Kristin A. Heath appointed as executive director of the UF Health Proton Therapy Institute
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (December 18, 2023) – The UF Health Proton Therapy Institute Board of Directors is pleased to announce that Kristin A. Heath, DBA, MBA, MHA, an accomplished radiation oncology and proton therapy leader, has been appointed as executive director.
“Dr. Heath is a talented radiation oncology administrator who has demonstrated a passion for patient-centered care,” said Colleen G. Koch, dean of the UF College of Medicine and chair of the Institute’s Board of Directors. “Her depth of experience in proton therapy operations and professional development of staff will continue our commitment to excellence in patient care and clinical research.”
As executive director, Heath will collaborate with the board and the leadership team to create and implement the UF Health Proton Therapy Institute’s strategic vision and goals, ensure the highest levels of clinical quality, maintain and enhance technology and infrastructure, ensure financial sustainability and stability, and provide leadership in workforce engagement and professional development.
“I am honored and deeply grateful to serve in this leadership role,” said Heath. “The tremendous success and sterling reputation of the UF Health Proton Therapy Institute is one that proton therapy centers around the world emulate. I am excited to work with each and every member of our team to carry forward our missions to conduct high-quality clinical research and to deliver excellence in patient care.”
Heath joins the Institute from the Miami Cancer Institute at Baptist Health South Florida where she has led as director of operations, radiation oncology since 2019. Her previous roles include clinical director of technical services at the Texas Center for Proton Therapy at Texas Oncology and chief radiation therapist at the UF Health Proton Therapy Institute. She is a member of the board of directors and an executive committee member of the National Association for Proton Therapy.
The UF Health Proton Therapy Institute in Jacksonville, Fla., is a state-of-the-art cancer treatment facility equipped with both conventional radiation and proton therapy to deliver the optimal radiotherapy for a broad range of cancers. Opened in 2006, it was the first proton center in the Southeast and the fifth in the United States. Today the Institute is recognized as a leader in treatment and clinical research. Nearly 11,000 patients from 34 different countries have been treated for cancer including children and adults with cancers of the brain, base of skull, breast, eye, lung, pancreas, prostate, head and neck, esophagus, as well as lymphoma and sarcoma. Dozens of clinical research studies have produced more than 400 research papers that have been published in international medical journals such as Cancer, the International Journal of Radiation Oncology Biology Physics, Acta Oncologica, the International Journal of Particle Therapy and others.
About UF Health Proton Therapy Institute
The UF Health Proton Therapy Institute is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization affiliated with the UF College of Medicine and the UF Health Cancer Center, a Florida Cancer Center of Excellence and NCI-Designated Cancer Center, dedicated to delivering state-of-the-art cancer treatment and setting new standards for treating and curing cancer. It is an accredited radiation oncology facility by the American College of Radiology. The cancer treatment facility houses both conventional radiation and proton therapy and delivers proton therapy to 100 patients a day. For more information about the UF Health Proton Therapy Institute, please visit www.floridaproton.org or call 904.588.1800.