As part of a project under the system integration pillar in the College of Medicine’s strategic plan, leaders across the college and UF Health Shands Hospital are working together to collect data to optimize revenue cycle management, and in turn, create more efficient systems that prioritize the needs of faculty, staff and patients.

Daniel Hoh, M.D., a professor in the Lillian S. Wells Department of Neurosurgery and assistant dean of revenue cycle management at the College of Medicine, serves as the project’s champion. He says the value of an efficient revenue cycle process is the impact it has on supporting the college’s missions in patient care, education, research and improving the health of the community.

On May 20, 140 UF medical students in the class of 2023 received their diplomas and recited the Hippocratic oath, exiting the Curtis M. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts as doctors of medicine for the first time.

“Empathy-based medicine is perhaps the most important of all,” said Kimberly D. Manning, M.D., a professor of medicine and associate vice chair of diversity, equity and inclusion at the Emory University School of Medicine, who served as the event’s keynote speaker. “I want you to close your eyes and think about your most cherished person, who you love the most. And think about who that person might be to someone.”

By learning alongside clinical faculty, staff and trainees, doctoral candidates in the medical physics graduate program gain experience that prepares them to not only become well versed in the basic science disciplines needed to develop and use diagnostic imaging, medical radiation treatments, devices and technologies, but also to possess a deep understanding of their clinical implications.

Housed in the department of radiology, the program has seen significant growth in recent years that has led to great success. This spring, all five graduates matched with participating diagnostic imaging medical physics residency programs, marking UF as the program with the most medical physics residency matches in the nation this year. 

“We have known for several years now that our graduates are very sought-after because now the programs in the country know how well-trained they are,” said Manuel Arreola, Ph.D., DABR, vice chair of the department of radiology and director of the medical physics graduate program.