Health System with 6 hospitals across 1 state
| Health System | UF Health |
|---|---|
| Total Hospitals | 6 |
| Commercial/Acute Hospitals | 6 |
| Total Beds | 2840 |
| Commercial/Acute Beds | 2840 |
| Headquarters | Gainesville, FL |
| Website | ufhealth.org |
| Hospital | Type | Beds | Teaching | Recently Joined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UF Health Jacksonville | Acute Care Hospital | 715 | Yes | No |
| UF Health Leesburg Hospital | Acute Care Hospital | 330 | No | No |
| UF Health Flagler Hospital | Acute Care Hospital | 335 | No | Yes |
| UF Health Shands Hospital | Acute Care Hospital | 1054 | Yes | No |
| UF Health Flagler Hospital | Acute Care Hospital | 99 | No | Yes |
| UF Health Spanish Plaines Hospital | Acute Care Hospital | 307 | No | No |
No recent news available for this health system.
President and system CEO of the UF Health clinical enterprise.
Ed Daech is the Chief Human Resources Officer for the UF Health clinical enterprise. He was promoted to this system-level role effective October 1, 2024, having previously served as senior vice president and chief human resources officer at UF Health Shands since January 2023. With over two decades of experience in human resources and operations, including extensive work in healthcare, food service, and manufacturing, Daech has a strong background in modernizing HR operations, integrating functions across health systems, and implementing strategies for process improvement, efficiency, and cost savings. Before joining UF Health, he was the chief human resources officer at Saint Peter's Healthcare System and spent nearly nine years in various HR leadership roles at Ascension Health, including regional vice president. He holds a bachelor's degree from Southern Illinois University and an MBA from North Central College.
Joe G.N. “Skip” Garcia, MD, is the Associate Vice President for Research at UF Health and the inaugural Herbert A. Wertheim Professor of Inflammation Science. He also directs the Center for Inflammation Science and Systems Medicine at the Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation & Technology. A distinguished pulmonologist and critical care physician, Dr. Garcia is an internationally recognized expert on the genetic basis of inflammatory lung disease, development of novel biomarkers and therapies for critically ill patients, and examination of lung health disparities. He is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine. His academic career includes roles at the University of Texas Health Center at Tyler, Indiana University School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and The University of Chicago. Dr. Garcia earned his medical degree from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School and completed his postgraduate training at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics and Albany Medical College. He has been continuously funded by the NIH since 1988 and has an extensive publication record.
Shakira Henderson, PhD, DNP, MS, MPH, EMBA, IBCLC, RNC-NIC, serves as the System Chief Nurse Executive for UF Health and Dean of the University of Florida College of Nursing. She assumed these roles in January 2024. Dr. Henderson holds multiple degrees, including a PhD in Nursing from the University of Miami, a Doctor of Nursing Practice and a Master of Science in Nursing from the University of South Alabama, and a Master of Science in Anatomy, a Master of Public Health, and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Barry University. She also completed a global executive Master of Business Administration from Brown University and IE Business School. Prior to her appointments at UF Health, Dr. Henderson held leadership positions at UNC Health and the UNC School of Medicine, including System Vice President, Research Officer, and Assistant Vice Chancellor of Clinical Research. She is a nationally certified neonatal intensive care nurse with research interests in leadership, breastfeeding, and global health. Dr. Henderson is also actively involved in professional organizations, having served as the 2023 President of the Association of Women's Health, Obstetric, and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN). Born and raised in Dominica, she developed an early appreciation for academics and initially pursued science degrees before discovering a passion for nursing that combined research and patient interaction.
Gloria "Gigi" Pflugfelder Lipori, MT, MBA, is the Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer for UF Health. She has been with UF Health Shands since 1982. Prior to her current role, she served as interim Chief Information Officer and as UF Health's Chief Data Officer, where she was responsible for the strategy and direction of the enterprise's integrated data repository and oversaw teams focused on data warehousing, decision support, strategic planning, and research support. She also held positions as senior director of operational planning and analysis and as quality and systems coordinator for hospital laboratories. Lipori began her career as a medical technologist. She has been involved in developing and validating nationally endorsed performance measures and has served as a co-investigator on contracts with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and on federally funded research initiatives, including the OneFlorida Clinical Data Research Network. She is also the principal investigator for the UF Health Integrated Data Repository. Lipori holds an MBA from Nova Southeastern University and completed her medical technology training at the Bethesda/Kennedy School. She is also an adjunct professor in the UF College of Pharmacy department of pharmaceutical outcomes and policy.
Jessica Thompson Melton, MHA, is the Chief Transformation Officer at UF Health, a position she began on October 14, 2024. In this role, she focuses on fostering continuous improvement, driving strategic change, and enhancing organizational effectiveness. Prior to joining UF Health, Melton served as the vice president of strategic initiatives at Johns Hopkins Health System, where she was responsible for revamping business processes and improving clinical technologies. She also held the position of president and chief operating officer at Suburban Hospital in Bethesda, Maryland, which is part of Johns Hopkins Health System. Her experience also includes serving as interim president and chief operating officer at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital and Sentara Heart Hospital in Norfolk, Virginia. Melton spent over ten years in various leadership roles at Duke University Hospital in Durham, North Carolina, including vice president of medical, surgical and critical care services, vice president of emergency services and patient flow, administrative director of emergency preparedness and trauma, and director of the Duke Preparedness and Response Center. Jessica Thompson Melton holds both a Bachelor of Science degree and a Master of Healthcare Administration with concentrations in finance, community preparedness, and disaster management from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She completed a hospital administrative fellowship at Duke University Hospital and is a certified executive coach and holds a Six Sigma Greenbelt certification. She has been recognized for her work, including being named a 2018 Up & Comer by Modern Healthcare magazine and a Woman to Watch in Healthcare Leadership in 2016 by Deloitte.
Kim Metzger is the Interim Senior Associate Vice President and Chief Advancement Officer at UF Health. Prior to joining UF, she spent 14 years at Johns Hopkins Medicine, where she was the senior director of development & external relations for neurosurgery, physical medicine, and rehabilitation. In that role, she worked with donors globally to secure philanthropic support for research, patient care, and education. Notably, she led a division that raised $116 million for neurosurgical diseases and was instrumental in securing a $75 million gift to establish The Neurosurgery Pain Research Institute at Johns Hopkins. Her career history also includes experience in collegiate and professional sports and higher education, consistently focusing on aligning donor interests with organizational goals. Metzger was drawn to UF Health by its continued growth and the potential to expand the major gifts program throughout Florida. In her current position, she is responsible for overseeing the College of Medicine's fundraising initiatives and is a key member of the UF Health Advancement leadership team, managing significant donor relationships and collaborating with various internal partners.
Oversight of the UF Health St. Johns and the UF Health Jacksonville hospital systems. Has served as CEO of UF Health Jacksonville since July 2023. Collaborated with the city of Jacksonville and led major new initiatives in Northeast Florida.
Responsible for UF Health hospitals and outpatient locations in The Villages and Leesburg, including UF Health Spanish Plaines Hospital and UF Health Leesburg Hospital, and outpatient locations throughout Lake and Sumter counties. Has served as CEO of UF Health Central Florida since December 2022.
Recently appointed and will join UF Health on March 17. Will oversee UF Health Shands inpatient and hospital-based outpatient facilities and the UF Health Ocala Neighborhood Hospital. Previously the executive vice president and chief operating officer of Yale-New Haven Hospital. Shares in UF Health's vision for optimizing collaboration across the clinical enterprise and is committed to fostering a culture of collaboration.