Adapting to change: CEO addresses leadership changes
Quality care and hospitality remain top priorities
In a recent Management Forum meeting, UF Health Shands CEO Ed Jimenez talked about our two new interim executive leaders. See pages 22-25 for more information about the changes.
He spoke of David R. Nelson, M.D., the director of the UF Clinical and Translational Science Institute and a UF College of Medicine professor and associate dean for clinical research, who recently assumed the role of interim senior vice president for health affairs at UF and president of UF Health.
“Dr. Nelson is a practicing physician as well as an internationally renowned researcher. He’s especially known for game-changing science and setting national standards for hepatitis C therapy,” Jimenez said. “He’s an incredible leader who takes innovations out of the lab and applies them to patient care. He understands the academic research world as well as our clinical environment. He’s going to be a great partner.”
Nelson’s achievements include more than $80 million in research funding, more than 200 publications and multiple leadership positions, including his role representing the U.S. on the World Health Organization’s genomic-guided hepatitis C therapy guidelines committee.
Jimenez also reflected on the appointment of interim College of Medicine dean Adrian Tyndall, M.D., M.P.H., FACEP, FAAEM, a UF College of Medicine professor and chair of emergency medicine and physician-in-chief of UF Health emergency services.
“Meanwhile, Dr. Tyndall is a familiar colleague in our hospitals, as our emergency medicine and critical care center leader who many of you know and have worked with. You know his commitment to our patients and their families in crisis, and his dedication to our faculty, residents, nurses, care teams and support staff. He guides 53 emergency medicine faculty members and fellows and leads our Level 1 trauma center and four emergency rooms. You know Dr. Tyndall to be a skilled, conscientious and compassionate leader. We look forward to supporting him in his new interim dean position.”
Jimenez reminds staff to be guided by “the bigger picture.”
“When we have leadership changes, one thing that doesn’t change is our obligation every day to take care of our patients and support each other. When a respected and trusted executive leaves, it can feel unsettling. But, the vision and mission of our organization isn’t changing, and our calls to action are as strong as ever. Know that we’re in great and capable hands with our executive team, and just stay focused on the great work you do delivering quality care, hospitality and service and support to each other.”