JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Today, Governor Ron DeSantis announced his commitment to funding the Leon Haley, Jr., MD Trauma Center at University of Florida (UF) Health, Jacksonville. The trauma center, named after former UF Health Jacksonville CEO, Dr. Leon Haley Jr. who passed away last year, will be a state-of-the-art Level-1 trauma center to serve the needs of Jacksonville residents and the surrounding communities.

“Dr. Leon Haley dedicated his life to helping people and those who knew him were inspired by his leadership and commitment to bettering his community,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “It is fitting to honor his legacy with a facility that will serve Jacksonville and the surrounding communities for generations to come. In Florida, we are putting patients first and making sure that Floridians have access to quality care.”

“It is clear that Dr. Leon Haley was beloved by the medical community, especially by UF Health Jacksonville,” said State Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo. “Honoring his memory with this critical investment will serve those in Duval and the surrounding counties, and it will further improve critical emergency medical services.”

“My siblings and I watched my father work at the ER and the trauma center, and it was really important to him to be a hero,” said Grant Haley, Son of Dr. Leon Haley, Jr. “It is a special moment for all of us to be able to remember him by having the Leon Haley Trauma Center at UF Health. I think his legacy goes far beyond just being a trauma doctor or CEO. He taught me so many values and lessons about being a man of service, a man of faith and what truly is a man – It is such a blessing. Thank you, Governor DeSantis and everyone who has had a hand in pushing this initiative to honor my father.”

“We are grateful to God for having given us Leon for the number of years that he was with us, he was a loving and wonderful son,” said Leon Haley, Sr., Father of Dr. Leon Haley, Jr. “We are grateful for the love that he had for this city, this hospital, and this community. It is a deep sense of gratitude for us in terms of the resources that were made available to build this new facility named after him and it will be a legacy that I’m sure Leon is smiling down on us about it all.”

“What an exciting event for UF Health, the Haley family and the city,” said Russell E. Armistead, MBA, CEO, UF Health Jacksonville. “Our people provide some of the best care and expertise you will find but the trauma center and the emergency department were in dire need of upgrades and this funding will change that dramatically. What a wonderful way to honor Dr. Leon Haley Jr.”

“Dr. Haley was beloved by the entire Jacksonville community because of his leadership, his role as an educator, an emergency room physician and as a community bridge builder,” said Dr. Linda Edwards, Dean, UF College of Medicine – Jacksonville. “This is a great honor for him and his family. The new center will benefit the community for decades to come.”

The project is included in the General Appropriations Act recently passed by the Legislature. The new trauma center will replace the current, outdated and overcrowded trauma center at UF Health Jacksonville to better serve residents of Duval, Nassau, Clay, St. Johns, and other counties in North Florida. UF Health’s trauma center in Jacksonville is the only Level-1 trauma center in the region.

The UF Health Jacksonville Leon L. Haley, Jr. M.D. Trauma Center will be built on the medical center’s campus located on Eighth Street in Downtown Jacksonville. The current center is heavily used, serving around 125,000 patients a year and is the only Level-1 trauma center located between Gainesville, FL and Savannah, GA.

The center will be better equipped to provide a safer environment for Baker Act patients and others with mental health issues. The project is expected to be completed and operational in the next four years.

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