CEO column: Ed Jimenez March 2015

Physicians are healers, colleagues and mentors guiding care.

Every day, patients and families leave UF Health grateful for the care they received. When you hear about someone’s hospital stay, you can expect to hear them talk about their doctor and the nurses and staff with whom they interacted. Patients identify with the person or people they feel had a dramatic influence on their care and their experience. Whether it’s their knowledgeable and attentive physician, their skilled nurses and assistants, the patient transporter or the catering staff member who was a bright spot in their day — they remember.

Ed Jimenez recently visited with Dhruv Singhal, M.D., UF College of Medicine plastic surgeon, and Lisa R.P. Spiguel, M.D., UF College of Medicine oncology surgeon.

If you step back and think about our team approach, and how the care process is set up, there’s a path that is guided by the doctor. People put their trust and faith in their physician, who has the responsibility to ensure patients get the care they need.

 

We have extraordinarily talented doctors not only because of their great technical abilities, but also because they lead and enable the entire team to do their very best for each patient.

Our UF College of Medicine physicians are not just clinically superior; they are real people who have real feelings who have committed their careers to serving patients and also their colleagues, their teams and UF Health. They are not only care providers, they are also teachers and mentors. They are scientists. They often become administrators and finance experts. To our patients, they are powerful healers, a shoulder to cry on and motivators, giving hope and comfort.

The multiple roles we have in the health care environment speak to what a special place this is. If we allow it, UF Health can bring out in each person what we are good at and passionate about as we serve others.

When I think about our medical staff, I am also impressed at how they are training the next generation of doctors. They were once physicians-in-training themselves. At any given time, there are hundreds of medical students and residents among us learning from the best UF faculty. They will be at the top of their game because they are being educated by the best role models. As our doctors lead by example, these young physicians will develop knowledge, people skills, empathy and emotional connections as they emulate the talents and behaviors of our faculty.

All of us depend on our physician partners. Please take time this month in honor of Doctors’ Day and share your appreciation for the physicians across UF Health who inspire and guide us.

Sincerely,
Ed Jimenez
Interim CEO
UF Health Shands