About

Mission

The mission of the University of Florida Student Health Care Center (SHCC) is to help each student achieve maximum physical and emotional health so that each may participate fully in the educational and personal growth opportunities afforded by the university. The SHCC is committed to providing the highest quality primary health care. All activities and programs of the SHCC operate to assure a nonjudgmental environment and sensitivity to individuals with disabilities and those representing diverse cultural, racial, religious, gender or sexual orientation groups.

History

The SHCC has been meeting the health care needs of UF students since 1906. Begun as an infirmary room on the third floor of the Thomas Hall dormitory building and moving a few years later to a wooden building close to the site of the present facility, a new building was constructed on the current site in 1931. At that time, the SHCC was a hospital providing in-patient services, including surgery, to a population of 3,000 students. North and south wings were added in 1947 to accommodate the influx of students following World War II, with the south wing housing a dormitory for the nurses who staffed the center.

Over the years, the SHCC has gradually evolved into an outpatient clinic, and a number of structural changes have taken place to help create much-needed space for serving the growing student population. The third floor attic in the south wing was finished and converted into a mental health unit during the 1970s. The west wing, housing the pharmacy and clinical offices, was added in 1975. And in February 1994, a complete renovation of the Infirmary Building was completed at cost of $4.6 million. Yon Hall space was added in 1997. In 2010, Student Mental Health Services moved to a consolidated facility providing counseling, mental health and psychiatry services under one roof, the Counseling and Wellness Center. GatorWell Health Promotion Services also moved to this facility the same year. (While psychiatry continues to report directly to the SHCC, general counseling and health promotion services are now part of UF Student Affairs.)

The SHCC currently operates using an advanced access appointment system that strives to provide same-day appointments for students during normal business hours. As a result, wait times have decreased substantially and patient satisfaction has increased. We continue to research ways to improve the patient experience, and welcome all feedback.

Gareth Kerr Memorial Scholarship Award

The Gareth Kerr Memorial Scholarship Award was created by the Student Health Care Center in memory of University of Florida student Gareth Kerr, who passed away in April 2006. Kerr was a senior engineering student who also served on the Student Health Advisory Board (SHAB) from 2004 until his death. Additionally, he participated in the Student Health Outreach Team (SHOT) and the Student Health Advisory Council (SHAC) for the same period of time. Kerr’s contributions to the SHCC were significant and he gave quietly and unselfishly of his time, energy and vision to ensure that quality health services were accessible to all UF students.

Open to undergraduate and graduate students who meet certain criteria, this annual award will be bestowed to one student who has demonstrated interest, commitment and passion for the health and well-being of fellow students and/or the community at large. Applications are available on this website each spring around March. For more information, please contact Lica Gilley at (352) 294-7439 or lgilley1@ufl.edu.

Past Winners

• 2007 (first year): Chad Hubsher
• 2008: Shilpa Gogna
• 2009: Adam Mecca
• 2010: Elizabeth Stein
• 2011: Belinda Smith