UF Health Shands

UF Health Shands is recognized as Florida’s premier hospital system, thanks to our commitment to quality clinical care that yields outstanding outcomes and continually earns us national recognition. It is our privilege to offer distinguished, patient-centered care and build upon our role as the state’s premier provider of medical expertise and specialties.

UF Health’s Gainesville-based private, not-for-profit hospital system includes six unique hospitals:

  • UF Health Shands Hospital
  • UF Health Shands Cancer Hospital
  • UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital
  • UF Health Heart & Vascular Hospital
  • UF Health Neuromedicine Hospital
  • UF Health Psychiatric Hospital

UF Health Shands Hospital is also home to a state-designated Level I trauma center, capable of providing complete care for every aspect of injury. Our trauma surgeons and emergency medicine physicians are on-site 24/7, along with our specialists in orthopaedic surgery, neurosurgery, cardiothoracic surgery, vascular surgery, hand surgery, microvascular surgery, plastic surgery, obstetric and gynecologic surgery, ophthalmology, otolaryngology, oral and maxillofacial surgery, and urology. When there’s no time to waste, it’s best to have highly trained medical specialists across the hall instead of across town.

The hospital also offers patients the highest level of care available for premature and critically ill newborns with its renowned neonatal intensive care unit, as well as a regional burn center and an emergency air and ground transport program. A medical staff of more than 1,000 UF College of Medicine faculty and community physicians provides care in over 100 specialty and subspecialty medical areas, from primary care to highly specialized and complex care.

UF Health Shands Hospital has built relationships with affiliates throughout the state in services such as cancer, heart surgery, neurosurgery, pediatrics, pediatric cardiology, pediatric nephrology, vascular surgery and addiction medicine. The UF Health Rehab Hospital, a collaboration between UF Health and Select Medical, was recognized as being among the top 10 physical rehabilitation centers in Florida by Newsweek magazine in 2022. UF Health Shands Hospital also is affiliated with urgent care centers in Gainesville and Ocala and collaborates with other hospitals and health care providers to expand access to clinical programs and research and education efforts.

Our commitment to deliver the highest-quality, safest patient care possible is reflected in our clinical outcomes and the national recognition we consistently earn, with many of our programs ranked in the nation’s Top 50 best adult and children’s hospitals, according to U.S. News & World Report. Hospitality and service are hallmarks of our patients’ experience. Our engaged employees operate with the belief that we can make a positive impact with every interaction to create an environment where people feel acknowledged, understood, safe and valued.

At a Glance

1,111 Licensed patient beds

123,578 E.R. and trauma visits

9,889 ShandsCair emergency air and ground transports

52,873 Admissions (excluding newborns)

14,400+ Employees

1,079 Medical staff physicians

*Data from fiscal year 2022-23

UF Health Physicians

University of Florida Health Physicians, the large multispecialty faculty practice of the UF College of Medicine, offers access to more than 1,000 providers in over 100 specialties. UF Health has primary care locations throughout Gainesville, Ocala, Starke, Lake City and Old Town. In addition, outpatient specialty services are available across the region, bringing a multidisciplinary approach to care to residents throughout most of North Central Florida, the Panhandle and Central Florida.

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Clinical Programs of Distinction

At UF Health, our distinguished disciplines routinely work in concert, and we put the spotlight on these joint efforts because of the resounding impact they have on our patients’ well-being. These exceptional teams accomplish this through research, cross-college curricular development and promotion of faculty-hospital collaborations to align with clinical programs.

Awards & Recognitions

University of Florida Health Shands Hospital has been consistently recognized as the top hospital in Florida and among the best hospitals in the country.

World-class care

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  • UF Health Shands Hospital ranked among the nation’s best in nine combined specialties (five adult and four pediatric specialties) in the 2023-24 U.S. News & World Report “Best Hospitals” survey. The highest rankings for the hospital came in ear, nose & throat; geriatrics; neurology & neurosurgery; obstetrics & gynecology; and pulmonology & lung surgery. UF Health Shands Hospital also was listed as “high performing” in four specialties, including cardiology, heart & vascular surgery; gastroenterology & GI surgery; orthopedics; and urology.
  • UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital is committed to providing high-quality, compassionate, leading-edge care to children and families from every corner of Florida and more than 20 countries around the globe. As a leader in care, UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital is honored to be recognized as a nationally ranked hospital in four pediatric specialties: diabetes and endocrinology (10th), pulmonology and lung surgery (24th), cardiology and heart surgery (26th) and neonatology (35th), according to the U.S. News & World Report rankings for 2023-24.

ANCC Magnet designation

  • In spring 2023, UF Health Shands hospitals and programs achieved a fifth consecutive Magnet designation by the American Nurses Credentialing Center — the profession’s top recognition for quality patient outcomes and nursing excellence. Fewer than 1% of hospitals and health systems nationwide have received Magnet designation, and only 43 health care organizations in the nation have received five or more consecutive awards. Each designation lasts four years. Since 2003, several UF Health hospitals and programs have earned Magnet designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center.

Best employer honors 

  • UF Health ranks No. 54 on the Forbes list of Florida’s 100 best workplaces and No. 106 in the nation for female workers. The statewide Forbes list is based on surveys of more than 70,000 people who worked for companies with at least 500 employees. The Forbes list of best workplaces for women surveyed 50,000 Americans — 30,000 women and 20,000 men — working for businesses with at least 1,000 employees.

‘A’ Hospital Safety Grade From The Leapfrog Group

UF Health Shands Hospital earned an “A” Hospital Safety Grade in spring 2023 from The Leapfrog Group, a national nonprofit that reports on safety and quality in hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers. The distinction celebrates UF Health Shands Hospital’s achievements in prioritizing patient safety by protecting patients from preventable harm and errors. The new grade reflects performance primarily during the height of the pandemic.

The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade is the only hospital ratings program based exclusively on prevention of medical errors and harm to patients. The grading system is peer-reviewed, transparent and free to the public. Grades are updated every fall and spring.

North Central Florida’s only NCI-designated cancer center

The UF Health Cancer Center has received prestigious designation from the National Cancer Institute, or NCI, and joins the ranks of the country’s most distinguished cancer centers, becoming the 72nd in the United States and the only one in North Central Florida. The designation signifies that the UF Health Cancer Center has met rigorous standards in its leading-edge cancer research programs, advanced scientific leadership, distinctive training programs and forward-thinking community outreach.

At a time when Florida has the nation’s second-highest cancer burden, the funding will provide more resources for innovative clinical trials and increase access to cancer care. Being part of the NCI network means patients in North Central Florida and beyond can be assured of access to the most advanced cancer treatments and innovation — backed by research conducted by dedicated scientists.

Cancer Center of Excellence 

The UF Health Cancer Center is currently recognized as a state-designated Cancer Center of Excellence by the Florida governor’s office and the Florida Department of Health. The designation by the Florida Legislature recognizes hospitals and treatment centers that demonstrate excellence in patient-centered coordinated care for people undergoing cancer treatment and chemotherapy.

The cancer center has earned this designation three consecutive times.

A national leader in organ transplantation

UF Health is the nation’s premier program for liver, kidney, and lung transplantation, based on data published by the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients. In the latest reporting from the SRTR in July 2023, UF Health is the No. 1 liver transplant program in the country, No. 2 kidney transplant program and best in the Southeast, and No. 1 in three-year patient survival for lung transplants. UF Health also continues to rank highly in heart transplants and multi-organ transplants.

The SRTR annually evaluates transplant programs around the country for metrics whose importance to transplant candidates are intuitive: how many reach the one-year post-transplant survival mark, how quickly they can get a transplant, and survival rates while on the wait list. Our achievements demonstrate that those who are admitted to UF Health can expect excellence in these key transplant metrics, even patients with the most complex diagnoses.

Health care sustainability

In recognition for its achievement and innovation in health care sustainability, UF Health Shands Hospital received a 2023 Greenhealth Emerald Award and was named a 2023 Greening the OR Circle Honoree by Practice Greenhealth, the nation’s leading organization dedicated to environmental sustainability in health care.

Among best physical rehabilitation centers in Florida 

The UF Health Rehab Hospital, an alliance between Select Medical and UF Health, was recognized as being among the top 10 best physical rehabilitation centers in Florida for 2022 by Newsweek magazine.

Newsweek’s rankings were based on quality of care, service, follow-up care, accommodations and amenities relative to in-state competition. The rankings list the top facilities in the 20 states with the highest number of physical rehabilitation centers, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.