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!

When the UF Health Heart & Vascular and Neuromedicine hospitals open, what will happen to the spaces vacated in UF Health Shands Hospital due to the move?

We asked leaders for suggestions about how to use the vacated spaces and received great feedback. Ultimately, we’ll use them in a variety of ways. It could be improving or expanding on something we have now, or it could be something new and different. We’re currently having those discussions and analyzing data to make informed decisions. We have some time, because I suspect we’ll renovate all of those spaces, so we’ll need to wait until they are vacant to start that process. This summer, we’ll have a better sense of how those areas will be used.

What’s unique about the care our LifeQuest and transplant teams provide?

When you talk about health care, words like ‘lifesaving’ and ‘life-altering’ are often thrown around. But in the world of transplantation, there’s no question that those terms fit the bill. When a transplant occurs, two families are forever changed — the family of the donor and the family of the recipient. One day I ran into Steve Oelrich, who served as Alachua County sheriff for many years. He told me how organ donation allowed something positive to come from his teenage son’s untimely death. His son’s organs saved many lives and he was able to meet some of those recipients, which was very moving.

As we celebrate Doctors’ Day, what do you admire most about our physicians?

I think we all hold our doctors in high regard. There’s a level of appreciation for their knowledge, leadership and ability to heal and provide care. We believe in them. What I love about our doctors is they exhibit all of these qualities, and they also value their colleagues. I can’t think of many instances where a physician is praised and doesn’t immediately acknowledge his or her team. They recognize that it ‘takes a village’ and embrace the concept of servant leadership. Just the other day, I received a note about one of our physicians. He was passing through a unit and noticed an elderly woman shivering in her room. He could’ve easily moved along, knowing that her care team would soon assist her. But he stopped to help. He found her a warm blanket and adjusted the thermostat. The patient was visibly happy and grateful. Acts like these make me proud to work alongside our physicians.

WANT TO SUBMIT A QUESTION?
Email taylt@shands.ufl.edu and we’ll consider it for an upcoming edition.