Sixty years ago, UF Teaching Hospital opened as the hospital in Florida affiliated with a medical school, UF’s new College of Medicine. Since first opening our doors in 1958, UF Health Shands staff have treated more than 2.75 million inpatients. As we take time to celebrate this significant milestone and the birth of what is now UF Health Shands, we can look back on our hospital system’s history and its profound impact on health care not only in Florida, but across the nation and around the world.

Take a trip down memory lane! Read about some of our milestone accomplishments that have led UF Health Shands to where and who we are today — a vital part of UF Health, the flagship hospital responsible for improving health and quality of life for people throughout the state, region and beyond. Thank you for all you do to continue this legacy.

1958

• On Oct. 20, the 400-bed UF Teaching Hospital opened.

• Nancy Sue Smith of Williston was first patient admitted to the UF Teaching Hospital.

• On Dec. 10, 1958, our first baby was born at the UF Teaching Hospital.

1959

• UF College of Medicine physicians perform the state’s first open-heart surgery, a five-hour procedure, on an 8-year-old girl.

1962

• UF Teaching Hospital receives one of four dialysis machines in the U.S.

1965

• The UF Teaching Hospital name was changed to the W.A. Shands Teaching Hospital and Clinics, after Sen. William A. Shands, who was pivotal in its inception.

• Florida’s first neonatal ICU was established at Shands Teaching Hospital.

1966

• UF College of Medicine physicians performed the stat’es first kidney transplant at Shands Teaching Hospital.

1970

• The state’s first total hip replacement surgery took place at Shands Teaching Hospital.

1972

• Shands Teaching Hospital admits its 200,000th patient.

1974

• UF College of Medicine physicians implanted the nation’s first computerized 20-year rechargeable pacemaker at Shands Teaching Hospital.

1976

• The nation’s first computerized cardiac cath lab for adults and children opened at Shands Teaching Hospital.

1978

• We opened our Burn ICU at Shands Teaching Hospital.

1979

• The Hyperbaric Chamber, on loan from NASA, opened at Shands Teaching Hospital.
• Shands Teaching Hospital becomes a private, not-for-profit corporation and was renamed Shands Hospital.

1981

• The ShandsCair emergency transport program was established.

1983

• The certificate of need was approved for Shands Hospital to add 140 acute carebeds and 60 rehabilitation beds.

1984

• The hospital’s central Atrium and new from lobby were added.
• The new Patient Services Building opened with 476 beds.

1985

• The first CMN Telethon was held at Shands Hospital.
• The state’s first MRI was installed at Shands Hospital.
• UF physicians at Shands at UF performed Florida’s first cochlear implantation for hearing restoration.

1986

• UF College of Medicine surgeons performed the hospital’s first liver transplant.

1989

• UF Consultation Center is established and has more than 7,000 physicians using the service in one year
• Shands Hospital added 72 beds, for a total of 548 beds.

1991

• Our new freestanding MRI facility opened.

1993

• Surgeons performed the state’s first infant heart transplant at Shands Hospital.

1994

• Surgeons performed the state’s first adult lung transplant at Shands Hospital.

1996

• Shands Hospital acquired the community and specialty hospitals formerly operated by AvMed SantaFe.
• Our organization rebranded to Shands HealthCare.
• Shands Children’s Hospital at UF is designated as a children’s hospital-within-a-hospital.
• Surgeons performed Florida’s first pediatric lung transplant.

1998

• The nation’s first center for LINAC radiosurgery to treat brain tumors opened.

1999-2000

• We transitioned successfully into Y2K, despite the feared “millennium bug” that people thought would disrupt computers and electronic processes worldwide.

2001

• The Southeast’s first comprehensive clinic for mild traumatic brain injury opened at Shands at UF and was the first in the nation linked to a research center (the Evelyn F. and William L. McKnight Brain Institute).

2003

• Two sets of triplets were born on the same day, garnering Shands at UF lots of media coverage, including the front page of CNN’s website.

2006

• College of Medicine surgeons used the Berlin Heart in a 9-year-old boy, the first child in Florida to receive this “bridge to transplant” device.

2008

• UF Health Shands Hospital received the Florida Governor’s Sterling Award, the state’s top honor for performance excellence and quality care.

2009

• UF Health Shands Cancer Hospital opened with 192 private rooms and 12 operating rooms.
• The UF Health Shands E.R. and Level 1 Trauma Center opened in the new facility. The new trauma center was the largest in the region and was designed upon opening to manage up to 100,000 cases per year.
• David S. Guzick, M.D., Ph.D., was appointed senior vice president for health affairs at UF and president of UF Health, and given oversight of the hospital enterprise. Dr. Guzick was charged with bringing the UF College of Medicine and the rest of the Health Science Center into even closer alignment with Shands HealthCare. The following year, he introduced the first of our integrated strategic plans for the academic health center.

2010

• UF&Shands becomes the new name for our functionally integrated academic health center.
• We celebrated the launch of Epic, our new Electronic Medical Record system.

2011

• The UF Health Shands Pediatric E.R. opened with its own entrance, 13 patient treatment rooms and two waiting rooms.

2012

• UF Health Springhill, an 111,000-square-foot multispecialty center for outpatient care, opened.

2013

• The UF Health Shands Emergency Center at Springhill opened as our first 911-receiving, 24/7 freestanding E.R.

• UF&Shands was rebranded UF Health to better reflect our role as the university’s health center.

2014

• The UF Health Shands Comprehensive Stroke Center was certified as a designated Joint Commission comprehensive stroke center.
• Hospitality & Service training rolled out across UF Health Shands, the UF College of Medicine and UF Health Physicians.
• UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital got a significant makeover with a new family-centered entrance and lobby to welcome young guests and their loved ones.

2015

• In 2015 and 2016, UF and UF Health were included in Forbes’ listing of “America’s Best Employers.”
• The Florida governor and the Department of Health recognized the UF Health Cancer Center as a state-designated Cancer Center of Excellence.

2016

• The UF Health Emergency Center at Kanapaha opened as our second 911-receiving, 24/7 freestanding E.R.
• UF Health was listed among the health care industry’s “Most Wired” facilities for our commitment to using advanced technology for a better patient experience.

2017

• UF Health Shands tied for first place in the state for hospital systems with the most current gold-level AACCN Beacon Awards for Nursing Excellence.
• TWO NEW HOSPITALS OPENED: The UF Health Heart & Vascular Hospital opened with five ORs, three hybrid ORs, 38 pre- and post-op rooms, 16 PACU beds, 72 private ICU rooms, 48 private med/surg rooms and physician outpatient practices.
• The UF Health Neuromedicine Hospital opened with five ORs, two hybrid ORs, 38 pre- and post-op rooms, 16 PACU beds, 48 private ICU rooms, 48 private med/surg rooms and physician outpatient practices.

2018

• Our second UF Health Springhill facility opened as a 72,000-square-foot multispecialty outpatient center.
• UF Health Shands hospitals and programs earned our fourth-consecutive Magnet designation from the American Nurse’s Credentialing Center, the ultimate “gold standard” measure of nursing achievement.