Patient Programs
UF Health Shands Hospital offers many unique programs its various communities - adult patients, children, their families and visitors. These programs provide support for the stresses of hospitalization, as well as general health and well-being.
Arts in Medicine
UF physicians, nurses and Gainesville community artists collaborate on the Arts in Medicine program, which centers on the belief that art is an integral component to healing. Arts in Medicine includes artists-in-residence using dance, music, drama, creative writing and the visual arts to enhance the patient experience and to transform the physical hospital setting.
Child Life Program
The Child Life Program was established to help children and families cope with the stress and anxiety of hospitalization. Child Life Specialists at UF Health Shands Children's Hospital are certified professionals who understand child development and provide interventions in an environment that will support normal growth and development.
ElderCare of Alachua County
ElderCare provides services to seniors such as delivering meals to homebound seniors, providing daycare for Alzheimer's patients and providing transportation.
Integrative Medicine
The UF Health Integrative Medicine Program aims to treat the whole person – mind, body and spirit. The team, which includes a holistic nurse, massage therapists, and yoga, martial arts, guided imagery and mindfulness practitioners, are dedicated to helping patients achieve optimal health and well-being in all aspects of life.
PALS Program
Partners in Adolescent Lifestyle Support, overseen by professionals at UF Health Psychiatric Hospital, provides peer support and therapeutic intervention to troubled students and enhances leadership skills for teen leaders.
Speakers Resource Program
The Speakers Resource Program is a free community education service that provides community organizations, schools, businesses and civic clubs with educational programs presented by Shands professionals.
Streetlight Program
UF Health Shands Children's Hospital has been bringing hope into the lives of adolescents for years. Streetlight, a ground-breaking pilot program, meets their unique psychosocial needs by customizing the rooms of patients, facilitating relationships with peers, profiling and preserving their non-medical identity, keeping them connected to pop culture and promoting self-advocacy and independence.
UF Health at Work
The UF Health at Work program offers local companies reliable health information, education and preventive screenings at the work site or other convenient locations.
UF Health Senior Medical-Legal Partnership
The UF Health Senior Medical-Legal Partnership is a project of Three Rivers Legal Services, Inc., in partnership with UF Health to provide confidential free legal assistance to low-income senior patients. Three Rivers Legal Services is a non-profit law firm dedicated to providing quality free civil legal aid to the poor, abused, disabled and elderly.
UF Health Wellness University
UF Health Wellness University believes the path to a healthier life leads nowhere without knowledge. That’s why we offer classes, programs, groups, activities, resources and health fairs throughout Gainesville, Ocala and The Villages® communities. These events are led by experts in health and wellness from UF Health.