We want patients from all parts of Florida and the Southeast to choose to come here, and for referring physicians to send patients to us, for care by our world-class doctors, nurses and clinical teams. With this aspiration comes great responsibility to provide outstanding care and superior service, while relentlessly staying focused on continuous improvement. Every day, patients from across the state seek our help. For example, when patients from the Panhandle choose UF Health Shands for neuro care, Dr. Bill Friedman’s faculty, Richard Reed’s nurses and Lisa Dowd’s rehab hospital staff deliver the best care in Florida! And this is not isolated. Across all College of Medicine departments and hospital units, we can point to how the power of collaboration yields wonderful results and makes us a trusted regional resource.

Ed Jimenez recently visited with Kie Scott, UF Health Shands Security guest services specialist, and Jerald Davis, UF Health Shands Security officer, at the information desk in the UF Health Shands Rehab Hospital/UF Health Shands Psychiatric Hospital lobby.

We recently launched The Power of Together, the new strategic plan for UF Health. Its broad goals will influence the decisions for how we invest our energy and resources.

Quality remains Job 1. At UF Health Shands, we have clearly defined quality measures, such as reducing hospital-acquired infections. We have best practices and tactics for how to achieve the best outcomes. We want our teams to help us make positive changes and improve results. While health care is complex, we can’t fear failure. We need to engage, energize and stay committed on the journey. Let’s celebrate even small successes along the way to help us stay focused.

We work in a learning environment, where on any given day we work with about 1,000 medical, nursing, pharmacy, occupational and physical therapy, and other students. We train the next generation to become our colleagues or work in other places and make us proud. Their inexperience allows us to share what we know, join them in questioning how things work and see things fresh. And here in Gainesville, UF Health researchers are advancing science and we’re applying it to the bedside faster than ever.

Our colleagues are actively engaged in the community, providing care in diverse locations, representing UF Health at health events and screenings, and serving as experts to improve health. We encourage local students to pursue health careers. And we’re committed to our social mission, providing charity care for those most in need. We also provide community-based organizations with funding and sponsorships to ensure area residents can access basic resources to improve health and life quality.

So the call to action, when you read The Power of Together, is to recognize how your department contributes to our goals. Wherever you work, ask yourself, “How can I make this the best team possible?” Discover what inspires you and lights you up. It’s up to each of us to make a strategic plan become meaningful. Reconnect with our purpose at UF Health Shands and with your own purpose as part of the UF Health family. That’s the Power of Together!

Sincerely,
Ed Jimenez
Interim CEO
UF Health Shands