March 15, 2022 – After six successful years at the helm of Memorial Healthcare System, the public, nonprofit hospital system in south Broward County that is nationally recognized for providing outstanding patient and family-centered care, Aurelio M. Fernandez, III, FACHE, has announced his retirement. Effective at the end of April 2022, he leaves a legacy that transformed Memorial, its workforce and community.An innovative healthcare leader in South Florida for 45 years, Fernandez was instrumental at the local, regional and state level during the COVID-19 pandemic, building consensus and collaboration among healthcare colleagues and competitors, presiding over a disease mitigation and safety initiative for area nursing homes, and ensuring the safety of front-line caregivers.

“My tenure as president and CEO has been the most rewarding time of my career,” said Fernandez, who has worked at Memorial for more than 15 years, first as CEO of Memorial Hospital Miramar and later as COO of the healthcare system. “Memorial has a great culture and I’m very proud of the work our employees do every day for patients and the community.”

During his time as president and CEO, Fernandez advanced five strategic initiatives that invigorated Memorial and had positive impact in the community: safety, technology, clinical integration, expanded pediatric services and enhanced culture. Additional accomplishments during his tenure included:

• Memorial hospitals consistently earning “A” grades for safety from The Leapfrog Group.
• Ushering in a new era of comprehensive cancer care in South Florida by breaking ground on a $125 million home for the Memorial Cancer Institute.
• Opening the first four floors of a 130,000-square foot medical pavilion at Memorial Hospital Miramar to meet the growing demand for healthcare services in southwest Broward and northwest Miami-Dade counties.
• Expanding pediatric services in Palm Beach County with the opening of the Joe DiMaggio Children’s Health Specialty Center in Wellington.
• Overseeing the expansion of Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital from four to eight floors.

Financially, Fernandez solidified shared savings programs between Memorial Health Network and other commercial insurances and established value-based care partnerships, all adding to the long-term stability of the healthcare system.

Fernandez also improved the quality of life for those in the South Florida community by expanding, to ten, the number of Memorial Fitness Zones in Broward County and opening a pantry at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital to ensure discharged patients had access to nutritious food. He also established Memorial’s Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion and promoted a culture which ensured the healthcare system remained nationally recognized as one of the “Best Places to Work in Healthcare.”