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Nondiscrimination and Accessibility
- Discrimination is Against the Law.

UF Health complies with applicable Federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin (including Limited English Proficiency and primary language), age, disability, or sex (consistent with the scope of sex discrimination described at 45 CFR § 92.101(a)(2)).

UF Health does not exclude people or treat them less favorably because of race, color, national origin, age, disability or sex.

UF Health provides individuals with disabilities with reasonable modifications and appropriate auxiliary aids and services, including qualified interpreters and information in alternate formats, such as braille or large print, free of charge and in a timely manner, when such modifications, aids, and services are necessary.

UF Health provides language assistance services, including electronic and written translated documents and oral interpretation, free of charge and in a timely manner, when such services are a reasonable step to provide meaningful access to an individual with Limited English Proficiency (LEP).

If you need reasonable modifications, appropriate auxiliary aids and services, or language assistance services, contact the Section 1557 Coordinator for the area as listed below.

Filing a grievance

If you believe we have failed to provide these services or discriminated in another way on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex, you can file a grievance with:

UF Health Shands

Patient Experience Department
Address: P.O. Box 100343
Gainesville, FL 32610
Phone: (352) 265-0123
Fax: (352) 627-4719

UF Health Jacksonville and UF Jacksonville Physicians, INC

Patient Experience/Patient Relations Department
655 W. 8th Street
Jacksonville, Florida 32209
Phone: (904) 244-4427
Fax: (904) 244-4916
Patientrelations@jax.ufl.edu

UF Health Central Florida

Clinical Risk Management/ Patient Relations Department
600 E. Dixie Avenue
Leesburg, FL 34748
Phone: (352) 323-5410 (Leesburg and Spanish Plaines)
Fax: (352) 323-5419

UF Health St Johns

Risk Management/Patient Experience Department
400 Health Park Blvd
St. Augustine, FL 32086
Phone: (904) 819-4667
Fax: (904) 819-4944

You can file a grievance in person or by mail, fax, or email. If you need help filing a grievance, the Section 1557 Coordinator is available to help you.

Filing a civil rights complaint

You can also file a civil rights complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights:

Language assistance services

Notice of Nondiscrimination and Availability of Services (Various Languages)

Filing a discrimination-based Complaint

If you believe UF Health has failed to provide services or has discriminated in another way on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability, you can:

File a complaint

UF Health has adopted an internal grievance procedure providing for prompt and equitable resolution of complaints alleging any action prohibited by Section 1557 and its implementing regulations at 45 C.F. Part 92, issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services regulations implementing the Act.

Section 1557 Coordinator Contact Information

Section 1557 and its implementing regulations may be examined from the personnel below who have been designated to coordinate the efforts of UF Health, to comply with Section 1557 (Section 1557 Coordinator).

UF Health’s Section 1557 Coordinator can be reached at:

UF Health Shands

Patient Experience Department
Address: P.O. Box 100343
Gainesville, FL 32610
Phone: (352) 265-0123
Fax: (352) 627-4719

UF Health Jacksonville and UF Jacksonville Physicians, INC

Patient Experience/Patient Relations Department
655 W. 8th Street
Jacksonville, Florida 32209
Phone: (904) 244-4427
Fax: (904) 244-4916
Patientrelations@jax.ufl.edu

UF Health Central Florida

Clinical Risk Management/ Patient Relations Department
600 E. Dixie Avenue
Leesburg, FL 34748
Phone: (352) 323-5410 (Leesburg and Spanish Plaines)
Fax: (352) 323-5419

UF Health St Johns

Risk Management/Patient Experience Department
400 Health Park Blvd
St. Augustine, FL 32086
Phone: (904) 819-4667
Fax: (904) 819-4944

Notice of non-retaliation

Any person who believes that UF Health subjected someone to discrimination prohibited by Section 1557 may file a grievance under this procedure. It is against the law for UF Health to intimidate, threaten, coerce, retaliate, or otherwise discriminate against anyone who files a complaint/grievance, or participates in the investigation of a complaint for the purpose of interfering with any right or privilege secured by Section 1557.

Grievance Procedure

  1. How to file a discrimination-based complaint: Complaints must be submitted to the Section 1557 Coordinator within 60 days of the date you become aware of the alleged discriminatory action. Please contact the Section 1557 Coordinator above to submit the complaint and a written decision will be issued within 30 days of filing it.
  2. How to appeal the written decision: If you wish to appeal the Section 1557 Coordinator’s written decision, you can contact the Compliance and Privacy Office by calling 1-800-329-3569 within 15 days of receiving the decision. Compliance and Privacy will issue a written decision in response to the appeal no later than 30 days after its filing.
  3. How to receive Language Assistance and Auxiliary Aids and Services: UF Health will make appropriate arrangements to provide individuals with disabilities and individuals with limited English proficiency language assistance services, if needed to participate in this grievance process. Such arrangements may include, but are not limited to providing qualified interpreters or other aids. The Section 1557 Coordinator can assist you with these services.
  4. How to file a federal civil rights complaint to HHS (OCR): The availability and use of this UF Health’s grievance procedure does not prevent you from pursuing other legal or administrative remedies, including filing a complaint of discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability in court or with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights (OCR).

You can file electronically through the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) Complaint Portal or by mail at:

U.S. Department of Health and Human Service
200 Independence Avenue
SW Room 509F, HHH Building
Washington, D.C. 20201

Complaint forms are available on the hhs.gov website

Complaints must be filed within 180 days of the date of the alleged discrimination.

Language access services

We provide free aids and services to people whose primary language is not English and to people with disabilities in order to communicate effectively with their care teams.

Accessible UF

A central resource on University of Florida accessibility resources and initiatives.