Donna Small, R.N., is the chief nursing officer at Broward Health Medical Center. Her passion for nursing has translated into 30 years of healthcare experience, much at the leadership level. As CNO during the COVID-19 pandemic, Small has focused on emergency preparedness and bridging the gap between nurses and patients.

 

“The role has evolved into a change agent, with daily adjustments to practice and roles,” said Small. “It is important to communicate the changes daily and ensure our caregivers understand the ‘why’ behind the change.”

 

Before joining Broward Health in December 2019, Small served as Chief Nursing Officer at St. Mary’s Medical Center and Palm Beach Children’s Hospital in West Palm Beach, where she provided leadership for patient care services.

 

Small is a member of the American Organization of Nurse Executives and Southeast Florida Organization of Nurse Executives. Small earned her associate in nursing from Broward College and her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Lynn University. She received her MBA in Healthcare from Phoenix University.

 

 

Joshua Lenchus, D.O., is the chief medical officer at Broward Health Medical Center and works with medical staff, administration and Broward Health leadership. He has more than 25 years of experience in healthcare, starting as a pharmacist before becoming a physician.

 

“I entered the healthcare field to help people,” said Lenchus. “As cliché as it sounds, making a positive impact on someone’s life was an enticing possibility.”

 

As CMO, Lenchus monitors metrics related to quality, safety and medical records, manages medical staff credentialing, acts as liaison with leadership and participates in peer review activities. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, his leadership role has evolved.

 

“Today I’m layering various administrative and operational challenges associated with the current situation,” said Lenchus, who has also become a frequent spokesperson on the COVID-19 pandemic. “Managing the increasing number of patients who require hospital resources is keeping us focused on safety, helping ensure high-quality care for all we are serving.”

 

Prior to joining Broward Health in 2018, Lenchus was the associate professor of medicine, anesthesiology and radiology with the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and was Chief of Staff at Jackson Memorial Hospital. He also previously served as an internal medicine/hospital medicine physician at Miami Veterans Affairs Medical Center, University of Miami Hospital and Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center. He earned his Bachelor of Science in pharmacy from the University of Florida and his Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine from Nova Southeastern University.

 

 

Yamila Herrera, chief human resources officer, Broward Health North, joined the hospital over a year ago and oversees human resources operations. She manages employee satisfaction and retention for the 409-bed hospital in Deerfield Beach. With broad experience in resource management, organizational leadership and performance management, Herrera is responsible for employee benefits, compensation, employee relations and HR analytics.

 

Before joining Broward Health, Herrera worked for 23 years at Tenet Healthcare in Miami, where she held various leadership roles. While there, she helped move employee satisfaction scores to the 75th percentile and reduced turnover rates significantly. Herrera has dedicated her career to implementing innovative human resources services and organizational development that touched the lives of countless physicians and employees.

 

Herrera holds a Bachelor of Science in Health Service Administration from Barry University and a master’s degree in health services administration and policy from the University of Miami.

 

 

Keith Foster, M.D., chief medical officer at Broward Health North, has provided key leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to his day-to-day duties of coordinating medical affairs, strategic planning, business development and the recruitment and retention of physician, Foster works closely with corporate and hospital leaders to develop and implement protocols and clinical pathways to help ensure the safety of the hospital employees, medical providers and patients. Other notable accomplishments include the hospital-wide rollout of DYNDOC/MModal voice recognition dictation software for medical staff, a new intensivist program and Broward Health North’s first general surgery residency program.

 

Prior to joining Broward Health North, Foster served as the associate medical director and chief of the division of neuroscience at Memorial Rehabilitation Institute.

 

Foster holds a medical degree from St. George’s University in St. George, Grenada, a Master of Business Administration from East Carolina University in Greenville, NC, and a Bachelor of Science in psychology from the University of Miami.

 

 

Michael Leopold has had a significant role in the growth of Broward Health Coral Springs since joining the 250-bed hospital as Chief Operating Officer in 2017. Responsible for daily operations, he is a seasoned leader skilled in strategic operational initiatives, process improvement and building a high-performing team culture.

 

With more than 20 years of experience in healthcare management, Leopold drives high-impact initiatives and day-to-day operations focusing on efficiency and service excellence. He is a member of the leadership team that successfully led the $65 million expansion of the hospital, providing the facility with additional capacity, as well as enhanced services for its NICU, labor & delivery, post-partum and surgical suites. He was instrumental in securing the latest capital improvement in cardiac care at Broward Health and oversaw construction of a new cardiac catheterization lab that opened this summer. The lab, which is equipped with the latest patient monitoring technology, provides advanced cardiac catheterization services, minimally invasive diagnostics and treatments, and an expedited level of care closer to home.

 

Leopold earned an MBA in healthcare administration from South University and a bachelor’s degree in physical therapy from Daemen College.

 

 

As the Chief Medical Officer/Associate Chief of Staff at Cleveland Clinic Weston Hospital, Jacobo Kirsch, M.D., is excited about the opportunities to deliver world-class care to different communities in Florida.

In his role, Dr. Kirsch says he is constantly seeking ways to enhance the hospital’s operations, patient experience and caregiver engagement. As part of these efforts, he is leading a project that could predict, and therefore prevent, patient falls in hospitals.

 

“I think it could be a game-changer for our industry,” he said.

 

Dr. Kirsch looks forward to the continued alignment of the Cleveland Clinic Florida region hospitals and the benefits throughout South Florida and the Treasure Coast.

 

“I think that the future for healthcare in Florida is bright, and I am just proud to be able to be a part of it,” he said.

 

 

 

Fernando Petry, D.O., MBA, is the Chief Medical Officer for Cleveland Clinic Martin Health, a role he has served in since 2015. Prior to assuming this role, Dr. Petry practiced in urgent care and family medicine settings, worked as a hospitalist and served as the General Medical Officer in the U.S. Army at Fort Stewart, Georgia.

 

Cleveland Clinic began integrating with Martin Health in 2019. Dr. Petry is excited to be part of the physician-led organization and by the benefits Cleveland Clinic brings to the Treasure Coast. These include an electrophysiology lab opening soon in Stuart, a new neuro-interventional lab and the Florida Research and Innovation Center in Port St. Lucie.

 

“We are bringing more specialized care to our community, as well as clinical and translational research,” he said. Dr. Petry adds that the research center “will help our community become a leader of transformational research.”

 

 

 

Kerry Major, MSN, RN, NE-BC, is an advocate for nurses. In her role as Chief Nursing Officer for the Cleveland Clinic Florida region and for Weston Hospital, Major works to ensure nursing excellence through education, research, innovation and high-quality clinical outcomes.

 

Collaboration between teams in South Florida and on the Treasure Coast is helping to do just that. In addition to delivering world-class care to their patients, Major says that these caregivers are sharing best practices and creating positive environments supportive of professional growth and fulfillment. As Cleveland Clinic continues to grow in Florida, she sees “endless possibilities” in the state.

 

“Watching our team come together to accomplish our common goals and truly become one Cleveland Clinic, is something that inspires and excites me every day,” she said.

 

Changes in healthcare and a pandemic have presented unique challenges in 2020, but Major also sees the opportunities that arise.

 

“As healthcare evolves, nursing is right there, at the forefront of this transformation,” she said.

 

 

Belma Andric, M.D., MPH is the Chief Medical Officer and Vice President and Executive Director of Clinic Services of the Health Care District of Palm Beach County, a diverse public health care system. She is responsible for quality and patient safety across the system and supervises the District’s Quality and Patient Safety departments, with indirect oversight of the District’s other physician leaders.

 

Dr. Andric is also responsible for the overall medical, administrative and regulatory leadership of the C. L. Brumback Primary Care Clinics, the District’s Federally Qualified Health Centers that served nearly 50,000 patients last year. She oversees operations of the Palm Beach County Trauma System, Trauma Agency, Aeromedical Program and Pharmacy Program. Under her leadership, the District launched a COVID-19 testing operation at the FITTEAM Ballpark of the Palm Beaches and six other sites that has surpassed 60,000 tests. In 2020, Dr. Andric was instrumental in the opening of the county’s first-of-its-kind Addiction Stabilization Unit and played a key role in implementing and expanding a Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) Program for patients with substance use disorders.

 

 

Steven Hurwitz is Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer for the Health Care District of Palm Beach County leading the Human Resources, Communications, Community Engagement, Project Management Office, Construction, Facilities, Corporate Security and Mail Services functions for a public, safety net health care system with over 1,300 employees. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Hurwitz oversaw the District’s mobilization of corporate staff to a remote working environment within four days. To return staff safely to the office, Hurwitz lead the implementation of an employee hotline, mandatory mask-wearing, staggered schedules, a daily electronic health survey and the establishment of an Employee Health Team to conduct monthly COVID-19 testing of staff.

 

Hurwitz has over 25 years of experience in leading human resource teams in health care, technology, retail and manufacturing industries. His career includes executive positions at Starbucks Coffee Company as well as Seattle Children’s, a pediatric hospital and research institute with 5,500 employees.

 

 

Karen Harris is the Vice President of Field Operations with the Health Care District of Palm Beach County. Her responsibilities include oversight of the Health Care District’s 120-bed skilled nursing facility, its rural, acute-care teaching hospital, Lakeside Medical Center, and its model School Health program that staffs more than 200 registered nurses in the county’s public schools. Ms. Harris also serves as Chair of the hospital’s Graduate Medical Education Committee. At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Harris ensured the implementation of required preparation and protocols to provide timely, safe and quality hospital and skilled nursing care for patients and residents.

 

Harris joined the District in 2015 as Administrator of the Edward J. Healey Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Riviera Beach. Under her leadership, Ms. Harris guided the Healey Center to achieve a deficiency-free survey from the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration. The Healey Center has consistently been listed as a Best Nursing Home by U.S. News & World Report.

 

 

Dr. Hyla Fritsch serves as the Executive Director of Clinic Operations and Pharmacy Services for the Health Care District of Palm Beach County. She oversees operations of the District’s C. L. Brumback Primary Care Clinics, a network of ten Federally Qualified Health Centers that provides medical, dental, behavioral health and pharmacy services for adults and children. The Brumback Clinics also operate two Mobile Health Clinics for the homeless and underserved. Dr. Fritsch played a key role in operationalizing Palm Beach County’s drive-thru testing site at the FITTEAM Ballpark of the Palm Beaches, along with six other test sites at the Brumback Clinics, which have provided COVID-19 testing to over 60,000 people. That number is more than a quarter of all people tested in the county. In her prior role as the Director of Pharmacy Services, Dr. Fritsch achieved workflow efficiency and productivity while simultaneously decreasing prescription errors and operational costs.

 

 

As CEO of MorseLife Health System, Keith Myers is the rare health care leader who can report zero deaths from the COVID-19 virus among the senior residents his organization serves in Palm Beach County. Myers has been skillfully navigating uncharted waters with the singular goal of keeping the virus outside Morse Life’s beautifully landscaped entrances. His action plan launched swiftly to contain COVID-19’s threat to MorseLife seniors and staff. It included health checkpoints for anyone attempting to enter the campus, sourcing and measuring the burn rate of PPE, providing in-room dining, telemedicine, e-visits with residents and loved ones and constant communication with residents, families, caregivers and staff. Myers implemented testing for residents and staff prior to government mandate. Myers’ COVID-19 response speaks volumes about effective health care leadership and saving lives. Staying the course while strategically planning for an unknown future remains crucial to protecting the seniors in MorseLife’s care.

 

 

Nav Ranajee recently joined Health System Solutions (HSS) as the VP of Business Development. HSS is a revenue cycle outsourcing company formed as a joint venture between Baptist Health South Florida and Guidehouse.

 

Ranajee has over 20 years of experience in delivering marketing, strategic consulting and product management services for the healthcare industry. He started his career as a consultant for Siemens Medical Systems and Arthur Andersen where he worked with hospitals to optimize their revenue cycle processes. During the past 10 years he led the healthcare product divisions for Bank of America and Fifth Third Bank and was the marketing healthcare leader for IBM.

 

Ranajee received his bachelor’s degree in marketing from Pennsylvania State University and MBA in Healthcare Administration from Widener University.