UF Health leaders transition to new roles

April 18, 2014

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Two UF Health leaders will assume new roles within the system as of July 1. Timothy M. Goldfarb, CEO of UF Health Shands since 2001, will be the UF Health executive vice president for regional and governmental affairs, and Ed Jimenez, chief operating officer for UF Health Shands Hospital and senior vice president, will serve as interim CEO of UF Health Shands.

“Tim Goldfarb has brought to UF Health Shands substantial accumulated experience as a hospital executive, and also recognition as a national leader in graduate medical education and university health systems,” said David S. Guzick, UF senior vice president for health affairs and president of UF Health. “Building on this extensive background, his thoughtful, energetic and sophisticated leadership ensured that UF Health Shands not only thrived as a hospital but also as a supporter of the research and education missions of the University of Florida. He will bring that same wealth of experience to his new role within the system.”

Goldfarb guided the hospital system through a period of rapid change within the health care industry, during which he oversaw an expanding campus and workforce. He and his leadership team purchased property on the south side of Archer Road and developed a long-term vision for the academic health center, which led to the opening of the UF Health Shands Cancer Hospital in 2009. That same year, Goldfarb led the transition of the Shands AGH hospital closure, following through on his promise to provide jobs at UF Health Shands for those who staffed the community hospital. The UF Health Shands system has continued to be a major economic catalyst in North Central Florida, generating well-paying jobs for health care workers as well as project-specific jobs during construction of new buildings.

“Many health care system CEOs only stay a few years to help the organization grow and strengthen, but I could not leave UF Health,” Goldfarb said. “Our faculty and employees are like family to me and there is still exciting work to be done. I enjoy building relationships with colleagues at other hospitals and academic health centers to improve the quality of health care, and I am passionate about advocating on behalf of our patients and UF Health when it comes to health policy and funding.”

In addition to all the growth and change that Goldfarb oversaw, he is well-known within the system for his inclusive leadership style.

“Tim is someone who respects all disciplines and assures that everyone is at the table,” said Irene Alexaitis, D.N.P., R.N., N.E.A.-B.C., chief nursing officer and vice president for nursing and patient care services at UF Health Shands Hospital. “Through all the changes that have happened in the past decade, he has kept the organization on an even keel.”

Goldfarb played an instrumental role in the transition that brought the hospital and academic health center even closer together, making the move last year from UF&Shands to UF Health. Throughout his tenure, he has worked closely with the College of Medicine to strengthen ties between research, academics and patient care, and this will continue to be a focus in his new role.

“Tim Goldfarb has been a tremendous supporter and partner of the medical school, as well as a friend to me personally,” said Michael L. Good, M.D., dean of the UF College of Medicine. “He believes in faculty physicians and the important roles they play in academic health care teams. The UF College of Medicine’s rise in national rankings for research and education relates directly to the impressive success of the hospital under Tim’s leadership. Even as he prepares for this career transition, Tim has been working day and night in Tallahassee and Washington, D.C., on critical funding issues that will affect the college for years to come.”

The newly created position will focus on two areas that Goldfarb has already strengthened during his tenure as CEO — regional partnerships and legislative affairs. Over the years, Goldfarb has developed strong, strategic, regional affiliations with Orlando Health, Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare and Halifax Medical Center. He ensured continued success for the UF Health Shands system’s three rural hospitals by establishing a joint venture with Health Management Associates, now Community Health Systems, to operate, manage and invest in these facilities. The relationship has extended to include clinical programs in stroke management and other conditions at many HMA/CHS hospitals and, most recently, a new joint venture in Munroe Regional Medical Center. In addition to developing relationships with regional hospitals, Goldfarb has been instrumental in strengthening relationships with state elected officials and advocating on behalf of UF Health and its patients to secure legislation and funding for important initiatives in support of research and safety-net services.

As Goldfarb has devoted more time in recent months to these areas, Jimenez has taken on increasing responsibility for executive leadership of UF Health Shands. He has overseen operations for the system, including the 900-bed academic medical center, which includes a cancer hospital and children’s hospital; two specialty hospitals in behavioral health and rehabilitation; a network of ambulatory centers; a home-health agency; and associated programs. He is responsible for a $1.5 billion operating budget and approximately 8,000 UF Health Shands employees, as well as acting as a liaison to a credentialed medical staff of 890 UF faculty and community physicians and 680 residents and fellows. He has overseen multiple million-dollar construction projects, programmatic initiatives and innovations.

“Ed is incredibly talented with a strong vision, insights and operational skills, and he is passionate about leadership and mentoring,” Guzick said. “Those are the qualities that we’re looking for as UF Health Shands continues to evolve.”