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 UF Health 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 comaraderie 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 whom 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 among 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
rankings? No matter the amount, YOU can make a difference!

I hope you will attend 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