to curable and inevitable to preventable.
Genetics Institute
The UF Genetics Institute is a biomedical research center that promotes collaborative and multidisciplinary research using the tools of genetics and genomics. Formed in 1999, the UF Genetics Institute involves more than 240 faculty members representing seven colleges and 50 academic departments. Their research includes fields such as human genetics, bioinformatics, agricultural and plant biology, and evolutionary biology. They also study relevant and pressing issues such as the impact of climate change, health-related genetic mutations, and feeding an expanding global population.
Institute on Aging
The UF Institute on Aging, formed in 2005, builds relationships between researchers who study aging in different fields. In addition to providing primary care on the UF campus and at UF Health Springhill as well as care at the retirement community Oak Hammock at the University of Florida, the Institute on Aging is also changing the way older adults receive care at UF Health Shands Hospital. Geriatricians are embedded in the hospital’s trauma unit and the general hospital unit. They meet with older patients to help design health care around their unique needs and the diverse medical conditions they may have. The institute also focuses on the prevention of injury and illness in older adults. Other recent research endeavors include studying methods to help these patients better manage pain, preserve cognitive abilities, and maintain mobility. Maintaining mobility and independence helps older adults prevent memory and cognition from declining.
Institute for Child Health Policy
The Institute for Child Health Policy (ICHP) at the University of Florida promotes the health of children, adolescents, and their families through research conducted by collaborative teams of multidisciplinary scientists and clinicians. To enhance the potential impact of research on the health of children, ICHP faculty engage stakeholders, including families, policymakers, payers, and others in all phases of research, from topic identification to information dissemination. ICHP researchers leverage big data and conduct rigorous, innovative studies to identify the biological, behavioral, environmental, and social underpinnings of children’s health and disease. This data-driven research plays a key role in the development of interventions that improve both individual and population health for children and their families.
UF Research and Academic Center at Lake Nona
The University of Florida expanded its footprint in Orlando on Nov. 30, 2012, when it opened the UF Research and Academic Center at Lake Nona. The $53 million, 110,000-square-foot LEED-certified facility is home to hundreds of faculty, staff, and students working in several institutes, centers, and colleges branches. They include the UF College of Pharmacy’s Doctorate in Pharmacy Program; the Center for Pharmacometrics and Systems Pharmacology; the Center for Quality Medication Management; the Florida Minority Cancer Research and Training Center and the UF College of Medicine Institute for Therapeutic Innovation.