Home / January 2018 /

Memorable Moments

UF Health staff share their recollections of Russ Armistead's impact.

Magnet Redesignation

“I remember when Russ first came here, he would walk through the Emergency Department and talk with all of the staff about how things were going. I had never seen the CEO of any organization I have worked for do this, and it made me feel like the leadership here really cared and was accessible to all of the staff.”

– Rachel Miniea, Nurse Analyst for Clinical Informatics

“One of the first things he did after becoming CEO was hold Employee Forums. I attended the very first one. He listened, asked thoughtful questions and gave a few of his own thoughts. Not long afterwards, we saw action on the concerns employees expressed in that meeting. That stuck with me and was the start of my admiration for him as our leader here at UF Health.”

– Alice Weiss, Performance Improvement Specialist for Quality Management

“My favorite memory of Mr. Armistead is always seeing him at the UF Health Jacksonville Family Night at the Zoo. He would be there year after year smiling and greeting employees.”

Vicky Hopkins, Follow-Up Specialist, Patient Financial Services

“I am certainly going to miss the ‘Few Minutes with Russ,’ which evolved into ‘A Few Minutes with Us.’ Thank you so much for your wonderful leadership and the honorable way you have represented UF Health Jacksonville to the community, the state of Florida and beyond.”

– Michael Butler, Manager for the Sleep Center and Neurodiagnostic Services

 “In working with the Quality and Performance Improvement division, Russ’ view of doing the job right with good outcomes was clear. He has a kind yet strong leadership style and emulates what he wishes from his employees.”

– Jean Aclin, Senior Inpatient Coder for Health Information Management

“I always loved seeing him eat in our cafeteria. I appreciated his presence and his smiling face.”

Melody Huang, PharmD, Informatics Pharmacist