Flanzer Trust announces donation to support UF Health COVID-19 research

University of Florida Health officials today announced amplified efforts in the urgent intervention and research initiatives underway in response to the COVID-19 global pandemic, thanks to generous funding support from the Louis and Gloria Flanzer Philanthropic Trust.

The donation, an initial contribution of $100,000, will inject critically needed resources to support high-impact epidemiological studies and virus intervention efforts by researchers from multiple academic units of the university’s health system.

“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., senior vice president for health affairs at UF and president of UF Health.

R. Dean Hautamaki, M.D., FCCP, FACP, a UF College of Medicine alumnus and co-trustee of the Flanzer Trust, notes that as Florida’s Land Grant institution, UF 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. On Friday, there were more than 2,300 COVID-19 positive residents in the state of Florida,, according to data from the Florida Department of Health, which also reports 29 deaths directly attributed to the virus.

-30-

ABOUT THE LOUIS AND GLORIA FLANZER PHILANTHROPIC TRUST:

The mission of the Louis and Gloria Flanzer Philanthropic Trust is to enhance the life of the people of the Suncoast through social services and health care initiatives. The Louis and Gloria Flanzer Philanthropic Trust is a tax exempt 501(c)(3) organization not affiliated with any other member of the Flanzer family. For more information, visit FlanzerTrust.org or call 917-915-0404.