What Is UNF MedNexus?
UNF MedNexus is designed to meet the growing healthcare needs in Florida by linking resources across county lines and throughout the state in a collaborative effort to expand educational programs and enhance medical research. North Florida is a top destination for quality healthcare, including highly specialized services, and UNF is at the center of this medical ecosystem. The hub-and-spoke structure of UNF MedNexus allows the University of North Florida and its partners — healthcare providers, thought leaders, educational institutions and researchers — to address the state’s growing and evolving healthcare needs, while providing pathways for Florida students to find healthcare positions in the state and beyond.
What Does UNF MedNexus Do?
UNF MedNexus is about students. It’s about jobs. It’s about meeting the healthcare needs of our community, our state and our healthcare providers. UNF MedNexus will improve healthcare in the state by increasing the number of high-quality, well-trained medical professionals in Florida, while also advancing medical research and innovation.
Projections for 2016-2024 indicate that 23% of Florida’s job growth will be in healthcare, roughly 200,000 jobs. The University of North Florida has the highest percentage of undergraduates working full-time in the State of Florida one year after graduation of any school in the State University System. UNF is committed to continuing to graduate students in areas where they can effectively serve and enhance the quality of life in Florida.
The initial phase of UNF MedNexus is underway with new multi-county partnerships to educate healthcare workers, with a strong emphasis on nurses. UNF MedNexus is looking to the future by closely aligning course programming with innovations, industry changes and human resource needs of our region and state. Additional phases will include heightened medical research through partner collaborations with educational institutions and research hospitals throughout Florida.
