On the day that the beautiful, brand-new Lakeside Medical Center (LMC) in Belle Glade opened its doors to patients and a new beginning for the Lake Okeechobee region, a new life entered the world in The Birthplace, the hospital’s state-of-the-art labor and delivery suite. Baby girl Shaniya Canty, weighing 7 pounds and 2 ounces, made her debut along with Palm Beach County’s newest hospital. The 146,000 square feet facility, which features 70 private patient rooms, 16 emergency treatment rooms, 6 labor and delivery suites and 3 technologically sophisticated operating rooms, replaces Glades General Hospital and represents a new era for the Glades community.

Funded by the Health Care District of Palm Beach County, the Glades Health Care Foundation and private donations, LMC was completed four months ahead of schedule and more than $6 million under budget. According to Brian P. Gibbons, Jr., Lakeside Administrator, credit for that exceptional achievement belongs to Michael J. Gates, the District’s Senior Development Executive, who managed the project. Gates, who originally was a consultant to the District but joined the executive staff in order to oversee the hospital’s design and construction, attributes the successful completion of the hospital to an outstanding, “hand-picked” team and several other key factors.

Brian P. Gibbons, Jr., Hospital Administrator, and Michael J. Gates, Senior Development Executive. Photo credit: John Ricksen Photography

“Florida is rich with talent and we had the best people who understood and stuck to the mission,” Gates explained. “We were able to capitalize on the marketplace and get the best possible pricing. We sought and received designation from the state as a critical rural development need, which expedites the processes, and we managed the living daylights out of the project. Our achievement demonstrates that community-critical projects can be delivered successfully when they are undertaken with a clear vision and a well-organized, collaborative effort.”

That clear vision has produced a bright, fully modern hospital designed to precisely match the needs of the community. LMC features technological advances that facilitate the delivery of the highest quality care while considering the unique challenges of the population and location. A comprehensive diagnostic imaging center contains all-digital equipment, including a new mammography machine. Enhanced Information Technology will enable physicians at Lakeside to securely transmit digital images to specialists at other facilities, electronically taking the patient to the specialist, and to remotely monitor a patient’s condition from any location. Electronic medical records, bar code scanning, advanced telemetry systems and high-tech cardiac monitors are among the cutting-edge capabilities at LMC.

Gibbons says that the private rooms are one of the most significant features. “Individual patient rooms offer privacy, reduce infection and enhance dignity. Our facility is designed so that patients and the public never cross paths. In a rural community, where everybody knows everybody else, this is especially important.” Although LMC offers care in over a dozen medical specialties, clinical services focus on women’s health, infectious disease and pulmonology. “There is a prevalence of COPD and other smoking-related lung diseases here,” Gibbons explains. “We have a high incidence of teen pregnancy. Rural communities are often challenged by lifestyle diseases and we plan to emphasize primary care and patient education.”

Photo credit: John Ricksen Photography

Given the region’s history of hurricanes, LMC’s architects and planners built the new hospital for long term durability. “This was a critical issue,” says Gates. “The old building was over 60 years old and could not resist winds associated with powerful hurricanes. This building is a steel super structure, with tilt wall construction – a steel reinforced concrete exterior wall system – high impact glass, and is set on an elevated site requiring 14 feet of fill to reduce any likelihood of flooding. LMC is the only hospital made entirely with tilt-wall construction in the State of Florida.”

Providing access to progressive, clinically excellent care complemented by a beautiful, comfortable and efficient environment, LMC strengthens the entire community and enhances its appeal. “Having a new facility means that we can more effectively recruit physicians in a medically underserved market,” said Gibbons. “It means population growth and economic development for the region. Lakeside is more than a hospital; it’s a community center, with rooms for meetings and events. There’s room for growth and we fully expect to develop the campus to include a medical office building and a site for ancillary services.”

Perhaps most importantly, the new structure strengthens the ability of the staff to fulfill their commitment to the hospital’s mission. As a public hospital, Lakeside is a “safety net” hospital that provides care to anyone who seeks it, regardless of ability to pay. “Safety net hospitals are a critical resource, and it’s essential to keep them viable in their communities. For our staff, there’s a heightened sense of mission and a renewed sense of pride,” said Gibbons. “This hospital is a dream come true and a promise kept to the residents of the Glades. It’s perfectly designed to meet the needs of this region, and will provide all the services that our community demands. We’re grateful to this community, which had the foresight to be so deeply involved in their own healthcare future.”



Richard Button shouldn’t have made it to his 76th birthday.

In October, just a few days before he was ready to blow out candles on a cake, the Martin County resident suffered cardiac arrest and was rushed to Martin Memorial Medical Center. Button coded in the emergency department about 20 times, but managed to pull through.

Because cardiac arrest can cut off the flow of oxygen, brain damage can occur in these patients. So to help reduce the risk of damage to Button’s brain, a specially trained team of physicians and nurses at Martin Memorial used non-invasive technology called the Arctic Sun System, which rapidly reduces the core body temperature.

“The goal is to try to preserve brain function following cardiac arrest,” says Cynthia Silva, director of the cardiovascular intensive care unit at the Frances Langford Heart Center. “By inducing mild hypothermia you slow the body’s function down and prevent swelling that could lead to damage to the brain.”

Button had gel packs placed on him and the Arctic Sun directed cool water to circulate through them, reducing his temperature by approximately six degrees. After 24 hours his temperature was gradually brought back up by having warm water circulate through the pads.

Button remained in a coma-like state for four days after his cardiac arrest. But when his wife, Mary, went to visit him at the hospital on the fifth day – his 76th birthday – she found him sitting up and alert.

“I went to my cardiologist for a follow-up visit and she looked at all of my records and told me, ‘According to what I’m seeing, you should not have survived this,’” Button says.

Not every heart patient who comes to Martin Memorial is a candidate for the Arctic Sun. There are a number of criteria that must be met, including the amount of time since the onset of cardiac arrest. Other patients may have specific medical conditions that don’t allow them to be a candidate for the treatment.

But for patients such as Richard Button, the Arctic Sun has proven to be a lifesaver.

“It’s really amazing. He had no brain damage as a result (of the cardiac arrest), no motor damage,” Mary Button says. “It’s like a miracle.”



Chief Executive Officer
Broward General Medical Center and The Chris Evert Children’s Hospital

Proudest Accomplishment: Achieving Best Run Hospital two years in a row for hospitals over 250 beds

First Job: Pharmacy transporter, Misericordia Hospital, Philadelphia, PA

Education: BSc. Pharmacy, Masters in Health Management

What skills do you need to succeed in your job: Active Listening/ Systemic Thinker/ The art of Negotiation

Work Habit you posses that you are most proud of: Vision and following through to accomplish the vision.

Most valuable lesson you learned in your career: No surprises….do your homework

The toughest part of your job: Satisfying all constituents

Your philosophy of success: Always focus on your core business using measurable benchmarks to achieve desired outcomes. Treat all constituents fairly and with respect.

Person You Most Admire: My Mom….in spite of losing three children and a host of adversities she always manages to keep her perspective on the important things in life.

Favorite Book: The Fifth Principle

Biggest Challenge Confronting Healthcare: The working uninsured….and certainly the malpractice crises.

Suggestions on how you would solve a problem in healthcare: Use existing resources and infrastructure to create a low cost model for the working uninsured.

Your predictions on the future of health care: Improvements in technology leading the way to a more robust health care system.

Best Thing about Healthcare in South Florida: the medical community

Worst Thing about Healthcare in South Florida: Malpractice

What advice would you offer young people considering a career in Health Care: Seek experiences early in your career that allow you the opportunity to work at the bedside. This will provide you with invaluable insight into the patient experience and will serve you well throughout your career.



West Boca Medical Center

Sy Finkelstein
Volunteer
Sy has been a volunteer in the ER for 2 years (1300 hours) and his commitment to making a difference for people has really shined during this hurricane season. Sy came in everyday with the exception 2 days, to help in the ER during this disaster. On the Friday before the hurricane, he was the only volunteer that came in to help at the hospital and as soon as they came out of lockdown, he was back at the hospital again. Sy performs a multitude of functions including comforting and easing patients’ high anxiety; he assists them with their personal needs, supports staff, is a courier/transporter, just to name a few tasks. Sy is frequently mentioned by patients for his compassion and friendliness. He is a true asset to West Boca Medical Center and they are thankful to have him on their team!

Dennis Macilwain
ER tech
Dennis Macilwain, ER Tech, just happened to bring his chainsaw to work in case there was a problem with trees being down and staff not being able to get out. During a driving rainstorm Dennis took his saw out to cut down a tree by the Emergency Department driveway so Rescue could get in with patients.

Kathy Hoar
Director of Rehabilitative Services
Kathy did a fabulous job of “managing” the mothers-to-be housed in the PT department. She had 12 expectant moms and their significant others housed in the department during the storm and before the storm was over, the new moms were taking pictures of her to include in their keepsake and exchanging addresses. She kept them calm throughout the storm and created a peaceful atmosphere in the midst of the storm.

Tim Walsh
Director of Environmental Services
Tim did an outstanding job managing the short supply of linen and providing housekeeping services without any major issues. He effectively contained the numerous leaks throughout the building. Tim was also always available to help out with non-EVS issues, including transporting deceased patients to the morgue. He also drove down to Miami on Sunday morning in the wind and rain to get linen from Palmetto General Hospital. The hospital counted on Tim to assist with numerous non-EVS issues throughout the storm and he always delivered and always with a pleasant attitude.

Chris Lefave
Director of Food and Nutrition Services
Chris faced the challenge of feeding 500 people from Friday afternoon through Sunday afternoon. Because Frances was so slow in reaching South Florida, the hospital was running low on provisions when the actual storm was onshore and he managed to ration the provisions while providing hot cooked meals. He also kept his staff going and many of them were exhausted having worked in the cafeteria Monday through Friday and then ending up working morning through night for the entire weekend as well.

Cathy McCullough
Employee Health Nurse
Ellen Kreshover
Secretary, Education Department
Deena & Shaina Nunes, ages 15, daughters of Andrea Nunes, Risk Manager
West Boca Medical Center would like to recognize Cathy McCullough, Andrea’s twins, Deena and Shaina Nunes, and Ellen Kreshover for their 4 days of very hard work in the childcare. Deena and Shaina worked from 7 a.m. – 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday taking care of employee’s children with never a complaint. They were not paid either but did this while their mother worked. Also Cathy McCullough and Ellen Kreshover kept the children organized with various activities. West Boca provided childcare to about 15 – 20 children.

Cathy Wilkinson
Marguerite Smith
Mary Lynn Scallan
Doreen Snyder
Monica Hernandez
NICU Nurses
West Boca Medical Center would like to recognize the NICU nurses for their efforts Saturday night. When it started leaking very badly in NICU, it was decided that 6 babies had to be moved out of the NICU to a post partum room where there were 4 nurses sleeping. The nurses were woke up and told they needed to find someplace else to sleep. They got right up out of a sound sleep and instead of thinking about where they were going to go to sleep went right into the NICU and started to help moving the babies. They were in their pajamas and were sleepy but starting moving babies and equipment.

North Ridge Medical Center

The North Ridge Medical Center engineering team, let by Marshall Scott and supported by Scott Larusso and Dan MacDaniel, were absolutely tireless as they responded to never-ending requests for assistance via their radio “walkie-talkies”. They never once complained and were constantly juggling priorities. Whether wind and rain was seeping into the building, the ovens went out, the chillers failed and needed to be repaired on the spot, more sandbags needed to be filled despite the conditions outside, doors that were flying open needed to be secured, security with visitors/patients needed to be addressed, biomed and equipment failures were addressed, etc, etc, etc. The overall outcome of the storm was great – North Ridge was lucky, but it was no accident that they came out of it so well. Good example – on rounds (outside in storm conditions) – Marshall discovered that the doors to a Florida Power and Light power supply panel had blown open since the force of the wind was strong enough to destroy the lock that was securing the doors. If anything would have blown into that panel, a major catastrophe and possible explosion would have occurred. Marshall, Scott, and Dan kept North Ridge out of any crisis situation because of their diligence and proactive actions.

Likewise, Betty Sands, the supervisor in housekeeping was responsive to every request, had very little sleep over 48 hours and directed the operations of the entire housekeeping crew in the absence of a director who is transitioning to another position. Her actions displayed incredible team spirit and tireless effort to take care of anyone’s need on demand. North Ridge Medical Center could not have gone through this without her leadership. She stepped up to the plate when it had never been her job to do something even remotely similar to the task at hand. She is to be commended for this.

Coral Gables Hospital

Nuno Ferreira
Electrician
At the present time, the Plant Director position at CGH is vacant. Nuno has assumed the role of Supervisor and without hesitation actively participated in all the preparation meetings for Hurricane Frances. He activated the Hurricane Plan by ordering the needed supplies and coordinated all the hurricane preparation functions for the plant. He secured his home and then returned to be part of the team that stayed during the Hurricane. During the storm he was vigilant of the building to ensure the safety of the employees and patients. Nuno’s dedication and hard work during Hurricane Frances are recognized and greatly appreciated.

Evelin Lopez
Director Food Services
Evelin is Director of Food Services at CGH. During the Hurricane watch, she activated the Hurricane Plan and coordinated all the food supplies and items needed. She secured her home and returned to be part of the team that stayed during the Hurricane. During the Hurricane, she ensured that all patient meals where prepared and delivered timely without interruption. She additionally coordinated all the meals to accommodate the employees at the facility during the Hurricane. On her own she made sandwiches for the employees at midnight and distributed them to the floors to ensure that all the employees were happy. Evelin’s dedication and hard work during Hurricane Frances are recognized and greatly appreciated.

Hollywood Medical Center

Dr. Larrye Feldman
Dr. Larrye Feldman would qualify in that he volunteered to stay since he is single and allowed other physicians (obligated by office to be here) to stay at home with families/children. He stayed the whole time.

Patrick Jones
Production Supervisor
Patrick’s tireless efforts ensured food for patient’s, employees and visitors throughout the hurricane event. He was up at 5 a.m. preparing breakfast each morning, ready for lunch at 11 a.m. and right on time for dinner from 4-6 p.m. After preparing the main meals, Patrick and his team prepared pizzas for delivery by the department heads. He was there from Friday afternoon until Sunday afternoon. He stayed on to finalize the details for Sunday’s dinner and the Labor Day meal. He is a trooper, so dedicated to the department and hospital.

Larry Melby
CEO
Larry made rounds on the floors with an ice cream cart and food nightly and personally took the time to speak to all the employees. He kept their spirits light and extended his thankfulness for all their efforts to patients during this trying time. He held Department Head meetings to keep the staff focused and involved in the plans as the storm progressed. He developed newsletters to facilitate communication to all the in-house staff. One of the ICU RN’s was so personally impressed with the flow and organization of activities that she was compelled to call Larry and thank him herself! Through it all there were a few laughs and great leadership in Larry!

Delray Medical Center

Jackie Becker, ARNP
Jackie took a taxi to get to work on time, the taxi hit a parked car, she arrived in ED on a back board, refused to go home despite back injury & insisted on working in the childcare area (area designated for the children of parents who were working during the storm). Her biggest concern was not reporting on time.

Sam Espinoza
Staffing Coordinator
Sam worked from 11 a.m. Friday to 11 a.m. Sunday. In addition to ensuring adequate staffing in patient care areas, he walked the floors lending assistance where needed, particularly during the power outage. After he left on Sunday, he heard a co-worker was particularly hard hit from the storm. He went directly to her house and assisted with moving debris and securing her home.

Kathy Moraitis, RN
Surg/Ortho
Kathy was assigned to the hurricane relief team. She was so concerned about her peers who had worked such excessive hours, she ventured out into the weather on Sunday morning at 9:30 a.m. prior to the “all clear” being called. Although emotional & crying about her home which was flooded & had considerable roof damage, she left her own home in shambles and made it to the hospital. Her drive was treacherous due to the still unsafe weather. She witnessed a tree almost fall on the car ahead of her. Instead of turning back, she continued on her way in. She literally received cheers from the hurricane team on her arrival. She represented a light at the end of the tunnel for a team who was tired & beaten. I believe that Kathy was the first relief team employee to make it to Delray that morning. Her commitment to the team and patients was exceptional. She worked Sunday, Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday. She says that she will deal with her own home after this all passes.



As the competition for employees continues to intensify among South Florida’s hospitals, the recruitment and retention of top talent is becoming increasingly challenging for hospital administrators. In addition to a significant shortage of nurses, the pickings are slim for a myriad of positions, including pharmacists, physical therapists, imaging specialists and laboratory technicians. Today, hospital operators are struggling to find new ways to attract and retain the best-qualified staff.

Hospitals need adequate staffing to meet the demands of Florida’s rapidly growing and aging population. The longer hospitals retain employees, the greater the quality of the services they provide and the stronger the emotional glue keeping employees loyal to their organizations. High retention rates also keep down turnover costs, such as advertising and training. The fact is, nurses and other skilled health care workers know they’re in high demand and can pick and choose where they wish to work. Hospital work is demanding, and services must be provided 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Florida’s supply of nurses is aging, many are leaving the profession and others are not choosing to work in these careers. According to a 2002 report from the Florida Hospital Association, one in eight nursing positions in Florida hospitals are vacant and, by 2020, Florida will need 61,000 more nurses than what’s projected to be available. At the same time, hospital admissions and ER visits are at record highs.

Administrators of leading hospitals know recruitment and retention go hand in hand. One cannot be done without the other. Recruitment of the right employees – those who possess the necessary technical skills and experience and mesh well within an organization’s culture – will support retention. At the same time, good employees who are leaders in an organization will drive recruitment by referring qualified candidates.

Effective recruitment and retention efforts require detailed research and planning. First, hospital administrators should evaluate their markets and understand their competitors. Just as important, they must look inside and understand the internal barriers to retention. Next, they should develop effective communications programs designed to increase their visibility among target audiences through a variety of tactics, including placing advertisements, securing positive media coverage of hospital services and activities, sponsoring community events and providing job fairs and other events. While there’s no magic bullet to cure every hospital’s staffing dilemmas, here are some general guidelines to consider:

  • Establish a culture of recognizing and rewarding employees. First, it’s critical to routinely evaluate pay scales and provide competitive compensation and benefits packages, including bonuses and other perks for top performers. But the rewards shouldn’t just be monetary. Appreciation should also be demonstrated through other meaningful recognition means, such as providing hand-written thank-you notes, “Employee of the Month” and other awards, and special events. Administrators should routinely round their facilities and spend one-on-one time thanking, listening to, and recognizing employees.
  • Establish a culture of education. The benefits of providing employees with educational opportunities are clear: Advanced training enhances job skills, improves the quality of services provided, and enables employees to move forward with their careers and find greater reward in their work. Training also sends a signal that the organization cares about developing its people. Employers should routinely provide reviews and participate in frank discussions about how they may help support their employees’ long-term career goals. Training and cross-training should be provided for new and existing employees and those who are promoted. Hospitals may also provide tuition reimbursement and continuing education courses. They might also tailor courses to fit their employees’ interests, such as by providing experts to discuss everything from personal finances to physical fitness.
  • Establish a culture of family. Employees who feel emotionally attached to their colleagues and loyalty to their hospitals are more likely to stay for the long haul and resist tempting job offers from competitors. They will also provide a higher quality of work. Establishing a family culture requires sincere support from the top levels of management down to every employee. A special focus should be placed on the front-line managers, as they can be the biggest influencers of employee satisfaction. To be successful, hospitals must have a culture of openness, effective communication (top to bottom and bottom to top), team-building activities and concerted efforts to accommodate scheduling needs and other preferences. Employees must feel good about going to work and good about the people with whom they work.

As South Florida’s health care needs continue to grow, hospital operators should develop effective plans to ensure their facilities are properly staffed to meet the increasing demand. They should create work environments where people want to do their best and feel good about the meaningful jobs they perform. Competitive compensation and benefits packages are certainly imperative, but employers should also seek better ways to make their hospitals more enriching, rewarding places for their employees to work in the long term. Those who do will be positioned for continued leadership and success.