Taking a test drive

What do you do when you get your first stethoscope? Listen to your own heartbeat, naturally. First-year medical student Ashley Ward tried out her new stethoscope during orientation activities at the UF College of Medicine. The medical devices are provided through the college’s Alumni Affairs Stethoscope Fund. — Greg Hamilton

Fixel Center earns CurePSP designation

The UF Progressive Supranuclear Palsy & Atypical Parkinsonism Clinic has been designated the first CurePSP Center of Care in Florida, joining an elite group including The Cleveland Clinic and Johns Hopkins Medicine. The practice – housed within The Fixel Center for Neurological Diseases at UF Health – provides care and resources for patients who have atypical Parkinsonism syndromes, including progressive supranuclear palsy, multiple system atrophy, corticobasal degeneration and dementia with Lewy bodies. — Todd Taylor

New center to focus on cardiovascular and metabolic diseases

A new scientific center at UF Health aims to unite cardiovascular and metabolic disease researchers. The Hypertension Center has been renamed the Center for Integrative Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases, with a broader focus on promoting research excellence in these areas. Eric Krause, Ph.D., an associate professor of pharmacodynamics in the UF College of Pharmacy, was appointed director of the center, while three faculty members from the college and the UF College of Medicine will serve as associate directors. The new name and vision will support an emerging group of more than 25 faculty members researching cardio-metabolic diseases, including Type 2 diabetes, obesity, chronic kidney disease, stroke and atherosclerosis. — Matt Splett

UF Health Shands earns fourth Magnet honor for nursing excellence

UF Health Shands hospitals and programs have earned their fourth consecutive Magnet designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center. Only 41 health care organizations in the nation have received four consecutive Magnet designations and only 20 in Florida have this status. Magnet designation is the nursing profession’s most prestigious recognition for health care organizations. Hospitals that earn Magnet recognition must meet stringent quantitative and qualitative standards. The application process includes comprehensive written documentation, which is validated by site visits. — Rachel Rivera