As the world grapples with a pandemic, a gift to UF Health supports epidemiological studies and virus intervention.

University of Florida Health officials announced amplified intervention efforts, and research initiatives underway, in an urgent response to the global pandemic COVID-19. These collaborative efforts by researchers from multiple academic units of UF Health will be dramatically enhanced through generous funding support from the Louis and Gloria Flanzer Philanthropic Trust.

“As the state of Florida’s flagship university, our multidisciplinary research teams are uniquely equipped to devote their expertise to this unprecedented global crisis,” said David R. Nelson, M.D., UF’s senior vice president for health affairs and president of UF Health.

This donation, an initial contribution of $100,000, will inject critically needed resources to support high impact epidemiological studies and virus intervention.

Dean Hautamaki, M.D., FCCP, FACP, UF College of Medicine alumnus and co-trustee of the Flanzer Trust, notes that as Florida’s Land Grant institution, the University of Florida is well-positioned to act in response to the coronavirus.

“As the third-most populous state, Florida must work quickly to protect its most vulnerable populations and ensure the safety of its citizens,” Hautamaki said. “UF Health is able to efficiently gather scientific and medical resources, deploy these resources statewide, and lead our state’s efforts surrounding coronavirus intervention.”

Hautamaki and his wife, Lizzie, have also committed personal resources for the same purpose, and are appealing to other University supporters to do the same. As of March 27, there are more than 2,484 total COVID-19 cases in the state of Florida, with 2,352 being Florida residents, according to data from the Florida Department of Health, which also reports 29 deaths directly attributed to the virus.