New UF Heart & Vascular, Neuromedicine hospitals open to accolades

UF Health not only expanded on its mission of patient-centered care with the opening of the UF Heart & Vascular Hospital and the UF Health Neuromedicine Hospital on December 10, but the facilities also received national acclaim.

The new UF Health Heart & Vascular and Neuromedicine hospitals are the first medical facilities in the Southeast to earn a prestigious four Green Globes certification for environmental friendliness.

This is the highest building certification available from the nonprofit Green Building Initiative, which has awarded four Green Globes to only two other buildings in Florida. One of those is a University of Florida neighbor, Gainesville’s Meadowbrook Elementary School.

The certification shows the hospitals demonstrate “national leadership and excellence in the practice of energy, water and environmental efficiency to reduce environmental impacts,” according to the organization.

The new hospitals represent an important step in UF Health’s ongoing efforts to meet the growing needs of patients in the Gainesville area, throughout the state, and beyond.

People who come to UF Health in need of medical evaluation and treatment for cardiovascular or neurologic disease will be cared for, in a single comprehensive location, by a team of highly skilled physicians, nurses and other health professionals who are entirely dedicated to the care of patients with these conditions.

University research and education are intertwined with patient care, said W. Kent Fuchs, Ph.D., president of the University of Florida.

“The opening of these new hospitals will spur the translation of scientific discoveries and enhance our training of health care professionals, while augmenting our ability to serve patients in Florida and beyond who increasingly seek our care,” Fuchs said.

The new facilities include more expanded surgical space than what was previously available for minimally invasive heart, vascular and neuromedicine procedures. Additionally, each patient room is equipped with specialized technology to aid patients in managing their personal environment while in the hospital. These features will help reduce complications, improve the patient experience, and provide better outcomes and faster recovery times.

Encompassing 521,104 square feet, the new UF Health Heart & Vascular Hospital and UF Health Neuromedicine Hospital have a combined 216 private rooms – 120 for heart and vascular patients and 96 for those requiring neurological and neurosurgical care. The hospitals also feature 15 operating rooms – five general ORs each for cardiovascular care and neurosurgery procedures, two neurosurgical hybrid ORs (i.e., surgical theaters equipped with advanced imaging), one cardiac hybrid OR and two vascular hybrid ORs.

Through these two new hospitals, UF Health continues to grow in capability to fulfill its mission to conduct breakthrough research that can be translated into improved clinical outcomes.