I recently spent a day working with Andrew Foreman, a UF Health Shands Environmental Services team member. As we waxed floors, I asked what makes him feel good about his job and he said, ‘Producing a perfect product makes me happy — you can eat off that floor!’ Andrew takes great pride in doing something that people may not always notice or recognize him for. What a testament to his pride in what he does and where he works. Let’s follow Andrew’s example and take pride in our facilities. Let’s work together to be more aware of our surroundings, keep our work spaces clean and if we’re out and about and see trash on the ground or something amiss — pick it up or let someone know about the situation. Take ownership and support our EVS colleagues.

There are many ways to be a UF Health brand ambassador and many vehicles to convey the importance of the work we do and care we provide. Being a brand ambassador can happen in many ways — when our researchers partner with others to discover a medical breakthrough; when our faculty and staff forge relationships with health care systems in other parts of the state; when we share our expertise with the media to educate the public; when we train future nurses and physicians and they get jobs all over the world; and when we provide outstanding care and our grateful patients share their experiences with others. It also happens at the dinner table when we tell loved ones about the great work happening at UF Health and they spread the word to their friends and co-workers. All of these examples of being a brand ambassador happen among smaller groups, so when we build on the UF Health brand by featuring concepts like Problem- Solving Care, it lets us collectively take pride in the amazing things happening at UF Health. I think it’s important to keep conveying our message.

It’s rewarding to shake hands and hug people who have been here for decades at the Milestones Awards Banquet. It’s rewarding to walk down the hall and talk to faculty and staff about their kids, parents and hobbies. When I hear about our accolades and rankings, that’s exciting on a professional level, but they are only possible because of our people. One of the most challenging things is ensuring that faculty and staff understand the context around our decision-making. We put a lot of thought behind everything we do and back it with information and data. We can’t always please everyone, but we’re always focused on addressing the needs of our patients, the community and our faculty and staff. And we always make sure our decision-making considers our missions of patient care, research, education and community service.