This is an important month for UF Health Jacksonville, as we celebrate our 150th anniversary on June 4. Our hospital has made a positive impact on this community for the past 150 years, and I take great pride in being part our rich history and I know you do as well.

We’ve experienced significant growth, beginning as a small hospital and growing to a major academic health center that includes a network of more than 60 primary care and specialty practices and the UF Colleges of Medicine, Nursing and Pharmacy. Our hospital has had many names in the passing decades, from Duval Hospital and Asylum in 1870 to UF Health Jacksonville in 2020, but our commitment to caring for the community hasn’t changed.

Today, we look forward to more growth, continuing to expand our footprint in Jacksonville and throughout Northeast Florida. I’ve spoken about this before, but one important initiative, and the next stage in our growth of the enterprise, is becoming One UF. With this, we are focusing on working more closely with all of the UF Health entities and becoming a more integral part of the University of Florida.

It is interesting as we look back on our history to remember that around the time we first began, the area was responding to the smallpox epidemic of 1883 and the yellow fever epidemic of 1888. And now, 150 years later, we are facing the COVID-19 pandemic. In those 150 years, we have made incredible medical advancements, and I am proud of how UF Health Jacksonville has handled the current health care crisis. I am continually amazed at the dedication and innovation faculty and staff show on a daily basis.

As we look to the future, COVID-19 will play an important factor in our plans. We are safely reopening practices and resuming elective surgeries, while monitoring the virus closely and preparing for a potential second wave of cases. Thank you for staying diligent during this time and for continuing to work hard to protect and care for our patients and one another.

Sincerely,

Leon L. Haley Jr., MD, MHSA

CEO, UF Health Jacksonville

Dean, UF College of Medicine – Jacksonville