HCA (Hospital Corporation of America) East Florida Division is pleased to announce the promotion of Brian Baumgardner to Chief Executive Officer of Gulf Coast Medical Center.

Brian brings over 16 years of executive healthcare experience to this role most recently as the Chief Operating Officer of Lawnwood Regional in Ft Pierce, FL. Prior to that Brian served as the CEO of Bartow Memorial Hospital in Bartow, FL and COO of Central Florida Regional in Sanford, FL.



Officials at Catholic Health Services recently announced the opening of their new medical rehabilitation hospital in West Miami-Dade County. St. Catherine’s West Rehabilitation Hospital successfully passed the AHCA survey and has transferred selected patients from St. Catherine’s Main Campus to the West Campus.

“The opening of St. Catherine’s West Rehab Hospital is a special milestone not only for Catholic Health Services, but for the entire South Florida medical community,” said Joseph Catania, President and Chief Executive Officer for Catholic Health Services, “It is the first stand alone hospital of its kind to serve the western corridor of Miami-Dade county and the patient population that requires such specialized intensive rehabilitation care.”

Sixty inpatient beds, mostly in private rooms, including a special wing dedicated to skilled nursing and intensive orthopedic rehabilitation, a high tech medical rehab gym and indoor aquatic center, comprise 67,289 Sq ft of state of the art medical facility located within easy access to some of the most densely populated areas in the county. The building also houses an inpatient care center occupied by Catholic Hospice. “We wanted to create an environment that maximizes patient care and offers every state of the art tool our physicians need, that is also welcoming and comforting to our patients and their families,” says Jaime Gonzalez, Administrator of St. Catherine’s Rehabilitation Hospitals.

Designed by MGE Architects and built by Arellano Construction, it embodies every detail of comfort and grace with cutting edge rehabilitation technology and medicine. Peter Goicouria, principal of MGE Architects, comments, “A successful project is having a great team working together, that is owner, architect, and construction manager all working toward the same goal. I am very proud of the design features we obtained, such as the skylight over the pool and the visual integration between the Gym and pool area feeling as one flowing space. The openness to exterior light in virtually every room and the refreshing interior color scheme, the modern exterior and the glass curtain wall offering clear visibility to patients, staff and visitors alike.”



The nursing staff of St. Catherine’s Rehabilitation Hospital were featured in the October edition of Advance for Nurses, a magazine serving the RNs of south Florida.

(l-r) Sandra Evans, Karine Charles, Linda Johnson, Carol McFarland, Mylande Louis-Jeune, Marie Pierre, Jerline Jean Louis, Joi McMillion and Reynande Francois.

Receiving their highest rankings in communication, organizational culture, professional development and quality of care, St. Catherine’s was top choice. They scored high marks for communication efforts, which include open door policies and respect for the expertise of bedside caregivers. According to survey respondents, St. Catherine’s Rehab Hospital was ranked “tops” due to consistently providing high-quality care to patients, ensuring staff is properly trained, implementing evidence-based practice and providing adequate nurse staffing levels.



(l-r) Dr. Ana M. Viamonte Ros, State Surgeon General, Dr. Lillian Rivera, Administrator, Miami-Dade County Health Department, and Olga Connor, Director, Office of Communication and Legislative Affairs, Miami-Dade County Health Department recently met with Mayor Carlos Alvarez (far left) to thank him and the Board of County Commissioners for their support of public health.



Divina Grossman, PhD, RN, ARNP, FAAN, has been elected Chair of the Florida Association of Colleges of Nursing for a two-year term. Grossman is Dean of the Florida International University (FIU) College of Nursing and Health Sciences (CNHS) in Miami.

The FACN appointment adds another dimension to Dr. Grossman’s extensive involvement with nursing and healthcare organizations. She currently serves as Chairwoman of the Board, Kendall Regional Medical Center; Secretary, Health Foundation of South Florida Board; Member, Advisory Committee, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Nurse Faculty Scholars Program; Editorial Board Member, American Journal of Nursing; and Chair, American Academy of Nursing Task Force on Health Disparities.