The Healing Garden, located in the circle directly in front of the hospital’s main entrance was recently inaugurated by City of Margate’s Mayor, David McLean.

The Healing Garden at Northwest Medical Center has been conceived as a place of refuge, retreat and quiet reflection, to honor caregivers of every discipline, as well as family members and friends who give care to those in need. The garden is complete with benches, water fountains, and tropical plants and flowers. “Our vision was to create a place to honor everyone who provides care, and to provide a place of rest for them, to relax and meditate” stated Rick Kennedy, Chief Executive Officer at Northwest (pictured here). “The Healing Garden is a statement to our community of our commitment to compassionate care”.



Troy Kishbaugh, Deputy General Counsel for the North Broward Hospital District, has been invited to join the Privacy and Security Implementation Project. Kishbaugh will be a member of the Project’s Legal Working Group.

The Privacy and Security Project is a partnership with the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, RTI International, the National Governors Association, and individual states. The Privacy and Security Project began in 2006 and has been extended through 2007 to support State implementation projects and collaboration activities among participating States.



The Making Medicine Mercury-Free Award is a prestigious national award that commends outstanding efforts to eliminate mercury from the health care system. The West Palm Beach VA Medical Center is the 2007 winner of the award after competing with over 130 facilities and being evaluated by a team of 30 reviewers. The Making Medicine Mercury-Free Award is a one-time award given to facilities that have met the challenge of becoming virtually mercury-free. Facilities must take several steps to qualify for the award. This includes submitting documentation for policies, training, clinical devices and facility initiatives.

Normand Mousseau, Chief, Environmental Management, and Kathy Frazier, Occupational Safety & Health Manager



The Women’s Healthcare Executive Network of South Florida held its fall educational program “Establishing Your Boundaries – Achieving Work/Life Balance” on September 6th at Jackson North Medical Center. Over 50 attendees listened to Dr. Joyce Elam, Executive Dean of FIU’s School of Business Administration and Co -Director of FIU’s Center for Leadership, presentation of her recently released research “Florida’s Woman-Led Businesses, 2007.” Dr. Elam’s study which was funded by The Commonwealth Institute South Florida, analyzed key characteristics of women leaders, including strategies, career progression, personal motivation, work habits and life choices.



Eduardo C. Alfonso, M.D., the Edward W.D. Norton Professor of Ophthalmology known for his clinical expertise in diseases and surgery of the cornea and ocular microbiology, has been named interim chairman of Bascom Palmer Eye Institute which serves as the Department of Ophthalmology of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. Dr. Alfonso will also serve as director of Bascom Palmer’s patient care facilities.

A 1984 graduate of Bascom Palmer Eye Institute’s ophthalmology residency program, Dr. Alfonso has been on the Bascom Palmer faculty since 1986. Dr. Alfonso has been medical director of Bascom Palmer’s Ocular Microbiology Laboratory and is recognized worldwide as an expert on ocular infectious diseases.