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"The U.S. healthcare system relies on teaching hospitals-and their clinics, emergency rooms, free-standing ambulatory care centers, chronic care facilities, hospices and individual and group practices-for the clinical education of medical students and residents. Teaching hospitals are essential 'classrooms' for physicians, nurses and other health professionals and providers. Teaching hospitals are providers of primary care and routine patient services, as well centers for experimental, innovative and technically sophisticated services. Many of the advances started in the research laboratories of medical schools are incorporated into patient care through clinical research programs at teaching hospitals. Additionally, teaching hospitals are special places that help the underserved and provide comprehensive and unique services for the general population."*

*Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), a nonprofit association of medical schools, teaching hospitals and academic societies. The AAMC seeks to improve the nation's health by enhancing the effectiveness of academic medicine.

What are the benefits of a teaching hospital?

America's teaching hospitals are the backbone of the nation's healthcare system. Millions of Americans turn to teaching hospitals for specialized surgeries, lifesaving care and complex treatments. They are where medical knowledge continuously evolves and new cures and treatments are found. Teaching hospitals are where critical community services, such as trauma and burn centers, always stand ready. They are the training ground for more than 100,000 new physicians and other health professionals each year. And they are a vital part of America's safety net, providing care to millions of the nation's uninsured.

Of 6,003 hospitals in the United States, only about 400 are teaching hospitals. Comprising just 6 percent of all hospitals, teaching hospitals perform:

  • 47 percent of all organ transplant centers;
  • 60 percent of all Level I trauma centers;
  • 67 percent of all burn beds, and;
  • Provide nearly half of all hospital charity care nationwide.

Teaching hospitals provide a host of other unique advantages to patients, including:

  • Improved quality of care
  • New cures and treatment therapies
  • State-of-the-art technologies
  • Shorter length of stay for major illnesses
  • Superior outcomes and survival rates
  • Specialized surgeries and experimental medical procedures
  • The expertise of an accomplished faculty of physicians and surgeons available 24 hours a day

Shands Jacksonville is a major teaching hospital affiliated with the University of Florida College of Medicine, one of the leading medical schools in the nation. The medical center is recognized for excellence in clinical care, teaching and research. By being at the forefront of the latest scientific developments, Shands Jacksonville provides a unique combination of high-quality patient care and medical education. The hospital serves as the clinical base to educate medical students, residents and fellows under the supervision of faculty in all of the major medical and surgical specialties, with more than 370 nationally recognized faculty physicians and over 300 residents and fellows. It also provides a training site for people studying for careers in nursing, pharmacy, dentistry, medical technology, podiatry and other health fields.

As part of the training and education process, residents, fellows and UF medical students are part of a patient's healthcare team, led by an experienced University of Florida College of Medicine faculty physician. Its status as an academic medical center and teaching hospital is what makes Shands Jacksonville unique in the community, enriching it with exceptional services for those in need of healthcare, whether it is sophisticated surgical procedures or routine primary care.

Our team of University of Florida physicians, dedicated and highly skilled Shands nurses and clinical and nonclinical staff offer our patients the latest treatments, advanced technologies and high-quality, compassionate healthcare. The results of collaborations taking place here are making a difference around the region and around the world. Our patients benefit from this team approach.

The emphasis on education and training means careful consideration in both routine and critical cases. Because of their involvement in research, our physicians have knowledge of the latest treatment options and excel in preventive medicine. They bring together innovations and unparalleled experience to provide you the best care.

With our main campus and network of neighborhood specialty and primary care centers, you can find the care you need in a location close to home or work.

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