J Magazine Winter 2017

J PARTNER PROFILE
By Barbara Gavan
Leon Haley (left), CEO of UF Health Jacksonville,
and Stuart Klein, executive director of the
UF Health Proton Therapy Institute.
UF Health Jacksonville and
UF Health Proton Therapy Institute
Healthcare essential to Downtown Jacksonville’s development
ith many innovations, updates and additions, UF Health
W has been a powerful presence in Downtown Jacksonville
since its inception in 1870 as Duval Hospital and Asylum. It
has never left the Downtown area.
“Our mission is to heal, to comfort, to educate
and to discover,” said CEO Leon Haley. “And our
vision is to be the region’s most valued healthcare
asset. As such, we seek out opportunities to partner
with business, government and the community in
improving the Downtown core by bringing new
jobs and creating wellness opportunities.”
The UF Health Proton Therapy Institute also is a
big draw in Downtown Jacksonville, and a contributor to its improvement.
“We are a regional resource for the city and the state, but about 60
percent of our patients come from outside the area,” said Executive
Director Stuart Klein. “Treatment usually lasts for six to eight weeks,
so patients are essentially moving here for two months. We have
access to a 35-unit apartment building on Main Street that is normally
90 percent filled. Patients spend about $5,000 to
6,000 each on housing, entertainment and food
— and many of our employees live Downtown —
giving quite an economic boost to the area.”
Both men feel that Downtown is on the way up
and consider their organizations to be an integral
part of that movement.
“The entire community is served by better
healthcare, and we all benefit from living in a
healthier community,” Haley said. “From there, we have to look at
who and what we want to attract to Downtown, what will add value
for the larger picture of what Jacksonville wants to be. That is the ultimate
goal for everyone who cares about Jacksonville.”
WILL DICKEY
QUICK
TAKES
RESPONSIBLE GROWTH THE KEY
“We’re very excited about the growth coming in areas like The Shipyards
and The District. As a major healthcare provider, we would like to put things
in place that will assure best practices, to offer our research and education
capabilities to assist those who are improving Downtown with the creation
of healthy living spaces, varied areas for exercise and healthy eating options.”
– Dr. Leon Haley, CEO, UF Health Jacksonville
ACCESS IMPORTANT FOR GROWTH
“Access is very important for a vibrant Downtown and for our
patients, who come here from across the country – and around the
world. In Jacksonville, patients have easy access to the airport, to
I-95, to Downtown. But, as visitors to Florida, I’m sure they would
appreciate having improved access to the river and beaches.”
– Stuart Klein, executive director, UF Health Proton Therapy Institute
WINTER 2017-18 | J MAGAZINE 43