City leaders and colleagues mourn sudden loss of UF Health Jacksonville CEO

JACKSONVILLE, Florida – As news of the unexpected death of UF Health Jacksonville CEO Dr. Leon Haley Jr. began to spread on Saturday, messages poured into social media from those who knew Haley and were shocked by sudden loss.

According to an internal UF Health email obtained by News4Jax, Haley died from an accident in South Florida on Saturday.

After hearing the news, Edward Waters University President and CEO Zachary Faison Jr. wrote:

He told News4Jax he was shocked when he heard the news.

“In 2018, Dr. Haley was one of the first people to contact me and welcome me to the city. He actually made an appointment and came to introduce himself and was really just a great friend and resource to me, ”said Faison. “I’m just devastated to hear this most recent news.”

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Faison said he and Haley both served on the JEA board of directors as well as the city council. He received an uplifting email from Haley last week.

“It said exactly, ‘I know the last few days have been a whirlwind for you. But I wanted to congratulate you on becoming a university and taking Edward Waters to even greater heights. Take a deep breath and enjoy the moment, Leon, ”said Faison.

He said Haley was an uplifting and caring person who will be missed by many.

“He had a very calming spirit. I know over the last, of course, about 18 months, as we all go through the throes of the pandemic, hearing his updates and his thoughts on how we navigate this space has always been, I know. , a calming voice for me, ”Haley said. “To know that we had someone of his caliber in our city, at the forefront to help us fight this pandemic. “

Haley was the first in Jacksonville to receive a COVID-19 vaccine and received his first dose live on television to ensure the word spread about the vaccine’s safety and its need in the fight against the virus.

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From the mayor and his colleagues at UF Health to other community leaders who have worked with Haley to disseminate important information on the fight against COVID-19, all expressed their sadness on Saturday and said that Haley will be deeply missed.

Dr Sunil Joshi, president of the Duval County Medical Society Foundation, shared his shock and disbelief, calling Haley a “wonderful and wonderful human being.”

“I think what makes him different from other Deans and CEOs we’ve had at UF here in Jacksonville is that he’s become a part of our community. He wasn’t just fighting for what was important to UF Health Jacksonville. He was fighting for what was important to Jacksonville, ”Joshi said. “He did more than just run our teaching hospital, he made an impact in Jacksonville. This is why so many people were shocked and devastated by this news. You know, that’s probably what hurts me more than the fact that I love her as a person. We had a guy here that people looked up to and really had an impact and, being born and raised in Jacksonville, I know it’s infrequent. And so it is, it is sad on so many levels.

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