In February, faculty and staff gathered to celebrate the future of UF Health and how we are evolving as we continue working toward our goals to transform the lives of our patients and improve the health of our community.

At the event, David Nelson, MD, senior vice president for health affairs at UF & president of UF Health, spoke about UF Health’s new strategic roadmap, “One UF Health Together,” and the core values that unite us in our efforts to transform lives, offer hope and come together as one at UF Health. Nelson also discussed our goals, which encompass patient care, research, education, community partnership and work environment.

“It’s a time to reaffirm our existing values and to infuse additional emphasis on things like integrity, respect, teamwork, well-being and inclusion — all critical for success as we move forward,” Nelson said. “Our biggest measurement of success will be whether we leave the world, the state of Florida and our communities in a better place than how we found them.”

Nelson shared that one of UF Health Jacksonville’s strengths is improving health through community engagement. Ann-Marie Knight, MHA, FACHE, vice president of community engagement and chief diversity officer at UF Health Jacksonville, shared her passion for improving the health of the local community through various programs her team has implemented.

Leigh Neumayer, MD, chair of the department of surgery at the UF College of Medicine – Jacksonville, also touched on this important subject as she discussed how they leverage local research to directly impact the care of her patients.

During the event, we also heard from Kevin Green, MD, pulmonary and critical care medicine fellow at the UF College of Medicine – Jacksonville, as well as Joe Tucker, RN, PICU nurse manager at UF Health Jacksonville, who has been with the enterprise for 20 years.

“The UF Health mission and vision aligns with my core values and those around me. The teamwork and commitment to improving the health of individual patients and the underserved population in our community is clear throughout this organization, and I am proud to be a part of this team,” Tucker said.

Lastly, Vonceil Bradford, a breast cancer survivor and former UF Health Jacksonville patient, shared her incredible story about her fight against breast cancer and how UF Health saved and transformed her life. Read Bradford’s full story at OpenLines.UFHealthJax.org.