The journey continues!

Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
—Philippians 3:13-14

Something special happened last week when the trustees, physician partners, employees and community leaders gathered to honor the changing of the guard, as University Community Health became Florida Hospital Tampa Bay Division.

Something special happened the day after the change and something special will continue to happen each day when you stop, look and listen to the call. The call started in the early 1960s as the dream for UCH emerged. The call to excellence and commitment to community and caring that has guided UCH these many years now will be part of the Tampa Bay Division as together we now express the mission as "Extending the healing ministry of Christ."

Something happened when John Harding announced the name change in the press conference and spoke of the legacy of excellence and caring demonstrated by UCH

Something happened when we went outside and stood in the beautiful new terrace and counted down to the revealing of the new signs proclaiming night and day "Florida Hospital Tampa."

What happened? It became real. It became real like it did after you were married and you changed your name. It became real when you went to the DMV, applied for passport, or addressed mail.

We have been talking about the name change for months realizing that it would formally mark the new identity. Not unlike a wedding day, there was great anticipation and thousands of details to attend to.

John Negley, AVP for Facilities, and Lauren Key, VP Marketing, performed a remarkable feat as they coordinated an amazing series of events with their teams. Everything from coordinating the sign exchange, painting curbs, sealing black top, rebuilding the entrance terrace; to press conferences and developing the media for radio, TV and newspaper; to making sure that Garmin and Tom Tom knew that UCH was now Florida Hospital Tampa!

Something else happened and it will continue to happen to you as you come on to any of our campuses; Florida Hospital Tampa, Florida Hospital Carrollwood, Florida Hospital at Connerton Long Term Acute Care, Florida Hospital Zephyrhills, and—in 12 months—Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel.

You realize that you are now the new promise in everything you do, everything you say. You are the promise to everyone who sees the new name and wonders what it will mean. That’s up to you and me to give them an answer every day. An answer that goes to the heart of the matter, that demonstrates the skill to heal and the spirit to care.