Beneath sunny skies, several hundred faculty and staff members turned out Feb. 2 to hear the vision for the future of UF Health.
As a guitarist strummed upbeat tunes in a courtyard outside the College of Public Health & Health Professions, guests played with oversized Jenga and Connect Four games. They mugged for photos with Albert Gator and Mighty Molar, the UF College of Dentistry mascot. Despite the relaxed atmosphere, there were serious, inspiring messages from UF Health leaders, students and staff about what comes next.
UF Health Jacksonville held a vision plan event in mid-February; UF Health Central Florida held a similar event in the spring.
“One UF Health Together” will serve as the roadmap to steer the organization’s focus in the coming years as it expands its presence across Florida, said David R. Nelson, M.D., senior vice president for health affairs at UF and president of UF Health.
As UF Health’s statewide presence grows, it is also crucial to do that in better and bolder ways, Nelson said. Growth allows UF Health to reinvest in its core mission and further nurture its stellar programs, he added.
“We must have health care facilities and research endeavors outside of Gainesville, so we can augment our ability to focus on preventive care and population health. Studying and managing the overall health of populations helps us better diagnose and treat diseases, keep people out of hospitals, and keep education and wellness at the forefront,” he said.
Edra Ijames, an administrative assistant in the department of surgery, has seen a lot of growth and heard a lot of plans in her nearly 30 years on the job. She came
to hear where UF Health is going in the future.
“I really appreciate the way they make their long-term plans transparent. It makes us feel even more valued,” Ijames said.
This iteration of UF Health’s strategic vision covers 2023 to 2027, and it is the logical extension of previous vision plans, “Power of Together,” which covered 2015
to 2020, and “Forward Together,” from 2010 to 2015.
An organization must change with the times, and this plan marks UF Health’s evolution.
It includes eight goals, grouped within five categories:
Patient care
• Advance clinical excellence and equity in health and patient care
• Build a resilient UF Health system
Research
• Accelerate discovery across basic, translational, clinical and population based sciences
• Expand research impact to address state, regional, national and global health priorities
Education
• Reimagine education
• Build tomorrow’s workforce Community partnership
• Improve health through community engagement
Work environment
• Nurture top talent from diverse backgrounds
