-
UCF physicians are Orlando's top docs.
On November 7, 2011 UCF Health opened its doors to the community for the first time. The practice had 10 physicians in six different specialty areas at just one office location. Today, UCF Health is proud to have a team of 21 providers in 14 specialty areas and three Central Florida locations.
When it first opened in 2011, there were only 23 employees, including physicians, working for UCF Health. Today there are 82 employees dedicated to improving the health of those in the community.
Doctor Mariana B. Dangiolo, who specializes in family and geriatric medicine, has been with UCF Health since it first opened in 2011. Looking back on what drew her to UCF Health, Dr. Dangiolo recalls, “I have a passion for service in medicine. In 2010, the opportunity for starting new projects attracted me to UCF College of Medicine and I became one of the founding faculty. Together with Dean German and a select group of clinical faculty, we started UCF Health, our first academic practice on University Boulevard.”
Dr. Dangiolo believes UCF Health’s success lies in its academic nature and the fact that all of the physicians are part of the teaching/research faculty team at the UCF College of Medicine.
“It is the place where we model what is to be ‘A Good Doctor’ the ideal traits of a physician that are taught to all new med students at UCF,” she said.
UCF Health has also aimed to serve the community by building relationships with its patients that are more than just surface level. In fact, UCF Health’s first patient seen in the office on opening day is still an active patient there.
UCF Health has grown quickly, and while speed does not always equal quality, UCF Health’s physicians and staff will continue to make sure that the two go hand in hand.
Traci Briggs, patient services manager, has been with UCF Health from the very start. She says the practice has kept a philosophy of “learning as we grow.”
“We tell new employees to expect changes every day because we embrace change as a way to improve the care we provide for our patients. As we add new specialties, we develop new processes and train the staff to work with the new patients those specialties will bring. Every patient is different and every disease brings a new challenge.”
UCF Health is up for the challenge as it continues its path dedicated to medicine, compassion, and service to its community.