Dear Gator Nurses,
I have always been so proud to be a Gator Nurse. Since receiving my M.S.N. degree in 1985, I have felt part of the Gator Nurse family. I am truly honored to be the new president of the College of Nursing Alumni Council, following the exemplary leadership of my dear friend and colleague, BarBee Geiger (B.S.N. 1974). I am excited to enter this next phase of leadership and service as the Alumni Council moves forward.
While I’ve met many of you, I look forward to hearing from you about your nursing careers and journey to improve the health care in the communities you serve. I began my nursing career as a critical care nurse and worked in various leadership roles for AvMed SantaFe, where I was given the opportunity to start SantaFe HomeCare, or Shands HomeCare as it is known today. I was offered a unique role as a clinical transformation consultant with Ernst & Young and left our Newberry farm to move to Tampa in 1995. I became a health care partner at Ernst & Young and worked with nurses and doctors providing consulting services to hospitals across the United States. I was hired by Ross Perot to build a clinical division for Perot Consulting and later led health care clinical consulting practices for IBM and Siemens, focusing on using technology to improve clinical outcomes and care in the U.S., Europe and the Middle East. I retired in 2014 to spend more time with my husband, Denny, three grown children and three precious grandchildren. I enjoy traveling, all Gator activities and medical mission work.
I have been involved in the Nursing Alumni Council for many years, appreciating the comradery and leadership through this group of extraordinary alumni. The Alumni Council convened its fall meeting during the annual reunion weekend Sept. 8-9. It is always such a pleasure to spend time and interact with this passionate group of Gator Nurses. A highlight of the weekend was recognizing the 15 students who the Alumni Council selected to receive Book Awards.
It has never been a more exciting time to be a Gator and what is more, a Gator Nurse! You may have heard by now that UF climbed to No. 8 of public institutions across the country, according to U.S. New & World Report. Did you know alumni giving is taken into consideration when determining an institution’s top 10 rankings? No matter the amount, YOU can make a difference!
I hope you will attended a College of Nursing Gator Nurse Gathering, reunion or conference this academic year. Nothing beats the interaction among Gator Nurses, current and former faculty, and learning what the future of nursing looks like through the eyes of a current student. I look forward to meeting as many of you as possible. If you are interested in becoming involved in the Alumni Council or in any other way, please feel free to reach out to me at phrodebush@aol.com or 813-215-1122.
Go Gator Nurses!
Peggy Rodebush
M.S.N. 1985