For more than 90 years, Jackson Health System (JHS) has served the people of Miami Dade County, growing from a humble 16-bed hospital to the current 1600-bed, multifaceted, integrated healthcare system that encompasses six distinct hospitals and a network of community facilities. Throughout that proud history, JHS has evolved into one of the nations largest healthcare systems, uniquely blending progressive, cutting edge medicine with community care as both an academic center and a public hospital. Affiliated with the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, JHS offers the most advanced medical care in every specialty; as a public health hospital, JHS assures that anyone who needs this care receives it.
Driven by this core mission, JHS has always faced challenges with resiliency and resourcefulness. Now, JHS has a new president and chief executive officer, and she is determined that Jackson will fulfill that noble mission for another 90 years, and well beyond that, standing strong as “the peoples hospital” and a critical regional resource. Eneida O. Roldan, M.D., M.P.H., M.B.A., is the first woman and first Hispanic to lead JHS. Her appointment was announced by the Public Health Trust in April and she assumed her new responsibilities on June 1. “We are thrilled to have Dr. Roldan leading Jackson Health System,” says John H. Copeland III, chairman of the Public Health Trust board. “Her medical and executive experience, plus her ties to the community, makes her the perfect person for the job.” Roldan succeeds Marvin OQuinn, who left JHS last year.
Roldan has a long history with JHS. She is a University of Miami graduate who completed her residency in pathology and fellowship training in pediatric pathology at Jackson Memorial Hospital, and served previously as senior vice-president, associate chief medical officer and chief administrative officer for Jackson Memorial before stepping in as JHS interim president and chief operating officer last year. Her passion for Jackson is evident as she describes her vision for the historic health care system. “Jackson is a true community gem. It is a large, integrated, internationally respected academic health care system, but still a community hospital. I welcome the challenges of my new position.”
Those challenges are considerable. Jackson faces the same daunting problems plaguing hospitals throughout the country, but as a public health hospital, must guarantee care to all who seek it and do that with far fewer resources. Roldan says that her imperative as CEO is to be vigilant as health care reform goes forward, focusing on efficiency in clinical and administrative operations and preparing the organization for the coming changes. “The goal is to be as lean as possible in all of our operations. We are a public hospital but still have to be competitive and to look at our profitability. To turn a facility around, you have to be willing to look at everything you do.” Turning financially-stressed facilities around is nothing new to Roldan. She is the former president and CEO of Pan American Hospital, which recovered from bankruptcy under her leadership and is now known as Metropolitan Hospital.
A long time Miami resident, Roldan has ties to JHS that are personal as well as professional. She met her husband, Carlos Valdes Lora, M.D., an ophthalmologic surgeon, while a resident at Jackson, and reveals that he actually proposed to her at the hospital. They have been married for 27 years and have three children. “I have great family support,” she says. “I enjoy family time on the weekends, and I love to travel and read. I read everything! My grandmother taught me that it is essential to learn something new every day, and to give back to others every day.”
Giving back is part of the culture at JHS. Last year, JHS provided $530 million in charity care. Cherished throughout the region for its care of the most vulnerable the uninsured, the indigent and the underinsured it is also the hospital of choice for those who have choices and seek the most advanced specialty care from top-notch physicians. JHS has gained national and international attention for its comprehensive transplantation service, trauma care and other specialties, and is consistently ranked among the nations best hospitals in U.S. News and World Reports annual listings. Recently, JHS achieved a new honor: Holtz Childrens Hospital was named by that publication as one of the top centers for neonatology and nephrology.
“People can come to Jackson for all the health care that they and their families need,” says Roldan. “We are cognizant that health care reform will likely mean cuts in Medicare and Medicaid spending, but we are focused on our core mission and we will do everything in our power to maintain services. I believe that through operational efficiency, we can transform Jackson and increase our revenues. We have 12,000 employees who believe in Jackson and they are our ambassadors. I like to tell them, At Jackson, we have passion for what we do, and compassion for those we serve. Together, we will weather the storm. My vision is for JHS to become a national and international model for quality and service.”
For more than 90 years, Jackson Health System (JHS) has served the people of Miami Dade County, growing from a humble 16-bed hospital to the current 1600-bed, multifaceted, integrated healthcare system that encompasses six distinct hospitals and a network of community facilities. Throughout that proud history, JHS has evolved into one of the nations largest healthcare systems, uniquely blending progressive, cutting edge medicine with community care as both an academic center and a public hospital. Affiliated with the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, JHS offers the most advanced medical care in every specialty; as a public health hospital, JHS assures that anyone who needs this care receives it. 
