Ed Jimenez assumed his new role as chief executive officer for UF Health Shands on April 22, following approval by the UF Health Shands Board of Directors.

“Ed has demonstrated incredible talent and leadership during his five years at UF Health Shands, first as chief operating officer from 2010 to 2014 and during the past year as interim CEO,” said David S. Guzick, M.D., Ph.D., UF senior vice president for health affairs and UF Health president. “We are delighted that he will continue to bring his strong vision, operational skills and insights to this key leadership position.”

As CEO, Jimenez guides the overall direction for UF Health Shands under the oversight of Guzick and in collaboration with the faculty of the UF College of Medicine and the other UF Health Science Center colleges.

“At UF Health Shands, I have the privilege of being on a journey with expert and compassionate physicians, nurses and staff who bring the best possible patient care to the citizens of Florida and beyond,” Jimenez said. “I look forward to working with all of them in the patient care, research and educational arenas to make this the best health care system possible.”

Michael L. Good, M.D., UF College of Medicine dean, extended his support.

“Ed believes in the link between excellence in patient care and cutting-edge research,” Good said. “He has an exceptionally strong grasp of how education, research and patient care fit together to create high-quality experiences for our patients and the best possible outcomes of their care.”

Jimenez has spearheaded improvements in all operating categories, financial performance and employee engagement. He has led construction projects, electronic medical record implementation and national accreditation surveys. He also has played a key role in establishing several successful regional relationships and partnerships with other health systems.

“As chief operations officer, Ed showed tremendous skill in managing the day-to-day operations of the hospital and its staff, and the transition to CEO has shown that his understanding extends to our whole system,” said Irene Alexaitis, D.N.P., R.N., NEA-BC, UF Health Shands Hospital chief nursing officer and Nursing and Patient Care Services vice president.

Before joining UF Health in October 2010, Jimenez served as system vice president for St. Joseph’s Healthcare System, a 900-bed health system in northern New Jersey. He oversaw hospital operations, business development and regional/physician partnerships and was responsible for the 200-member physician group practice. At St. Joseph’s he was also president of seven for-profit, joint venture LLCs.