Department of Children and Families Secretary George Sheldon Visits Broward General Medical Center

Florida Secretary of the Department of Children and Families George H. Sheldon visited Broward General Medical Center (BGMC) recently, where he met with Haitian relief patients, Broward Health physicians and staff.

To date, 534 patient patients injured in the January 12 catastrophic earthquake in Haiti have been cared for in South Florida including 229 in Broward County and 104 at Broward Health facilities.

Those cases include the young pediatric patients Sheldon met with last weekend who are suffering from spinal cord injuries, broken bones, head wounds, lost limbs and other serious ailments.

Dr. Nabil El Sanadi (right), chief of emergency medicine for Broward Health, and George H. Sheldon, Florida secretary of the Department of Children and Families, met recently at BGMC where Sheldon visited Haitian relief patients.

Sheldon, and Florida Governor Charlie Crist via press conference, declared their appreciation to South Florida hospitals for their willingness to treat Haitian patients and stated that Florida is committed to providing necessary treatment.

Broward Health’s efforts to aid victims of the Haitian earthquake are being coordinated with local, state and federal partners. Broward Health’s Emergency Preparedness Department facilitated the movement of patients needing care as part of their responsibility as the Region VII Domestic Security Task Force Health and Medical leadership. The system is also coordinating its efforts with the South Florida Hospital and Healthcare Association and other business partners to provide needed supplies and equipment as part of the relief efforts. This support will be ongoing.