By Vanessa Orr

Since Scott Wester, FACHE, joined Memorial Healthcare System as its president and CEO in July of last year, he’s spent a lot of time connecting with caregivers, physicians, business leaders, peers, elected officials, community members and more, as well as learning about the South Broward and greater South Florida markets.

“I told my leadership team that even after a year it still feels like a honeymoon because I’m so excited to lead this organization,” he said of the immersive experience. “Memorial is a wonderful organization that has built its reputation based off the Memorial experience, the care we deliver, and how we deliver it. I’m pleased to be a part of the engaged culture we have with 15,000 people proud to wear the Memorial badge.”

Over the last year, Wester and the health system have celebrated a number of milestone achievements including the opening of the $166 million Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital expansion.

“This expansion has completely transformed pediatric care,” said Wester of a project that doubled the hospital from four to eight floors and includes a comprehensive cardiac floor and the Garth Brooks Teammates for Kids Child Life Zone.

Wester is also proud of MHS’ strong adult and pediatric transplant program and accelerated heart, kidney, and pancreas transplant programs, whose outcomes have placed it in an elite class in transplant programs across the country. This past year, MHS opened a new mental health facility, as well as a medical home for sickle cell patients, and collaborated on workforce projects with Broward College and other community organizations to develop healthcare jobs.

Wester credits the health system’s success to the fact that its board of commissioners, physicians, and employees are all very much aligned when it comes to reaching such lofty goals. “As a public health system, our main thrust is to deliver the best possible care to those that we serve, regardless of socio-economic conditions, social determinants of care, or economic conditions,” Wester said.

He added that in 2023, Memorial Health System was named one of the best places to work in healthcare in the U.S. – a title that it has earned for more than a decade.

“As one of the largest health systems in the U.S., we have one of the most engaged workforces in the country, and that doesn’t happen by accident,” he explained. “It takes a commitment by the leadership team, as well as a level of transparency in our focus on the patients that we are privileged to serve.”

Wester also takes a hands-on approach to running the health system, which at one point even had him sharing his expertise in the kitchen.

“When I interviewed, I was comparing notes with Memorial’s extraordinary chef, Chef Pierre, who has roots in Haiti,” said Wester. “Being from South Louisiana and the son of a caterer, I challenged him to a gumbo cookoff.

“One of the best parts of that experience was that I got to spend two days in the back kitchen with our folks who serve 1,500 meals a day, every day, and was able to talk to them about why they chose Memorial as a place to work, what they like about their jobs, and how they function as a team,” he continued. “It was eye opening.”

The event was judged by local celebrities and the board of commissioners and even became a fundraiser that raised more than $60,000 for the employee relief fund.

Future Goals

Last year, MHS acquired an eight-acre property in Hollywood that is currently being looked at as a site for healthcare facilities and other community-oriented options. The system will also be opening urgent and/or primary care facilities in the Palm Springs North/Country Club of Miami area of northwest Miami-Dade County, Weston, and Plantation so that patients don’t have to travel as far to get care. This fall, Memorial Cancer Institute will be opening a stand-alone facility in Pembroke Pines that will include Moffitt Cancer Center. Both organizations have been designated a “Florida Cancer Center of Excellence” by the Florida Department of Health.

Wester has some advice for leaders hoping to emulate his success.

“Become a subject matter expert in whatever field or job you’re in—that’s invaluable,” he said. “Be able to educate those in your work area to provide them with the right tools and resources, and support them and educate them so that they can continue to excel in the work that they do.

“Healthcare is a team sport – not an individual sport – and it’s important to make sure that the team understands the tasks ahead of them, whether in clinical roles, support services, or any other type of job.”