Oak Hammock’s history is steeped in academic research and the belief in a better life in retirement. Based on Professor of Sociology Gordon Streib’s research on the benefits of living in a retirement community, retired faculty and alumni encouraged leaders at the University of Florida to consider sponsoring a Continuing Care Retirement Community, or CCRC.
In 1997, Dr. Streib and Dr. Ray Coward, director of the University of Florida’s Institute of Gerontology, arranged for President John Lombardi and a key group of UF and UF Foundation staff members to attend a presentation regarding the development of a CCRC sponsored by UF.
Following the presentation and further research, a not-for-profit was formed to separate the financial and legal obligations of the CCRC from UF. Formal incorporation of Oak Hammock at the University of Florida, Inc. occurred in early 1999, and the community opened its doors to residents in the spring of 2004.
Since opening, more than 850 residents have made Oak Hammock their home, and more than 1,000 people have been cared for at the Health Pavilion. Today, approximately 1,000 people live and work at Oak Hammock, making it a colorful, stimulating community.
Our Partnerships
The University of Florida
Oak Hammock’s partnership with the University of Florida enables us to provide a variety of distinctive health and wellness amenities for our residents, such as:
- Various opportunities to participate in medical research studies and clinical trials sponsored by UF
- Proximity to the UF campus, including the Exactech Arena, Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, the Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, the Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art, Florida Museum of Natural History, UF libraries and more
- Gator One UF ID Card with privileges similar to those for UF faculty, students and staff
- UF Health Senior Care, an on-site primary care clinic at the Health Pavilion staffed by College of Medicine physicians and nurse practitioners
- UF College of Pharmacy faculty and students providing consults and ongoing education on medications
- An on-site dental practice with a highly trained UF alumnus as the primary dentist
- An on-site veterinary clinic staffed by experts from the UF College of Veterinary Medicine
- State-of-the-art fitness center with a full-time director, various instructors, staff assistants and student interns from the UF College of Health and Human Performance
UF Health
We also have a unique partnership with the University of Florida Health System, the region’s most comprehensive academic health center, which encompasses hospitals, physician practices, colleges, centers, institutes, programs and services across northeast and north-central Florida. Through extensive collaboration with UF Health experts and leaders, the Oak Hammock Advantage Program was created. This program – open to any resident at Oak Hammock at no additional cost – provides residents with access to world-renowned physicians, expedited access to outpatient services and appointments, nurse liaison services for inpatient stays and numerous fitness and wellness programs.