UF Health Shands CEO Ed Jimenez elected chair of Safety Net Hospital Alliance board

UF Health Shands CEO Ed Jimenez has been elected to chair the Safety Net Hospital Alliance of Florida’s board of directors. The group advocates for the state’s 14 flagship safety net hospital systems, which provide the most advanced critical care to patients regardless of their ability to pay.

Jimenez will serve a two-year term on the 14-member board, composed of CEOs from teaching, public, children’s and regional perinatal intensive care hospitals. Safety Net Alliance hospitals provide specialized care to uninsured, underinsured and Medicaid patients. They also train the next generation of physicians and nurses, conduct leading-edge research that leads to important medical advances and provide lifesaving services such as organ transplantation, intensive burn treatment and the highest-level trauma care.

“I am especially proud to be a part of the team that advocates for the resources that provide health care services to our neediest residents. Safety net hospitals depend on state and federal funding, so the Hospital Alliance’s role is crucial,” Jimenez said.

The Safety Net Alliance hospitals are public or not-for-profit, mission-driven facilities that put patients before profits. Funds from reimbursed services are reinvested locally in health services, facilities, equipment, innovation and jobs.

As a large and diversified academic health center that operates teaching and safety net hospitals in Gainesville and Jacksonville, UF Health has a broad range of expertise and specialized programs, including the UF Health Shands Burn Center, the UF Health Shands Transplant Center, two Level 1 trauma centers and a neonatal intensive care center. UF Health also runs a robust physician residency program that trains the state’s future health care providers.

Safety Net Alliance members represent just 10 percent of the state’s hospitals but provide almost 50 percent of the charity care in Florida and nearly 50 percent of Medicaid hospital care, according to the Alliance. Jimenez said he welcomes the opportunity to keep state and federal leaders aware of the particular challenges and responsibilities facing Florida’s Safety Net Alliance hospitals.

Jimenez has nearly 25 years of health care management and leadership experience. He was appointed CEO of UF Health Shands in April 2015 after serving as interim CEO and chief operating officer. His tenure includes overseeing construction projects as well as improvements in operations, financial performance and employee engagement.