UF Putting Families First Receives Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation Award

UF Health’s Putting Families First (IFH) program, started in 1998 by Richard Davidson, MD, MPH and Rhondda Waddell, PhD, LMSW, has received one of the inaugural Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation Awards in Excellence in Social Mission in Health Professions Education.  UF Health is among four individuals and institutions recognized by The Milken Institute School of Public Health at the George Washington University and the Beyond Flexner Alliance.  The awards recognize individuals and groups that education health professionals and have included initiatives such as community engagement, diversity and reduction of health disparities as part of their social mission.

At UF Health, Putting Families First, a program offered through the Office of Interprofessional Education, has students from all six Health Science Center colleges working with families on ways to improve and maintain their health.  Students cover dental, medical, mental health, nursing, nutritional, physical therapy, pharmacy, animal health and a variety of social needs while making regular home visits and working with families in small group sessions.  Families who join the program get free health consultations and the opportunity to share their experiences and concerns about the health care system while helping students gain valuable experience.  UF Putting Families First (You Tube link)

“This award is a wonderful acknowledgment of our interprofessional education efforts here at the University of Florida and how they positively impact the local community,” said Amy Blue, PhD, UF Health associate vice president for interprofessional education and associate dean for educational affairs at the UF College of Public Health and Health Professions.