Jackson Health System has appointed John A. Brandecker, M.B.A., M.P.H., as senior vice president and chief administrative officer for Holtz Children’s Hospital and Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Women’s Hospital Center.

Brandecker comes to Jackson from the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics where he was the associate hospital director of UIHC and the executive director of the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital. He has also served as vice president of the University of Chicago Hospitals and Health System and director of UCHHS’ Comer Children’s Hospital. Brandecker also spent 10 years at North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System in New York and another 10 years at Columbia University.



Miami-Dade County Health Department (MDCHD) Administrator Lillian Rivera, R.N., M.S.N., Ph.D., announced the appointment of Alberto Santana, MS, as Deputy Director of the Office of HIV/AIDS.

Santana began his career at the Miami-Dade County Health Department in March 2005. Before assuming the Deputy Director position, Santana was the Statewide Latino HIV/AIDS coordinator for the Florida Department of Health managing all Latino and HIV/AIDS initiatives for the state of Florida. He also managed HIV/AIDS policy development and HIV Prevention Community Planning for Miami-Dade County’s Health Department – Office of HIV/AIDS.



Every quarter, Broward Health North Broward Medical Center recognizes two outstanding physicians to name Most Valuable Physicians (MVP). This quarter’s MVP recipients are Douglas Ford, M.D., and Ted Carson, M.D.

Dr. Ford is an anesthesiologist and has been the Chairman of the Department of Surgery for the last two years. He has been an active medical staff member since 1990.

Dr. Carson is a cardiovascular/thoracic surgeon who has been on the NBMC medical staff since 1977. He was recently elected to the position of Secretary of the Department of Surgery.



Glades General Hospital (GGH) is pleased to announce the winners of the second annual Nursing Distinction Awards. The awards recognize those staff whose contributions to nursing have made a profound impact on patient care and fellow employees at GGH.

Lisa Stevens, R.N., was honored with the 2nd Annual R.N. of the Year award for her dedication, service, compassion and commitment to the patients and fellow staff at Glades General Hospital. Stevens works in the operating room and has been with GGH since 1995. Other nursing award winners included: Reyna Perez, LPN of the Year; Sharonda Walters, CNA. of the Year; and Josephine Gadiano, R.N. who received the Extra-Mile Award.



Dr. James P. Ketterhagen, Vice President of Medical Affairs and Chief Medical Officer at Jupiter Medical Center, was recently awarded the Master of Medical Management (MMM) degree from Carnegie Mellon University.

The MMM is the degree of choice for physicians serving in healthcare leadership roles. Developed in partnership with the American College of Physician Executives (ACPE) – the national specialty society representing physicians in medical management – the MMM degree is conferred by only three of the nation’s top universities: Tulane, Carnegie Mellon, and the University of Southern California.