For a vital healthcare community, learning must never stop. And best practices need to be brought to light and shared with the community. As leaders and mentors on the First Coast, Brooks partners with area universities and healthcare institutions to build a workforce of expert healthcare professionals in the fields of nursing, physical therapy, speech-language pathology and occupational therapy. Our efforts are aimed at nurturing existing talent and enhancing and improving the quality of health care today and in the future.
In the Spring of 2006, Brooks donated $3.6 million to the College of Health at the University of North Florida (UNF). The contribution allowed UNF to endow physical therapy and nursing faculty positions, expand teaching and research opportunities and establish a distinguished professorship. Our gift also resulted in the christening of the College as the "Brooks College of Health" reflecting our close partnership with the University of North Florida and a joint commitment to address current and future healthcare needs of our community.
To help address the critical nursing shortage in Florida, Brooks has partnered with UNF, Florida Community College at Jacksonville (FCCJ) and a consortium of local hospitals to expand the community's nursing education programs. Brooks' scholarships enable community nurses to achieve a Bachelor of Science in nursing. Plus hundreds of nurses from UNF, Jacksonville University (JU) and FCCJ have participated in clinical rehabilitation-focused rotational shifts within Brooks for hands-on training.
To enhance the knowledge of current healthcare professionals, Brooks offers an expansive series of highly specialized continuing education programs focused on rehabilitative care, including amputee rehabilitation, splinting techniques, post-operative considerations in physical therapy, exercise dosage for musculoskeletal impairments and physical therapy clinical examinations, among others.