UF Health: New name signals new era in health care delivery

By Melissa Blouin

UF&Shands, the University of Florida Academic Health Center, is now University of Florida Health.

The new “umbrella” term reflects the health system’s strong ties to UF, a key part of what differentiates the academic health center — with its focus on excellence in research, teaching and patient care — from its competitors. University officials announced the change May 20.

The move to UF Health grew out of extensive research conducted over the past year and represents the next stage in the organization’s evolution as one of the nation’s most successful academic health centers. The rebranding effort will help position the organization more powerfully among peers and competitors as a respected regional and national health care resource, said David S. Guzick, M.D., Ph.D., senior vice president for health affairs and president of UF Health.

“While our overall name is changing, our focus remains the same: to provide high-quality, patient-centered care that leads to outstanding outcomes,” Guzick said. “We will continue to build on the teamwork and collaboration that is the foundation for our strength and success.

“UF Health represents who we are today,” he continued. “As an organization that does everything from leading-edge research to urgent MRIs on people and on horses, it’s essential to unify our teaching, research and clinical care efforts under a single heading.”