February 8, 2024 – Dr. Marsha Fishbane, pediatrician, public health physician, and dedicated community volunteer, has been elected chair of the board of trustees at Palm Health Foundation, Palm Beach County’s community foundation for health. Dr. Fishbane joined the foundation board in 2015 and has served on its Community Investment Committee for 17 years. She succeeds former chair, David Wisehaupt, managing director, Wisehaupt, Bray Asset Management/ Hightower.
Dr. Fishbane brings wide-ranging insights from 43 years of practice in private and public settings and leadership positions at nonprofit and government organizations. Her impact is far-reaching as well. She is the co-founder and board member of Healthy Mothers/Healthy Babies Coalition of Palm Beach County, a former chairperson for the School Health Advisory Council of Palm Beach County, and the former school health medical director for the Florida Department of Health in Palm Beach County where she led the implementation of the school health program that placed a nurse in every public school.
Before she was elected chair, Dr. Fishbane served as Palm Health Foundation’s Executive Committee vice-chair and Community Investment Committee chair. Patrick McNamara, Palm Health Foundation president and CEO, recognized the value of Dr. Fishbane’s leadership from the start. “Dr. Fishbane’s deep understanding of how to create countywide health solutions has been essential to helping us realize our vision where all Palm Beach County residents—especially children and youth—have opportunities to thrive and reach their full health potential,” he said. “I know she will bring wisdom and compassion to her board chair position and lead us in building a culture of health over the next two years.”
Dr. Fishbane has also been a key advocate of the foundation’s Healthier Together place-based funding effort, which was a major contributor to Palm Beach County winning the 2020-2021 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Culture of Health Prize. “I’m proud to lead Palm Health Foundation at a time when they are capturing local and national attention for their ground-breaking health initiatives,” said Dr. Fishbane. “The foundation’s staff, board of directors, and community partners are dedicated to building a culture of health, advancing brain health, and strengthening the health professions—all initiatives I am personally and professionally committed to advancing.”
Dr. Fishbane is a resident of Singer Island and a graduate of Pennsylvania State University and Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia. Her pediatric training was completed at Johns Hopkins Hospital. She was a Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholar and obtained a master’s in science from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
As a medical professional, she was in private pediatric practice for six years before moving into a 30-year career in public health with the Florida Department of Health in Palm Beach County, where she held the positions of community and school health division director and school health medical director before her retirement. Her leadership commitments have included the Early Learning Coalition of Palm Beach County, the Teen Pregnancy Prevention/Teen Parenting Coalition, the Florida Coordinated School Health Partnership, and the Wellness Promotion Policy Task Force with the School District of Palm Beach County.
Dr. Fishbane’s favorite pastimes are traveling and keeping up with her three daughters and three grandchildren.
About Palm Health Foundation
Palm Health Foundation is Palm Beach County’s community foundation for health. With the support of donors and a focus on results, the foundation builds strong community partnerships, respects diverse opinions, advocates for its most vulnerable neighbors, and inspires innovative solutions to lead change for better health now and for generations to come. The foundation supports health equity for Palm Beach County residents of all backgrounds, heritage, education, incomes, and states of well-being. Palm Health Foundation has invested more than $93 million in Palm Beach County health since 2001. For more information about Palm Health Foundation, visit palmhealthfoundation.org or call (561) 833-6333.