Timely news from UF Health Jacksonville | Spring 2021
Timely News and Updates
Vaccines and Veracity — A Letter from the CEO and Dean

After a full year, we continue to navigate the unprecedented challenges of a pandemic that has infected more than 120 million people worldwide, including more than 30 million in the United States. Tragically, our country recently surpassed 549,000 deaths due to COVID-19. In Florida alone, we have had more than 2 million cases and have exceeded 33,000 deaths.

To read full letter, click here.
Community Heroes
Team A.Maise, Inc.

Supporting families whose children are in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit with a snack cart, coffee station and care packages.
GEICO

Supporting the Pediatric Reach Out and Read Program.
March of Dimes

Supporting families whose babies are in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit with care packages.
Many thanks to our generous donors fueling our staff as they continue to safely and efficiently administer vaccinations!

Special thanks go out to those who recently donated meals and snacks to our COVID-19 vaccination clinic staff: Hylant – Jacksonville, O’Steen Automotive Group, Kendall and Sylvia Spencer, Carol and Lindsey Brock,
Michael and Gloria Glasheen, Laura Press, and Michael and Tracey Kenney. 
COMING SOON ... Renovation of the Clinical Center Administrative Conference Room
Made possible by the generous support of W.W. Gay Mechanical Contractor Employees.
New CT Scanner Arrival Downtown

Made possible by a generous anonymous donor supporting neuroscience research.
Give Today. Heal Tomorrow.

At UF Health Jacksonville, philanthropy has been the bedrock of thriving research, excellence in patient care and extraordinary educational leadership. Contributions at the individual and corporate level have propelled the mission of the college forward to national prominence. 

If you’d like to learn more or talk with a gift officer about making a contribution, please reach out to our office by emailing [email protected]

Thank you for your consideration.
Community News 
Place Matters 2021 PLAYERS Championship

On March 5, THE PLAYERS hosted Place Matters, a virtual panel presentation featuring leaders championing efforts to improve health disparities and inequities in Northeast Florida, including our very own Leon L. Haley Jr., MD, MHSA, CEO of UF Health Jacksonville. 

Click here to watch.
UF Health Jacksonville is first site to test drug to prevent excessive bleeding 

Dominick Angiolillo, MD, PhD, a cardiologist at UF Health Jacksonville, is the first in the world to test a new drug designed to prevent excessive bleeding that can occur from taking ticagrelor, a popular blood-thinning medication sold under the brand name Brilinta.

Click here to read.
COMING SOON ... Social Service Hub and Food Pharmacy

Projected to open June 4, our partners are excited to support the community’s most vulnerable residents through this collaborative initiative. 

Food Pharmacy
A prescriptive nutrition care model provided by dietitians. They will perform one-on-one counseling for patients who are identified as being food insecure and also have diabetes, hypertension or other conditions. Patients will then have biweekly access to fresh food.
Social Services Hub
Serves as a quarterback between the clinical team and social service agencies for patients who self-identify social services needed. Agencies involved in this effort focus on education, employment support, housing and more. Consultative space will be available for patients and social service agencies to meet in-person and virtually to address needs.
UF Health joins forces with the Gary Sinise Foundation Avalon Network to assist veterans and first responders

UF Health Jacksonville and one of the nation’s premiere institutions dedicated to helping veterans, first responders and their families — the Gary Sinise Foundation — are working together to bring comprehensive brain health care to Northeast Florida.
 
The Gary Sinise Foundation Avalon Network will help UF Health Jacksonville provide transformative care to veterans and first responders experiencing post-traumatic stress, traumatic brain injuries and substance abuse.
 
The new interdisciplinary UF Health program is also getting a boost from the Jacksonville Jaguars Foundation, which has donated $250,000 to help start the transformative effort in the region, home to one of the largest military populations in the country, including Naval Station Mayport and Naval Air Station Jacksonville.

Click here to learn more about how we will help the invisible wounds of war.
Save the Date: Thursday, May 13

Youre Invited to a N. Florida Community Health Briefing with
Dr. Leon L. Haley Jr.

We invite you to join a COVID-19 Community Briefing on Thursday, May 13
at 10 a.m. This will be an opportunity to hear about our COVID-19 efforts as well as other matters at UF Health Jacksonville. 

To learn more or to RSVP, please email Crystal Ranns or call 904.244.1090.
Community Health Needs Assessment

The Community Health Needs Assessment is conducted every three years to provide local health care organizations and health departments with an accurate understanding of evolving local health needs. The Jacksonville Nonprofit Hospital Partnership commissioned the report. The group’s vision is to improve health in the region by addressing gaps that prevent access to high-quality, integrated health care and by improving access to resources that support a healthy lifestyle. A report will be available to the community late May/early June.
Community Engagement Activities
While all community engagement activities were virtual over the past year, there are a couple of face-to-face activities on the horizon. All decisions are based upon need, value and safety of environments. For more information, contact [email protected]

Upcoming Events:

May 15 – 16 Historic Springfield Tour of Homes and Gardens
To close out UF Health Week, more than 45 employee will volunteer at the Historic Springfield Tour of Homes and Gardens. This annual event, which showcases the unique character of the community, attracts hundreds of people throughout our region. 

June 2021 Volunteer Opportunity: Food Pharmacy 
In support of the prescriptive nutrition program, we are seeking volunteers for our Food Pharmacy. If you are interested in volunteering, please email Tina Wrye, Volunteer Services coordinator, at [email protected]

Past Events:

Black History Month: River City Science Academy 
Jason Hardwick, director of operations and patient experience, and Tony Davis, director of security, participated in River City Science Academy’s Black History Month program, speaking to more than 100 students in person and virtually

Her Story…Your Future
In recognition of Women’s History Month, a trio of forums titled “Her Story … Your Future” engaged girls and teens throughout our community through motivational dialogue and inspiration. UF Health physicians Elizabeth DeVos, Madeline Joseph, Suparna Krishnaiengar, Mariam Louis, Shama Patel, Gladys Velarde and Katherine Zarroli, along with hospital leaders Miki McClain and LaTrisha Starkes, led discussions with young ladies from the Pace Center for Girls, Girls Scouts of Gateway Council, and Boys and Girls Club of Northeast Florida.

Black Maternal Health Week (April 11-17): Menace to Mortality  
In honor of Black Maternal Health Week, John Davis, MD, UF College of Medicine – Jacksonville professor and chair
of obstetrics and gynecology, together with Aerial Jones, Ana Bernal-Martinez and Shawana Brooks, discussed maternal health disparities and associated risks to women of color. The panel also provided insight on the challenges to maternal health care, information on new efforts to change outcomes and things attendees can do to help improve their health and the health of their unborn babies.

A NIGHT FOR HEROES

The 14th Annual Virtual Gala
The 14th Annual Gala raised more than $242,000 to support trauma and critical care, bringing the cumulative impact to more than $2 million.

THANK YOU!
To our friends and sponsors who
generously invested in our mission
and tuned into the virtual event. 
The 14th Annual A Night for Heroes gala looked different than in years past. The event was held in a virtual format on Feb. 6, with guests tuning in from the comfort of their own homes. Viewers recognized the lifesaving care the trauma and critical care teams deliver to thousands of patients each year and paid tribute to our health care heroes as the fight against COVID-19 continues. More than $240,000 was raised to support the purchase of critical equipment, such as ventilators for intensive care units and the air transport helicopters.
The event also highlighted UF Health Jacksonville patient Jordan McClinton, whose life was saved by the UF Health TraumaOne team after he sustained a severe spinal cord injury. Learn more about this year’s A Night for Heroes honoree here.
 
We offer our sincere gratitude to the TraumaOne Heroes Council. The council is the driving force behind the A Night for Heroes gala. We are truly grateful for our volunteers who helped lead this event forward in our new virtual format. Congratulations on a successful event and thank you for making a difference! 
Recent Awards & Accolades
  • America's 250 Best Hospitals Award™ (2021, 2020, 2019)

  • Coronary Intervention Excellence Award™ (2021)

  • Cranial Neurosurgery Excellence Award™ (2021, 2019)

  • Florida Blue Foundation - 2021 Sapphire Award Winners
  • UF Health Total Care Clinic – Program Sapphire Award winner for Health Equity
  • Jeff Goldhagen - Individual Sapphire Award winner for Health Equity

  • JAXUSA Partnership 2020 Domestic Industry Leader Award

  • Pulmonary Care Excellence Award™ (2021)

NCQA Patient-Centered Medical Home

The National Committee for Quality Assurance has designated
UF Health Jacksonville primary care centers as Patient-Centered Medical Home providers.
 
UF Health Jacksonville was the first health organization in Northeast Florida, as well as the largest academic medical group in the state, to receive this designation.
 
NCQA describes the Patient-Centered Medical Home as a model for care were providers and patients, family members and caregivers partner together to achieve better outcomes.
Gator Nation News
2021 40 GATORS UNDER 40

Congratulations to our honorees from Jacksonville:  

  • Paul Jones
  • Ross Jones, MD
  • Chad Neilsen

Since 2006, the University of Florida has honored Outstanding Young Alumni whose achievements positively impact The Gator Nation. 40 Gators Under 40 will continue the tradition of honoring Gators who are going greater in their communities and professions.
 
This year’s 40 Gators Under 40 recognition event took place on the University of Florida’s campus during Orange & Blue Weekend in April. 
Anticipation and Excitement That Can Not Be Replicated

The annual Match Day ceremony, in which fourth-year medical students learn the locations of their future residency training programs, may have been held virtually via Zoom for the UF College of Medicine Class of 2021, but no amount of audio delay and/or technical difficulty could prevent the new physicians from whooping with joy or crying happy tears while they announced to their classmates where their medical careers will take them next.

More than 142 students matched this year, a process that began with students interviewing and applying for residency programs months ago. The National Resident Matching Program used its algorithm to match them with resident programs, taking into account the students’ and the institutions’ top choices. During the virtual Match Day ceremony held March 19, Associate Dean for Student Affairs William Patrick Duff, MD, noted that each one of the students matching into highly competitive specialties like dermatology, ophthalmology, plastic and reconstructive surgery, and urology matched successfully. He also noted that more students matched into family medicine than he can remember in his two-decade tenure at the UF College of Medicine.

Click here to learn more.
Important Dates to Remember
May 13, 2021 – N. Florida Community Health Briefing at 10 a.m. with Dr. Leon L. Haley Jr. 
May 20, 2021 – A Virtual Night at UF Health Jacksonville
June 4, 2021UF Health Urban Health Alliance and Food Pharmacy Ribbon-Cutting Event

To learn more, please email Crystal Ranns or call 904.244.1090.