Gainesville-based University of Florida Health Shands Hospital and Leesburg-based Central Florida Health entered into an affiliation agreement Feb. 7 to expand patient access to care and to explore the creation of primary care physician training opportunities.
Here are three things to know about the affiliation.
1. The organizations will work to create physician training opportunities at Central Florida Health's two hospitals in Leesburg and The Villages, Fla.
2. UF Health Shands and Central Florida Health will meet regularly during the next several months to define the specifics of their affiliation, which will include clinical, research and educational services opportunities. Officials will also discuss best practices to improve quality of care and discuss safety initiatives.
3. The organizations already collaborate on several programs, including the provision of comprehensive stroke care and various educational opportunities, and work together to provide patients access to the latest technology and advanced treatments available.
"This affiliation is an acknowledgment of the great care we already offer, and a means to find ways of coordinating care for patients from our local community who have especially complex medical problems we don't typically treat," said Don Henderson, president and CEO of Central Florida Health.