Melanie Ross Email and Phone Number

Directs integrated strategic marketing, communications, public relations and public affairs efforts enterprisewide for UF Health, the University of Florida’s academic health center, coordinating initiatives for two academic health center campuses, 12 hospitals, six health colleges, 10 research centers and institutes, and affiliated physician practices to effectively support goals and priorities for the $6.3B system.Formulates, develops, implements and administers award-winning internal and external communications programs with key constituencies in mind, including faculty, staff, students, patients, alumni, donors and elected officials. Oversight of media relations, news and publications, issues management and crisis communications, public affairs, physician relations (faculty and community-based), health promotion outreach activities and communications-related web strategy efforts. Supports communications campaigns on behalf of UF Health’s Office of Advancement. Supervises the management and coordination of key special events.Supervises organizational marketing efforts, developing strategy, maintaining branding and identity standards and assisting with the creation and implementation of marketing plans supporting the goals and objectives of the academic health center brand and its service lines to enhance image and market position. Oversees budgets; responsible for the formulation, programmatic development, implementation and oversight of all communication resources and policies of the academic health center. Serves in an advisory capacity to senior leadership on marketing, communications and public relations strategies. Drafts executive-level communications, including speeches. Serves as executive producer of the consumer radio program “Health in a Heartbeat,” which airs on public radio affiliates nationally and the Armed Services network internationally.

Teaches fall and spring semester news reporting lab for undergraduate journalism students.Named 2024 Adjunct Teacher of the Year.

Duties included development and implementation of public relations and strategic communications planning initiatives for six health colleges and multiple centers and institutes. Served an advisory role to senior leadership, handled crisis communications and media relations, managed extensive external news operation and publications services.Senior producer and managing editor of award-winning UF-sponsored consumer health series Health in a Heartbeat, which airs on National Public Radio affiliates nationally; senior producer, UF-sponsored veterinary health series Animal Airwaves, which airs weekdays on NPR in the local market; helped to launch Saturday live call-in show, Animal Airwaves Live, February 2011. Co-chair, UF&Shands Web Executive Steering Committee. Oversaw redesign of the UF&Shands Web presence and implementation; member, UF Web Advisory Committee.As senior-level medical writer and editor, tasks included generating and editing news articles about medical research for distribution to the Associated Press wire, metropolitan dailies, magazines and others. Beats have included the UF Shands Cancer Center, cardiovascular medicine, diabetes, transplantation, surgery, urology and radiation oncology. Instituted science communications internship program.Writing coach. Developed and conducted series of writing seminars for communicators on Gainesville and Jacksonville campuses. Topics included the use of numbers and statistical information in news copy, crisis communications, writing solid leads, interviewing techniques, the peer review process, and animal research.Editor, Health Science Center Stylebook and Resource Manual. Originated this guide, designed to foster clear, consistent communications efforts among those responsible for conveying health-related information and news to internal and external target audiences, in 1999. Third edition was published in December 2003.Appointee, UF Writing Standards Committee.

Edited books, scientific manuscripts, grant applications, radio scripts, monographs and magazine articles; generated annual report copy, news articles, magazine features, fact and tip sheets, Web copy, media alerts.Edited multiple manuscripts generated in conjunction with the National Institute of Health-funded Neurobiology of Disease in Children conference for an annual supplement published by the Journal of Child Neurology. Edited the first, second and third editions of Current Management in Child Neurology (published by BC Decker) Clients included the UF Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, the UF Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Shands at the University of Florida (now UF Health Shands), the College of American Pathologists, the UF College of Public Health and Health Professions, the UF College of Nursing and Storter-Childs Printing Co.Former freelance reporter for Chicago Tribune’s special sections. Covered health, economic and educational issues, October 1988 to March 1990.

Edited and submitted scientific manuscripts, grant applications, book chapters and other materials for division chief Carl J. Pepine, MD, MACC, and other faculty members. Managed manuscript tracking and related editorial duties.

Covered local government, politics, environment, health and business in Marion County bureau. Assistant editor duties as needed, including editing, creating daily news budgets and supervising staff in two counties. Consistently listed among the paper’s most productive reporters. July 1991 to December 1992. Initiated elderly affairs beat in Pasco County; moved to Ocala to help launch the Marion/Alachua zoned edition. September 1990 to July 1991.