While January is best known for resolutions, February is known for the heart. It makes sense that February and health care go hand-in-hand: February was designated as American Heart Month for the first time in 1964 by President Lyndon B. Johnson and has been recognized annually ever since.

According to the American Heart Association, heart disease continues to be the leading cause of death for men and women in the U.S. It kills an estimated 630,000 Americans each year. The most common type of heart disease in the U.S. is coronary artery disease, which can lead to a heart attack. But we can greatly reduce our risk for CAD through lifestyle changes and, in some cases, medication. So spread the word about this disease and have a heart-to-heart with those you love. Heart health is an important topic for us all.

Since the heart was a topic in this issue, we wanted to switch up the focus of the Q&A with the CEO a bit. We asked our CEO Ed Jimenez what he loved. If you’ve ever heard Ed during employee orientation or seen him in your work area, then you know that he’s passionate about his family, our patients and our employees. But what else makes him tick? Check out his answers to our heart-related questions on the next page.

This issue also features an article about the UF Health Cardiac Rehab program. The dedicated team of cardiologists, exercise physiologists, registered nurses and dietitians help heart patients learn how to manage their health with exercise, nutrition and stress management techniques. It’s good for all of us to manage our diet and stress levels, while reaping the benefits of exercise. For the many heart patients who receive care at UF Health, it must be reassuring to have a specialized team like this on their side.

March also is a special month as we take time to celebrate National Doctors’ Day and reflect on the expert care and compassion of our talented physicians. Please take a moment to read our special tribute to our medical staff.

Our leaders want to extend their thanks again for having managed exceptionally high patient volumes while dealing with an extremely challenging influenza season. Thanks for all you do!