The College's Vision
The University of Florida College of Public Health and Health Professions has established a new educational model that focuses on the integration of public health problem-solving and individual patient care.
Throughout most of its 50-year history, the disciplines within the college have focused on the provision of individual health services. During the last decade, in addition to focusing on educational issues regarding health services, the college has also focused on the development of science to demonstrate the effectiveness of the types of services our disciplines render. It is clear, however, that many of the health-related issues our patients face go far beyond any individual health service provided by a single practitioner. Lifestyle and behavior have become the most predominant predictors of early morbidity and mortality in the United States and in developed nations throughout the world. The college’s faculty has recognized that while individual interventions can be highly effective, broader population-based solutions must be sought for issues in the areas of rehabilitation and chronic illness.
To address the nation’s rising levels of chronic illness and disability, the faculty began discussions in 2000 on the importance of addressing population perspectives in the college’s programs. The college decided to become a college of public health and health professions that valued the historic successes and contributions of the college’s traditional disciplines, while expanding the college’s horizons to include a broad population perspective, a greater appreciation for prevention and a commitment to fostering the interdisciplinary collaborations essential to solving today’s complex health problems.
As a fully developed college of public health with a legacy as a top college of health professions, the issues and challenges of chronic diseases and disabilities are a natural fit. Within this complicated set of health problems, the college’s faculty must also address such critical public health challenges as disparities in health status and health care, the effects of natural and human-made disasters on people with these health concerns, and many other factors.
Our vision is to lead in the development and application of innovative models of education, research, and service that promote collaboration between public health and health professions.
