Our physicians at UF Health are transforming the lives of our patients and influencing the health care industry with their expertise and insights. From performing research to providing inpatient care and conducting surgeries, our physicians impact the lives of patients and their families locally and across the world

On March 30, we celebrate National Doctors’ Day by honoring physicians for the work they do for their patients, the communities they work in and for society as a whole. More than the application of science and technology, medicine is a special calling, and those who have chosen this profession understand the tremendous responsibility it entails. Through their actions — from a simple bedside gesture to a lifesaving procedure — doctors make a difference each and every day.

DID YOU KNOW?

The very first Doctors’ Day in 1933 consisted of a few doctors’ wives hosting a luncheon for the local physicians in Winder, Georgia. It was conceived by Eudora Brown Almond. She chose March 30 because it is the anniversary of the day that surgical anesthesia was first administered to a patient. This first observance included mailing greeting cards and placing flowers on graves of deceased doctors.

On March 30, 1958, the “Resolution Commemorating Doctors’ Day” was adopted by the U.S. House of Representatives. The holiday was officially signed into U.S. law in the early 1990s by President George Bush.

MARVIN DEWAR, M.D., J.D.

UF COLLEGE OF MEDICINE SENIOR ASSOCIATE DEAN

UF HEALTH PHYSICIANS CEO

Why is UF Health the best place to practice medicine?

UF Health offers a unique environment for those of us who practice medicine. At home, we can keep a small-town community feel where families can connect with neighbors and develop a sense of community identity. But at the same time, once we, as faculty and staff, arrive at work, we find ourselves at a major academic medical center on par with the top centers in the largest cities in America. There are not a lot of places that offer that combination, and it helps us recruit some of the most talented physicians, nurses and staff in the country.

What do you value most about your role as a physician?

Although sometimes we get focused on the daily challenges of delivering care, I think there is still no better career calling than that of the physician. What could offer more to someone who enjoys science and problem-solving, but who also wants to help people in a very personal way? We owe the deepest gratitude to our patients who entrust to us their very personal fears and needs. And we owe them our best effort to maintain and restore their health to the best of our ability.

PARKER GIBBS JR., M.D.

UF HEALTH SHANDS CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER

UF COLLEGE OF MEDICINE ORTHOPAEDIC SURGERY DIVISION CHIEF

EUGENE L. JEWETT PROFESSOR OF ORTHOPAEDIC SURGERY

Tell us about the partnership between physicians, nurses and other clinical staff here.

UF Health uniquely combines outstanding individuals filled with empathy and compassion with the best technology has to offer. It’s a privilege to work with that combination of high-touch and high-tech. At UF Health, the relationships among our physicians, nurses, providers and all other staff is one of trust and camaraderie dedicated to our patients’ best interests and experiences. Watching these teams work together toward that end is a true privilege.

MICHELE LOSSIUS, M.D., FAAP

UF HEALTH SHANDS CHIEF QUALITY OFFICER

ASSOCIATE CLINICAL PROFESSOR & CHIEF, PEDIATRIC HOSPITAL MEDICINE

PHYSICIAN DIRECTOR OF QUALITY AND SAFETY, PEDIATRICS, UF COLLEGE OF MEDICINE

Why did you choose to practice medicine in an academic setting? What made you choose UF Health?

I completed both my undergraduate and medical school degrees here at UF. What I recognized early on that led me to want to stay on as faculty (which was reaffirmed during residency) were the strong interpersonal relationships that exist here. As a resident, I found faculty to be very approachable while also being great teachers, which was a draw for me. Now that I’ve functioned as a faculty member, I have really appreciated the relationships I hold with nursing, respiratory therapy, Child Life, social work and case management, for example. It’s become clear to me as a hospitalist that I cannot do my job well without strong relationships. I have seen the support toward each other during times of high stress among all of those groups, and that environment is what has inspired me to stay.

NICOLE IOVINE, M.D., PH.D

UF HEALTH SHANDS EPIDEMIOLOGIST IN CHIEF

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, INFECTIOUS DISEASE, UF COLLEGE OF MEDICINE

What energizes you about working at UF Health and what makes it a unique environment in which to practice?

Academic medicine — especially here at UF Health — is dynamic. We work among the best and brightest people striving for excellence in their field, with the ultimate goal to deliver world-class patient care. I couldn’t ask for a more exciting and stimulating environment than to be in the midst of these wonderful faculty, nurses and staff. What drives us all is that we’re not satisfied with the status quo, we’re always working to provide even better outcomes for patients. We wear different hats. For example, in my lab I’m studying how flu viruses are changing and evolving, which is so important. In my hospital epidemiology role, I’m working with our team to explore flu from the perspective of who’s coming into the hospital infected; how are we adequately protecting our patients, visitors and staff; and how are we preventing flu across the community. At UF Health, we take the big-picture, broad perspective. We have to understand what’s going on in the rest of the world, the state, the region and here in our communities — and at the individual patient level. What we learn through research informs our practice and how we educate each other. I love working with interdisciplinary teams and staff from so many areas. We’re concerned with all these spheres of influence, and that’s why the care we provide really is second to none.

JOSEPH A. TYNDALL, M.D., M.P.H.

INTERIM DEAN, UF COLLEGE OF MEDICINE

PROFESSOR & CHAIR, EMERGENCY MEDICINE

Why is this a particularly exciting time for our hospital system and the opportunities we have for UF Health Shands and the College of Medicine to work together?

This is an unprecedented time for our health system. With UF’s rise in stature, we have the greatest opportunity to attract even more talent and create a true destination for the best of health care in our region. We also are facing challenging times with seismic shifts in our health care marketplace. With these shifts come the challenge and opportunity to expand our impact and create high value in the care we provide. UF Health Shands and the College of Medicine have always worked together. We have high aspirations at UF Health, and we will continue to make a great difference for the citizens in the state of Florida and beyond.