- Burnett School College of Medicine Faculty News
Taking the mound with a baseball in hand was not UCF’s star pitcher, but rather the College of Medicine’s Dean of Diversity and Inclusion, Dr. Lisa Barkley. The sports medicine physician and assistant professor represented the UCF College of Medicine by throwing out the first pitch at the April 16 contest between the Knights and Florida Atlantic. UCF fell to the Owls, 10-2.
The baseball game was sponsored by the College of Medicine and UCF Health, the medical school’s physician practice. Many of the fans donned pink shirts, rather than the usual black and gold, because the game was also “Pink in the Park” day to honor those affected by breast cancer. In an effort to “pink out” Jay Berman Field, the first 200 fans at the game received pink t-shirts and pom-poms. “Certainly that’s something that we all need to do, support our survivors and the people who are going through cancer,” said Dr. Barkley. “Events like this help to bring awareness.”
By throwing out the first pitch, Dr. Barkley also hoped to spread the word about UCF Health, where all doctors are faculty physicians at the College of Medicine. The clinic features primary care and multiple specialties under one roof and is located at 3400 Quadrangle Blvd, Orlando, just two blocks from the main UCF campus. “We’re really trying to make the patient experience at UCF Health the best around.” Dr. Barkley said. “We’re making sure that the patients feel welcome, that they get their needs met, and that we really partner with them on their health.”
The year-old practice is focused on individualized patient care provided in a warm, “home-like” setting. As Dr. Barkley explained, “It’s really nice to be a part of building something from the ground up, something that’s really patient-centered, and that will really help to impact health in our community.”