College of Medicine faculty who recently underwent training geared toward improving the quality and safety of health care are now applying what they’ve learned to new projects in Gainesville. Their goal: to develop a training program that will elevate care across the state, region and nation.

As part of a strategic plan project, faculty previously received training in the Comprehensive Unit-based Safety Program, or CUSP, methodology, which seeks to improve the culture of patient safety by providing health teams with tools and support to address patient-safety hazards. During the next phase of CUSP implementation, the project team is developing a training program where UF faculty will share their expertise with other institutions.

University of Florida Health Shands Children’s Hospital has been verified by the American College of Surgeons as a Level 1 pediatric trauma center, one of fewer than 20 in the nation. The verification means that the hospital meets the ACS’s highest standards for staff, resources and equipment to optimally handle a child’s life-threatening injuries.

UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital has long had a state-issued designation as a Level 1 trauma center, meaning it handles the most complex pediatric injury cases. The ACS verification delves much deeper into the inner workings of a trauma center, including how it executes continuous quality improvement and has an array of specialists available.

Building off an idea established by a program alumna, two Ph.D. candidates in the College of Medicine's Biomedical Sciences Program have teamed up to launch a biomedical sciences career development internship program that gives their peers a chance to explore different fields and build connections.

The internship program seeks to enrich students’ understanding of how science can be applied in industry to develop new technologies, find innovative solutions and collaborate across teams.