The newest name to know in the UF College of Nursing, Jeannie Cimiotti is proud to join The Gator Nation.
Cimiotti has been named the College of Nursing Dorothy M. Smith endowed chair and co-director of UF’s Florida Blue Center for Health Care Access, Patient Safety and Quality Outcomes.
She came to UF in July from Rutgers University College of Nursing as an associate professor and the executive director of the New Jersey Collaborating Center for Nursing.
“It’s been very exciting,” Cimiotti said. “I’ve worked at a couple of other universities, but there is an enthusiasm at UF that I have never seen before. It’s The Gator Nation.”
Tracy Wright, UF’s College of Nursing public relations director, said Cimiotti’s background and research made her a good fit for the position.
“Her research just falls in line with what we’re trying to do at the center,” Wright said.
The Florida Blue Center will create programs to address the lack of affordable health care and employment shortages in the field as well as improve the delivery of high-quality care and access for patients in underserved areas, she said.
Because of Florida’s geographic and ethnic disparities and older population, Cimiotti said there are a lot of people in need.
“We have to figure out how to help those people,” Cimiotti said. “So the Florida Blue Center has an obligation to do research that will help address the health care issues of people in Florida.”
Cimiotti is working with co-director Arch “Chip” Mainous of UF’s College of Public Health and Health Professions to structure the center, including adding a quarterly lecture series that focuses on health care issues. The first one will be Tuesday.
Wright said the colleges of nursing and public health are excited for the center to be the leader in this research.
“With Dr. Cimiotti and Dr. Mainous in this position,” Wright said, “we’re confident that they can do that and really get this center to where it’s making an impact with its research.”
