Florida Health News

UF cuts include $14 million from health colleges

By Brittany Rajchel
5/6/2008 © Florida Health News

GAINESVILLE -- The University of Florida will cut its health sciences programs more than $14 million by eliminating some faculty and staff positions, clinical programs and research funding, according to the budget released Monday. 

In accordance with the new state budget, which eliminates $50 million in UF’s state funding, University President Bernie Machen ordered all colleges to cut spending by 6 percent. That includes the Office of Health Affairs and the colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Public Health and Health Professions, Veterinary Medicine and Dentistry.
 
“We tried …to keep what was most critical to our academic and research missions,” said Russ Armistead, associate vice president in the health affairs office.

Enrollment levels for health students will remain the same, he said, although a bachelor of science track for registered nurses who want to get a college degree was cut. The track was relatively unpopular with enrolling nursing students, he said, and the college lacked faculty to support that program.

“Frankly, we struggled pretty hard to keep the same number of students,” Armistead said.

To do so, UF had to boot some clinical services. The school will eliminate nine centers and programs, including those that provide some dental care, rehabilitation services, aging resources, pharmaceutical and diabetes research, and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder treatment. Other offerings, like a nearby family health clinic, will see reductions in services. 

UF Health Sciences will be working with a budget of $125 million, instead of $139 million, for the upcoming fiscal year. The difference: $5.9 million already absorbed this year plus $8.3 million additional cuts for next year. 

Positions for 34 faculty and 55 staff members will be eliminated, but most of the slots are currently open and simply won’t be filled. The 15 who will be laid off received the news Monday, Armistead said. 

“Nobody likes it. We’ve all been hearing the news. The state’s budget crisis is real,” Armistead said. “It’s not business as usual. These are difficult times.” 

--Florida Health News reporter Brittany Rajchel can be reached at brittany@FloridaHealthNews.org.