It is with mixed emotions that I write this final letter as your CEO. For the past two years, I have had the honor of serving Jacksonville, the surrounding communities and, most importantly, all of you as CEO of UF Health Jacksonville. Prior to that, I served as your CEO from 2013 to 2017. Altogether, my time at UF Health Jacksonville has truly been the highlight of my career.

Throughout my years at UF Health Jacksonville, I’ve witnessed the significant growth of our organization. During my first year as CEO in 2013, we changed our name to UF Health Jacksonville, broke ground on the UF Health North medical office building, and began airing the “Two Minutes with Russ” bimonthly videos, which you know today as “A Few Minutes with Us.”

Since then, we were redesignated with Magnet recognition not once, but twice, for nursing excellence, and have become a well-respected health care institution in Jacksonville. In addition, we fully opened the UF Health North hospital and broke ground on a second bed tower, expanding our services to more families in the region. And in just the last two years, I’ve had the privilege of seeing rapid growth with the openings of new practices, UF Health East, three new emergency and urgent care centers, and securing the funding for a new trauma center.

These achievements are all ways we have enhanced our patient care and continue to accomplish our mission of healing and caring for the community. I am confident the growth and success of UF Health Jacksonville, UF Health North and all the primary care and specialty practices will continue under the leadership of Patrick Green, MBA, FACHE. He is a dynamic leader with vast experience in health care, serving in top leadership roles for more than a decade. I couldn’t imagine a better person to step in and lead UF Health Jacksonville into its next stage of growth.

I will be forever grateful for my time at UF Health Jacksonville for numerous reasons, but none more than the opportunity to meet and work beside so many of you, the wonderful people who comprise this amazing health system. With your hard work and dedication, I leave knowing our hospitals and practices are well-positioned and fully prepared to thrive in the future.

It has always been a privilege to serve as your CEO.

Sincerely,

Russell E. Armistead, MBA

CEO, UF Health Jacksonville