Team Florida

Explore Magazine
By Joseph Kays

David Nelson is a team player.

“I’ve always enjoyed team sports,” Nelson says, “Growing up, I hated cross country, I hated swimming. I played basketball and volleyball and focused most on soccer.”

He played soccer so well that he had his sights set on the U.S. Olympic team until an injury derailed that dream and put him on the road to medical school.

Today, Nelson is captaining UF’s efforts to build teams that are changing the way Florida and the nation move new medical […]

Central Florida Health

Central Florida Health (CFH) recently released its Community Health Needs Assessment as part of the organization’s efforts to improve the health and wellness of the communities it serves.

Because CFH operates separate hospitals that serve both Leesburg and The Villages, independent assessments were done for each community. The focus of the assessment in the Leesburg area was North Lake County and the focus of the assessment in The Villages area was Sumter and South Marion County.
Developed in partnership with WellFlorida Council, the assessments […]

WellFlorida Council is conducting surveys to gauge the health of Hernando County. Community members, healthcare providers and business leaders are invited to share their views on health and healthcare in the county by taking a 10-minute survey. Community member survey participants will have the opportunity to win a $50 VISA gift card.

The surveys are available at www.WellFlorida.org (select “Survey”). To receive a printed version of the surveys, or for additional information regarding the surveys, call or email Lindsey Redding at lredding@www.wellflorida.org or (352) […]

April Warren
Gainesville Sun

From 2015 to 2016, Alachua County saw an increase in low weight births from 8.8 percent to 9 percent, according to the 2016 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute County Health Rankings, which were released in mid-March. Overall, the county fell seven spots — from 18 in the state in 2015 to 25 in 2016 — among Florida counties for health outcomes. The measure looks at low weight births, early deaths for all residents and also looks […]

Naomi L.P. Ardjomand-Kermani of WellFlorida Council Inc., St. Petersburg City Council member Steve Kornell, and Kristen Whitesell of Metro Wellness and Community Centers presented at Stetson law school on March 31 on the need for a law and policy response to rising cases of HIV infection in Florida.

Stetson’s Lambda Legal Society, Black Law Students Association, Health Care Law Association and Law Students for Reproductive Justice co-sponsored the program for students on HIV/AIDS and the Law.

“The impetus for this program was the release of some startling statistics in 2015 specific to […]

Insider
By Laura Castro

If you live in Alachua County, please take a few minutes to complete a survey that will help UF Health and other local health care partners better understand and meet the long-term health needs of the community.

The Alachua County Community Health Needs Assessment will provide us with a snapshot of our community’s overall health: It helps determine the effectiveness and efficiency of health care and identifies factors affecting the population that need attention to improve health.

The survey will be available until […]

Gainesville Sun
By Christopher Curry

While still faring better than most of the state, Alachua County dropped several spots in the latest annual county-by-county ranking of residents’ health.

Neighboring rural counties – including Union, Putnam and Bradford – again ranked toward the bottom of the state’s 67 counties, a situation health care providers serving those areas attributed to limited access to medical care, grocery stores with fresh foods and exercise opportunities.

Released on Wednesday, the 2016 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute County […]

Special to the Gainesville Sun

What are the characteristics of a healthy community? Your answer to this question may depend on how you feel about your own personal health, such as how often you eat healthy foods or exercise.
To others, it may mean living in a safe neighborhood, or having access to the doctors and medical services they need. Definitions of a healthy community can vary, but are all important when working together to uncover the core health issues in our area.

Thankfully, residents of Alachua […]