We are officially in a new year with exciting plans underway. I am thrilled to be part of what’s coming, and to share the progress and growth with all of you.

Construction will begin this year on our new 120-bed hospital tower at UF Health North. This will expand our capacity to care for more patients.

We are adding to our services with new hybrid emergency room and urgent care centers, bringing a new concept in emergency care to Jacksonville. The three centers are scheduled to open in late 2022. Jacksonville is the third city in the state to open a hybrid model, and our UF Health centers will be the first in Northeast Florida. The facilities will have ER physicians on staff, on-site lab equipment and a radiology suite with X-ray and multi-slice CT scanners.

Right now, people have to decide whether to go to an emergency room or to an urgent care center. This new model will give patients one place to go when they’re not sure how serious their illness or injuries are.

Additionally, UF Health East is projected to open late summer. Located at J. Turner Butler Boulevard and Kernan Boulevard in Jacksonville, the new facility will be three stories and span 53,000 square feet. It will feature an ambulatory surgery center and a medical office building that will house several specialties, including neurosurgery, orthopaedics, gynecology and more.

All of these changes are critical steps toward our goal of expanding our footprint across Jacksonville and Northeast Florida, and to help us achieve our vision of being the region’s most valued health care asset.

As always, it is an honor and privilege to be your CEO.

Sincerely,

Russell E. Armistead, MBA

CEO, UF Health Jacksonville