The Board of Commissioners for the North Broward Hospital District at their regular board meeting elected new officers to serve through October 2008.

Board members, appointed to staggered four-year terms by the governor, will serve as follows: Chair Miguel “Mike” Fernandez, managing director for Latin American for SonoSite; Vice Chair Rhonda A. Calhoun, executive director of the Broward League of Cities; Secretary Rebecca L. Stoll, president of TurnKey Title in Fort Lauderdale; Assistant Secretary Dan Gordon, certified property casualty underwriter with Bateman, Gordon and Sands; Treasurer Joseph M. Cobo, president/CEO of Florida Medical Management Consultants, Inc.; Board Member Robert C. Bernstein, president of Spectrum Healthcare Solutions, Inc.; and Board Member Maureen Jaeger, special assistant to Gov. Charlie Crist.



Mariners Hospital announced that, effective May 31, 2008, the entire hospital campus will be tobacco free.

The use of tobacco will be prohibited in all areas of the hospital and the Tassell Medical Arts Building, outdoor grounds, outpatient centers and parking areas. The ban applies to cigarettes, cigars, pipes and smokeless tobacco.

The policy will extend to anyone on the hospital grounds – patients, families, visitors, employees, medical staff, students, volunteers, vendors and contract workers.

“Becoming a tobacco-free campus is one of the strongest statements we can make about our commitment to fostering good health and wellness in our community,” said Nelson Lazo, CEO of Mariners Hospital. “As a healthcare provider, we recognize that tobacco use is a serious health risk to the user, as well as to anyone breathing the same air as the person smoking.”



The Rev. David W. Cleeland has been named chairman of the Board of Trustees of Baptist Health South Florida.

Rev. Cleeland, pastor of the New Beginnings Christian Fellowship of Homestead, will lead the volunteer Board of Trustees.

Rev. Cleeland has served on the Baptist Health Board since 1997 and the Baptist Hospital Board since 1992. He also serves on the Boards of two other Baptist Health affiliates, Baptist Outpatient Services and Baptist Health Enterprises.



The Administration of Wellington Regional Medical Center is pleased to announce the appointment of Melissa Carlson, M.D., as Chairperson of the Board of Governors, the first female Chairperson in the hospital’s 21-year history.

Dr. Carlson, a board certified obstetrician/gynecologist, has played an active role in the development of obstetrical services at Wellington Regional Medical Center since joining the medical staff in 1999. She served as Chief of Obstetrics from 2003 through 2004 and is currently a member-at-large of the Medical Executive Committee, Chairperson of the By-laws Committee, and for the last three years ongoing, has served as a member of the OB/GYN Quality Assurance Committee.



Sodexho, the nation’s leading provider of integrated food and facilities management services, is pleased to announce that its innovative Create Your WeightSM program that has helped participants lose an average of 15 pounds through a combination of high-tech measurement and personal counseling will be customized for Hispanic Floridians thanks to a grant from the Hispanic Obesity Prevention & Education (H.O.P.E.) and DrTango, Inc.

The $20,000 grant will enable Sodexho to work with H.O.P.E. to create a comprehensive program that is culturally and linguistically appropriate and can be individually tailored for Hispanics who are trying to lose weight. Aventura Hospital and Medical Center and Sodexho will be providing a program which includes weekly sessions taught by a Registered Dietitian, effective menu plans, and fitness programs, shopping lists, and tracking tools so that dieters can monitor their own progress. All program materials will be translated into Spanish; bilingual dietitians will teach classes in Dade, Broward and Collier counties and Sodexho chefs will demonstrate how to prepare healthy Hispanic recipes such as Chicharron de Pollo, Carne en Jocon/Adobo, and Bacalao Guisado. Exercise physiologists and physical therapists will also provide program participants with information on increasing exercise in their daily activities. MiDieta, an internet site will further engage participants and/or their families, providing continuity and guidance between classes. Finally, the grant includes an evaluation of the impact of the program in both employee and community settings.