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From The Gainesville Sun:

UF, Shands broadening their reach

By Nathan Crabbe | Staff writer

With the landscape of health care shifting, Shands HealthCare and the University of Florida are seeking to build new facilities in Gainesville and other parts of the state. This week’s groundbreaking of a primary care practice called UF&Shands Family Medicine at Main marks the latest part of the health system’s expansion. Next month, a groundbreaking will be held for a new facility combining some of Shands’ specialty care practices near Shands Vista and Rehab hospitals on Northwest 39th Avenue. On campus, UF is planning a new medical education building that would include a tower that would be the health science center equivalent of Century Tower. Beyond Gainesville, Shands is planning a new hospital in north Jacksonville, considering a medical facility in The Villages south of Gainesville and discussing a partnership with Orlando Health. David Guzick, president of the UF&Shands Health System, presented the ideas to UF trustees at a recent retreat in St. Augustine. He said the campus construction will accommodate a new medical school curriculum, allowing for new technology and a shift from large lecture halls to smaller rooms that allow students to work in groups. The expansion of clinical facilities also comes in the context of broader changes to health care. Guzick said declining state and national funding and other changes will force Shands and other health care providers to alter the way they operate.

Read more at: http://www.gainesville.com/article/20110924/articles/110929758