Celebrating Employee Appreciation Week During Our 19th Anniversary of Treating Patients
Each year on the anniversary of treating our first patient, we celebrate Employee Appreciation Week. This year, thanks to our Employee Engagement Committee, our staff were treated to events and treats throughout the week. We know that our employees work hard, and we wanted to make sure that they were celebrated and honored.
The week started with a little extra energy thanks to a treat from the Haymaker Coffee Truck, followed by Breakfast-To-Go during their busy schedules. There were opportunities to take a break for a mid-day yoga session and decorate the pot of a desk plant to take back and brighten their workspaces.
On Tuesday, employees enjoyed a delicious bar-b-que lunch with their co-workers. Staff also had the opportunity to hear from a four-year breast cancer survivor, Pam Reckner, who recently returned from competing in the first ever Breast Cancer Paddlers division racing at the IDBF World Dragon Boat Racing Championships. She is proud of what she’s accomplished post-breast cancer treatment and hopes the team at the Institute is also proud of the work they do that transforms lives like hers.
We also took the opportunity this week to share a documentary called, The Accelerator, with all the proton staff. This movie shares the history and story of Dr. Robert Wilson, who pioneered the use of proton therapy. This was an eye-opening experience for staff, which helped many understand how proton therapy came to be and how their day-to-day work is continuing the healing legacy of Dr. Wilson.
The week ended with Kilwin’s Ice Cream scooped up on-site, and a Saturday brunch outing at Top Golf for staff and their families!
Now, we look forward to seeing how many more lives we can change as we approach 20 years of proton therapy!
UF Health Proton Therapy Institute is Making Strides Against Breast Cancer
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and the UF Health Proton Therapy Institute is proud to have a team participating in the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk with the American Cancer Society at the VyStar Ballpark in Jacksonville later this month.
Proton’s Pink Warriors are gathering to support the American Cancer Society’s goals of increased cancer research, patient support and advocacy efforts to end breast cancer as we know it. We are walking for all of the breast cancer patients we have had the honor of caring for and would love for you to come out and join us.
The UF Health Proton Therapy Institute also hopes to raise awareness about proton therapy for breast cancer. Breast cancer patients may benefit from proton beam therapy, which can decrease radiation to the heart and lungs as the treatment more directly targets the tumor. The advantage of proton therapy may be more likely in cases where cancer has developed in the left breast, since it is situated so close to the heart. Additionally, proton therapy may provide better dose coverage to the lymph node regions, as compared with conventional radiation. Read more about treating breast cancer with proton therapy.
You can join the Proton Pink Warriors as we walk at the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer 5K on Oct. 18 at Vystar Ballpark in Jacksonville. This free, family-friendly event includes entertainment, information and giveaways. Find event-day details here.
UF Health Proton Therapy Institute Staff Honored with UF College of Medicine Awards
Annually, the Department of Radiation Oncology at the UF College of Medicine awards outstanding physicians and staff for their commitment to excellence in advancing cancer treatment through education and research. The UF Health Proton Therapy Institute is affiliated with the Department and the Institute’s Medical Director, Nancy Mendenhall, MD, FACR, FASTRO, is the interim co-chair of the Department with Kathryn E Hitchcock, MD, PhD.
The UF Health Proton Therapy Institute is proud of the following awardees from its team:
Medical Student and Community Education Award
2025 Awardee: Julie Bradley, MD
Medical Physics Education Award
2025 Awardee: Jiyeon Park, PhD
Medical Physics Clinical Award
2025 Awardee: Yawei Zhang, PhD
Transformative Medicine Award
2025 Awardee: Raymond Mailhot, MD
For a full list of award recipients, a description of each honor and past awardees from both Gainesville and the Institute, please read the full announcement.
