Page 12 - SOUTH FLORIDA HOSPITAL NEWS AUGUST 2021

Profiles IN LEADERSHIP

Cover Story: Boulenger Looking Forward to Creating
South Florida's
Monthly Own Legacy at Baptist Health South Florida
Healthcare Newspaper

Continued from page 1 tient footprint in the four counties that employees and 4,000 allied physicians—
PO Box 812708 University in St. Louis. we serve. they are dedicated to our not-for-profit
Boca Raton, FL 33481-2708 “I went straight from Washington “We have a very detailed strategic plan mission and are our number one
Phone: (561) 368-6950 that we will continue to follow,” added strength.”
University to an administrative residency
at South Miami Hospital, and have since Boulenger, noting that as a senior execu- “We have a tremendous team of com-
Website: held a succession of leadership roles, tive, he had a hand in crafting the plan. passionate, committed individuals who
www.southfloridahospitalnews.com including CEO of Homestead Hospital “We are not going to miss a beat.” come together every day to care for each
Baptist Health recently opened the new other and our community,” he added.
and CEO of Baptist Hospital, as well as
$43.7 million Fishermen’s Community Boulenger said that the aging popula-
CHARLES FELIX COO of Baptist Health,” said Boulenger. Hospital in Marathon, and will soon tion—or silver tsunami—is another con-
CAROL FELIX “These positions provided me with expe- open another hospital in Doral. The cern as it will not only affect staffing but
Publishers rience in a number of settings from health system plans to open more access will cause a significant financial impact
working in rural community hospitals to sites such as urgent care centers and to hospitals’ bottom lines.
NANCY LAMMIE large tertiary hospitals to corporate posi- ambulatory centers in the future. “As more people face chronic illnesses
Editor tions.” “We’re also looking to expand our and age into the Medicare Advantage
While Keeley will continue advancing
JUDY GRAMM the health system’s initiatives until his institutes and hire more physicians, and ranks, it will challenge funding for hos-
Editorial Manager & Webmaster retirement, Boulenger has already taken we are recruiting the best and brightest pitals; we rely on a certain measure of
on the day-to-day activities of the office. from across the country to work at commercial insurance to keep our mar-
JMC GRAPHICS “It’s not uncommon to have this type Baptist Health,” said Boulenger. “Our gin of excellence,” he said.
Art/Production of transition period, especially with a goal is to make it so patients don’t have “We also need to decide where and
lammienancy@aol.com long-term, iconic leader like Brian,” said to leave Miami for specialized care.” how much to spend on digital transfor-
412-877-5321 Boulenger. “We’ve already worked Boulenger looks forward to facing mation,” he added. “As we saw with the
together for 25 years in an extremely col- whatever challenges the future brings. pandemic, people want different ways to
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS laborative way; he has been a great men- “Healthcare is always challenging; connect with us for scheduling, to get
Daniel Casciato tor over the years.” that’s what makes it such a stimulating, test results and to access timely informa-
Barbara Fallon As the new CEO, Boulenger plans to rewarding industry in which to work,” tion. We have to modernize and improve
Vanessa Orr continue to advance the strategic initia- he said. “The cost of healthcare is always these interactions.”
Lois Thomson tives of the health system. an issue, and we’re doing our best to As Boulenger transitions into the role
“At the core, that means helping peo- lower costs by providing value-based of CEO, he said he is humbled and hon-
ple in the community live the healthiest opportunities, leveraging technology and ored to be asked to serve the health sys-
tem and the community in an expanded
research, and improving access.”
lives possible,” he said. “To do that, we
LOOK FOR OUR need to support our caregivers in innova- Like many other industries, healthcare and more meaningful way.
NEXT ISSUE tive ways, which includes expanding into is struggling to find an adequate number “No one can replace Brian Keeley, and
telemedicine and creating more value- of skilled caregivers. “All healthcare any leader would be foolish to try,” he
IN SEPTEMBER based care opportunities by expanding organizations are dealing with projected said. “My plan is to take the incredible
our primary care services and our outpa- shortages, which is why our focus is on culture he built and continue to work
TO REACH US supporting Baptist Health’s 24,000 from it—and enhance it.”
FOR
ADVERTISING Cover Story: Melida Akiti of Memorial Healthcare System
OR EDITORIAL
Call (561) 368-6950 Continued from page 1
or e-mail taking care of the community. to a place where we will not be talking the new board chair of the Health
carol@southfloridahospitalnews.com “We’re community minded, meaning anymore about health equity or even Foundation of South Florida, the region’s
that Memorial invests in the South inequity in regard to obtaining health largest philanthropic organization
Broward district, not only financially, but care.” focused on achieving health equity in
by getting involved as well," she says. “The The most important lesson that Akiti historically disadvantaged communities.
SUBSCRIPTIONS staff are all volunteers in different organi- has learned in her career to date has been Akiti has served on the Health

One Year $40 zations. We know the pulse of the district consistent since she first started working Foundation board since 2014.
and we know their areas of need and inject in healthcare. “The foundation’s goal is to ensure
Two Years $60 ourselves in those areas of needs.” “The most important lesson has been health equity among all individuals in
Three Years $75 Akiti lived in Panama before migrating to listen to everyone,” she says. Miami-Dade,” she says. "We offer grants
to the United States. In Panama, she served “Everyone has a thought, feelings, and of over six to eight million dollars
as a clerical administrative staff at the needs to be heard.” throughout the year to all health care
To subscribe, Panama Canal Department – a U.S. Army Akiti has always held a passion for related, not-for-profit, organizations in
call (561) 368-6950 unit for the defense of the Panama Canal helping vulnerable communities, and order to advance the health care of indi-
Zone. She earned her Master of Social part of that passion expands to her work viduals. My goal as a board chair is to be
or subscribe online at
Work from Barry University and her in identifying and breaking down the able to dive into the community in the
southfloridahospitalnews.com. Master’s Degree in Psychology at Saint barriers of social determinants of health three surrounding counties and be able
____________ Mary University. She did her clinical psy- that often impede access to healthcare to work with their influencers. Many

chology rotations at Matías Hernández and other services. She’s a board member times, we tend to bring things to under-

All rights reserved. Reproduction hospital Psiquiatrico de Panama. for ChildNet, the nonprofit that protects served communities instead of working
in whole or part without written "My short term goal is to be able to abused, abandoned and neglected chil- with them for their advancement. What
permission prohibited. Copyright © 2020. develop self-equity among all individuals, dren in Broward and Palm Beach we plan to do this year is something
regardless of one’s ability to pay and Counties, and Board Emeritus for called impact investment in which we
regardless of their ethnic composition or Hispanic Unity of Florida, an organiza- plan to bring billions of dollars into these
sexual orientation,” she explains. “Self- tion that empowers immigrants and oth- counties and work with their influencers
Don’t forget to include equity means that people will be able to ers to become self-sufficient, productive to improve the health of the communi-
live longer because they have access to and civically engaged. In addition, she ties.”
South Florida Hospital News health insurance and, more than just was appointed to the Broward County
& Healthcare Report insurance, quality health care. My long Homeless Continuum of Care Coalition. For more information, visit www.mhs.net.
term goal is to be able to eventually come Earlier this year, Akiti was named as
in your Marketing Plans
Call Charles at 561-368-6950 for a Media Kit

12 August 2021 southfloridahospitalnews.com South Florida Hospital News