Forest W. Blanton was recently appointed chief information officer for Memorial Healthcare System. Blanton has more than 25 years of strong leadership and management experience in information systems with an aptitude for developing creative solutions to business challenges.

Employed with Memorial Healthcare System since 1983, Blanton has been instrumental in the organization’s transition to clinical informatics, computerizing many clinical applications – an endeavor that began in early 2000. He is credited for helping the organization garner the 100 Most Wired Hospitals and Health Systems awards for four alternate years since 2001.

Blanton holds a double degree in mathematical sciences and operations research from Stanford University. Among his certifications are PMP (Project Management Professional), CHE (Certified Healthcare Executive) and CMA (Certified Management Accountant). On the civic front, Blanton has been active in numerous community groups since 1983, leading and focusing on issues of land use and zoning, environmental preservation, traffic and responsible growth policies.



BESLER Consulting has opened a regional office in Florida. Phillip C. Dutcher has joined the firm as the Regional Director of the new office. Phil Besler, President and Chief Executive Officer of the consulting firm, made the announcement this week.

Prior to joining BESLER Consulting, Dutcher served as Senior Vice President responsible for new business development for one of the nation’s leading medical real estate development firms. He was formerly the President and Chief Executive Officer for a major integrated health system in South Florida. Dutcher holds a Bachelor of Industrial Administration Degree from Kettering University and a Master’s of Business Administration and Health Services Administration from the University of Michigan. Dutcher has served on the Board of Directors for both the Michigan Hospital Association and Florida Hospital Association. Nationally, he has served on the American Hospital Association’s Regional Policy Board for Region 5 and on the Administrative Board for the Association of American Medical Colleges’ Council of Teaching Hospitals. Dutcher is a Diplomat in the American College of Healthcare Executives and an active member of the Healthcare Financial Management Association.



UnitedHealthcare, a UnitedHealth Group company, and HCA Inc. recently announced a new long-term nationwide agreement. The agreement provides United members access to HCA facilities, covers members into 2011 and recognizes HCA’s and United’s ongoing commitment to quality and accessibility.

“Our renewed relationship with HCA will provide quality, affordable health care for the people we serve,” said David Wichmann, president and chief operating officer of UnitedHealthcare. “We arrived at an agreement that will advance quality, ease administration and maintain affordability. While the past few months have been challenging for many of our members, we are pleased that this new contract will offer not only long-term stability for customers, but also reinforce our commitment to quality for our members.”

The new contract extends access to over 150 of HCA’s hospitals and over 100 diagnostic and treatment centers across the country.



Kendall Regional Medical Center is proud to announce that Victor Rojas has been promoted to Director of Imaging Services. Rojas, a certified Radiologic Technologist, has been acting as Interim Director for the past several months.

Rojas has been with Kendall Regional for five years. He was previously the Assistant Director and was responsible for the day-to-day management of the Imaging Department. He also worked for 15 years at HCA’s Deering Hospital, serving as Director of Imaging for 10 of those years.



The Chest Pain Alert Team at Cleveland Clinic Florida is the winner of the South Florida Business Journal’s 8th Annual Excellence in Healthcare Award for a hospital-based program. The awards program honors healthcare providers that have successfully implemented truly creative programs and practices to meet the challenges faced by the healthcare industry in a variety of healthcare settings.

The success of the Chest Pain Alert Team at Cleveland Clinic Florida has been published and presented nationally at meetings of the American College of Cardiology and the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions, and it is now a model for others to emulate. In addition, Cleveland Clinic Florida is one of just 173 hospitals in the United States recognized nationally by the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With the Guidelines SM (GWTG) program for its performance achievement in cardiac patient care.

According to cardiologist Howard Bush, M.D., head of the Chest Pain Alert Team, some of the factors that contribute to Cleveland Clinic Florida’s excellence in heart care delivery include the team’s ability to mobilize quickly prior to a patient arriving on campus; the use of technology to obtain time-sensitive patient information from emergency responders; and the implementation of one universal protocol for heart attack patients based on the ACC/AHA national guidelines.

One measurement tool used nationally to evaluate quality of heart care is the “door-to-balloon” time, which is the time it takes to restore blood flow to the heart once the heart attack victim arrives at the hospital. The national average “door-to-balloon” time is approximately two hours, while ACC/AHA guidelines call for under 90 minutes. Cleveland Clinic Florida has achieved some of the shortest “door-to-balloon” times in South Florida and the nation, averaging between 60 and 70 minutes.