UF Health receives four stars for two locations from national consortium

November 20, 2013

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — UF Health has received four stars from the University Healthsystem Consortium, the national alliance of academic medical centers and affiliated hospitals, ranking near the top in overall quality and accountability.

UHC, a group of 118 academic medical centers and 299 affiliated hospitals, uses a composite score in six categories – mortality, effectiveness, safety, equity, patient centeredness and efficiency – to rank member hospitals from one to five stars. To receive four stars, organizations must rank near the top in overall quality and accountability performance. Both UF Health Jacksonville and UF Health Shands Hospital in Gainesville received four stars.

“Our outstanding results are a testament to the successful collaboration of faculty and staff across the organization and our shared purpose toward reaching our goals,” said Dr. David S. Guzick, UF senior vice president for health affairs and president of UF Health. “We place quality patient care at the heart of everything we do, from which excellence in education and research follows. This accomplishment is something we can all celebrate together.”

UF Health Jacksonville and UF Health Shands Hospital in Gainesville were two of 81 medical centers to receive the top ranking possible in equity of care, which takes into account how well an organization serves different genders, races and patients from different socioeconomic backgrounds. As the safety net hospital for northeast Florida, UF Health Jacksonville provides an enormous amount of charity care to the regions uninsured. UF Health Jacksonville also scored high in effectiveness of care and patient centeredness.

The four-star designation in Gainesville also shows the dedication of the staff at both UF Health Shands Hospital and the College of Medicine to a high-quality patient experience.

“We continually strive to have the best outcomes for our patients, and we are proud of this achievement,” said Timothy M. Goldfarb, CEO of UF Health Shands. “This designation is a reflection of our dedication to getting the best care to people.”

“The physicians in the UF College of Medicine work at the leading edge of their fields in many specialties, taking care of some of our most vulnerable patient populations,” said Dr. Michael Good, dean of the UF College of Medicine. “We strive to offer the very best care to our patients.”

UF Health Jacksonville and the University of Florida College of Medicine jointly provide services at centers throughout the region. In addition, a new medical center is under construction in north Jacksonville and will provide outstanding services to the residents of that community beginning in 2015.

“We should be especially proud of those three scores because they show just how dedicated we are to our patients,” said Russ Armistead, CEO of UF Health Jacksonville. “Our focus on giving everyone who comes through our doors the best possible care is reflected in these rankings. I am incredibly honored to work with such a talented group of caregivers. I am also confident that we can achieve five stars, which will put us among the top 10 academic medical centers in the nation.”

“It is great to see UF Health Jacksonville honored as one of the best academic medical centers in the country,” said Dr. Daniel R. Wilson, vice president for health affairs and dean of the UF College of Medicine – Jacksonville. “Residents of North Florida benefit from a true academic health center that is one of the most safe, efficient, and effective in the United States. Our physicians and staff are proud team caregivers who treat all types of illnesses with the most advanced therapies available.”

UHC’s Quality and Accountability Study was designed to help academic medical centers identify structures and practices that are associated with high performance in quality and safety.