We caught up with CEO Ed Jimenez and asked him several questions for this edition of News+Notes. See how to submit your question at the bottom of the page!

Why are we so focused on our employees’ health and wellness?

In the UF Health family, we rely on and trust each other. We develop relationships with one another and want to prevent health issues from arising for those we care about. When a co-worker becomes ill, it takes an emotional toll on his or her colleagues. From a work perspective, one person being sick can also cause strain and have a domino effect on other people’s health. There are so many reasons to care about each other’s wellness, but it starts with the human element. Each year we host the Annual Wellness Event so employees can keep tabs on their health, earn incentives and learn about our wellness resources. Personally, I use the UF Health Fitness and Wellness Center and participate in some of the wellness challenges that happen throughout the year. Visit GatorCare.org/wellness to learn more.

 We seem to be receiving mixed results with some of the hospital rankings and score cards that have come out this year. What does this mean?

Right now, there’s information overload. We’re getting rankings and report cards from a lot of different sources, and it’s easy to chase the idea that we should be the best in all of them. We’ve chosen to stay focused on specific activities that we believe are indicative of quality care and we’re working hard to get better at those. We take pride in the things we’re doing well. In the patient safety section of the Vizient report card we ranked 29th in the country, which is outstanding. And you won’t find many hospitals with more pediatric and adult specialties ranked in the top 50 of U.S. News & World Report’s Best Hospitals rankings than we have. You’ll notice that many of the top-ranked hospitals in the U.S. News rankings don’t fare well in the CMS star ratings, and that’s because CMS doesn’t have a good adjustment for the social issues and complex medical conditions many of our patients face. We should stay focused on improving our care and try not to get too hung up on every report card and ranking that comes out.

Benefits Open Enrollment for UF Health Shands employees runs Nov. 2-15 this year. Why is this so important for staff?

We work hard to provide a benefits structure that meets our employees’ needs. Benefits open enrollment is a great opportunity for staff to learn more about our robust benefits package. I encourage staff to ensure their selections make the most sense for themselves and their families. Even if you don’t plan to make changes, it’s a good time to double-check selections. Please take time to participate actively in open enrollment this year.

WANT TO SUBMIT A QUESTION?

Email taylt@shands.ufl.edu and we’ll consider it for an upcoming edition.