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(352) 309-1071

Resources

(352) 309-1071

Adult Patient Resources and Services

Pediatric Patient Resources and Services can be found here.

Lodging

Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA)

The FMLA entitles eligible employees of covered employers to take unpaid, job-protected leave for specified family and medical reasons with continuation of group health insurance coverage under the same terms and conditions as if the employee had not taken leave. Eligible employees are entitled to twelve workweeks of leave in a 12-month period:

  • to care for the employee’s spouse, child, or parent who has a serious health condition
  • due to an employee’s serious health condition

Social Security Disability

The Social Security and Supplemental Security Income disability programs are the largest of several Federal programs that assist people with disabilities. While these two programs are different in many ways, the Social Security Administration administers both and only individuals who have a disability and meet medical criteria may qualify for benefits under either program.

Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) pays benefits to you and certain members of your family if you are "insured," meaning that you worked long enough and paid Social Security taxes. Supplemental Security Income (SSI) pays benefits based on financial need.

Insurance Counseling

If you are struggling to understand your insurance benefits and/or compare & contrast plans to assure the best coverage possible, the Shands Hospital Admitting Office may be able to assist you.

  • In-person: Admissions Office, North Tower, Level 1
  • By Phone: 352-265-0236.

Medical Interpreter and Translation Services

We provide interpretation services each year to thousands of patients and their families with limited English proficiency to ensure patient safety and compassionate care. Spanish medical interpreters are available 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Monday-Friday, to assist patients and families during their hospital stay. We also offer 24/7 phone translation services when our interpreters are unavailable. Contact the Office of Patient Experience for assistance (352) 265-0123.

Air Transportation

  • Grace on Wings: The nation’s only charity air ambulance. Phone: 877-754-7223
  • Air Care Alliance: Volunteer pilots fly to help others! Search their nationwide listing to find out more about the various kinds of flight assistance for medical travel available.
  • Angel Flights Southeast: provides a variety of services to the community, but mostly arranges free air transportation by private aircraft to distant medical facilities when commercial service is not available, impractical or simply not affordable.
  • Vital Flights: Within Florida only; Vital Flight coordinates free air transportation for individuals seeking medical, compassionate, or humanitarian care.
  • Corporate Angel Network: Arranges free travel on corporate jets for cancer patients, bone marrow donors and bone marrow recipients. Must be able to walk up the steps of a corporate aircraft without assistance and be able to travel without use of oxygen, IV, or onboard medical assistance
  • CAIR Flight: a Tampa,FL, based 501c3 corporation that coordinates charitable air travel to those in need. Our typical aircraft seat four people and are non-pressurized. Must be ambulatory. Can carry supplemental oxygen provided by our passenger, if required. Typically, there is room for one family member and limited weight soft-sided luggage.
  • Air Charity Network: a charitable organization that provides access for people in need who are seeking free air transportation to specialized health care facilities or distant destinations due to family, community, or national crisis. Air Charity Network serves all 50 states and its volunteer pilots utilize their own aircraft, fuel and time to provide free air transportation to medical facilities for citizens who are financially distressed or otherwise unable to travel on public transportation.

Ground Transportation

Medicaid Transportation: patients covered under a Florida Medicaid plan have access to transportation assistance services to assure Medicaid recipients can regularly access medical care.

  • You must call at least 48 hours before the appointment to schedule transportation
  • Things you need to know before calling:
    • Medicaid Member ID
    • Name, DOB, home/pickup address, name of any passengers
    • Appointment time and date
    • Address: Shands Hospital, 1600 SW Archer Rd. Gainesville, FL 32610
  • Once you have the above information, call your assigned Medicaid provider listed below and request to arrange transportation to your medical appointment:
  • Sunshine State: (877-659-8421)
  • United Healthcare: (866-726-1457)
  • Humana Medicaid: (866-726-1457)
  • Wellcare & Staywell: (866-591-4066)
  • Prestige: (855-381-3778)
  • Molina: (866-528-0454)

Advance Directives

You have the right to make decisions about your own medical treatment. These decisions become more difficult if, due to illness or a change in mental condition, you are unable to tell your doctor and loved ones what kind of health-care treatments you want. That is why it is important for you to make your wishes known in advance.

A living will and/or health care surrogate are legal documents that allow you to give direction to medical personnel, family and friends concerning your future care when you cannot speak for yourself. You do not need a lawyer to complete Advance Directives.

Pediatric Resources

Lodging

Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA)

The FMLA entitles eligible employees of covered employers to take unpaid, job-protected leave for specified family and medical reasons with continuation of group health insurance coverage under the same terms and conditions as if the employee had not taken leave. Eligible employees are entitled to twelve workweeks of leave in a 12-month period:

  • to care for the employee’s spouse, child, or parent who has a serious health condition
  • due to an employee’s serious health condition

Social Security Disability

SSI makes monthly payments to people with low income and limited resources who are 65 or older, or blind, or disabled. Your child, if younger than age 18, can qualify if he or she has a physical or mental condition, or combination of conditions, that meets Social Security’s definition of disability for children, and if his or her income and resources fall within the eligibility limits.

Insurance Counseling

If you are struggling to understand your insurance benefits and/or compare & contrast plans to assure the best coverage possible, the Shands Hospital Admitting Office may be able to assist you.

  • In-person: Admissions Office, North Tower, Level 1
  • By Phone: 352-265-0236.

Ground Transportation

Medicaid Transportation: patients covered under a Florida Medicaid plan have access to transportation assistance services to assure Medicaid recipients can regularly access medical care.

  • You must call at least 48 hours before the appointment to schedule transportation
  • Things you need to know before calling:
    • Medicaid Member ID
    • Name, DOB, home/pickup address, name of any passengers
    • Appointment time and date
    • Address of appointment: Shands Hospital – 1600 SW Archer Rd. Gainesville, FL 32610
  • Once you have the above information, call your assigned Medicaid provider listed below and request to arrange transportation to your medical appointment:
  • Sunshine State: (877-659-8421)
  • United Healthcare: (866-726-1457)
  • Humana Medicaid: (866-726-1457)
  • Wellcare & Staywell: (866-591-4066)
  • Prestige: (855-381-3778)
  • CMS Ped-I-Care: (855-739-5986)
  • Molina: (866-528-0454)

Air Travel

  • Mercy Medical Flights: If you are in need of assistance in getting transportation to receive medical treatment, we can help. We provide assistance in the air with commercial airline tickets and volunteer pilots and on the ground with gas cards, bus and train tickets.
  • Grace on Wings: The nation’s only charity air ambulance. To be eligible, the patient must have a condition requiring medically-supervised transport for a distance of at least 150 miles.
  • Operation Liftoff: Operation Liftoff provides air travel for children with a life-threatening illness and their parent(s) when medical treatment is not available in their geographical area.
  • Air Care Alliance: Volunteer pilots fly to help others! Search their nationwide listing to find out more about the various kinds of flight assistance for medical travel available.
  • Angel Flights Southeast: provides a variety of services to the community, but mostly arranges free air transportation by private aircraft to distant medical facilities when commercial service is not available, impractical or simply not affordable.
  • Vital Flights: Within Florida only; Vital Flight coordinates free air transportation for individuals seeking medical, compassionate, or humanitarian care.
  • Corporate Angel Network: Arranges free travel on corporate jets for cancer patients, bone marrow donors and bone marrow recipients. Must be able to walk up the steps of a corporate aircraft without assistance and be able to travel without use of oxygen, IV, or onboard medical assistance
  • Miracle Flights: Patients under the age of 18 and up to 2 caregivers (or age 18+ with 1 caregiver); Flights are subject to household income guidelines; receive assistance as often as needed and available
  • Children's Flight of Hope: For children with serious illnesses or injuries, treatment may be available. But sometimes it’s located too far away for them to access. Children’s Flight of Hope (CFOH) is changing that by providing air transportation for children to access specialized medical care.
  • CAIR Flight: a Tampa based organization that coordinates charitable air travel to those in need. The typical aircraft seats four people and are non-pressurized. Must be ambulatory. Can carry supplemental oxygen provided by our passenger, if required. Typically, there is room for one family member and limited weight soft-sided luggage.
  • Air Charity Network: a charitable organization that provides access for people in need who are seeking free air transportation to specialized health care facilities. They serve all 50 states and the volunteer pilots utilize their own aircraft to provide free air transportation to medical facilities for citizens who are financially distressed or otherwise unable to travel on public transportation.

Important Links