Suzette Wexner and Palm Healthcare Foundation

A conversation with Suzette Wexner is peppered with positive and empowering words, particularly the words “commitment” and “passion.” Whether she is describing the most recent initiatives developed by the Palm Healthcare Foundation (PHF), recounting her own extensive career in healthcare philanthropy or enthusing about the foundation staff, Wexner embodies wholehearted engagement in one’s work.

As president and CEO of Palm Healthcare Foundation, Inc., Wexner administers Palm Beach County’s largest independent healthcare foundation, an organization that has provided nearly $20 million to 70 different regional non-profit organizations since 2001. PHF was chartered as the successor to the Good Samaritan Hospital Foundation and St. Mary’s Hospital Foundation, after those two facilities were purchased by the Tenet Corporation. While the foundation has a new name and identity, it also has deep roots in the region and a 25-year legacy of excellence. Wexner builds on that legacy as she steers the renewed foundation in a fresh direction, focusing on several high-impact issues that affect the quality of the healthcare experience for residents of Palm Beach County.

“There are so many challenges confronting healthcare today,” Wexner says. “At Palm Healthcare Foundation, we’ve identified priority issues that we address by bringing concerned parties around the table together. Our motto is ‘Together, we can do more’ and we believe in collaboration. We find smart, innovative solutions that deliver high-impact results.”

One of those transformative initiatives came about soon after the new foundation was established. In December 2001, Palm Beach County was the site of the nation’s first anthrax attack, an event that galvanized public health officials and led to the development of the Health Emergency Response Coalition (HERC), a prototype disaster response program that was funded primarily by PHF. HERC typifies the progressive, practical and resourceful programs that are the PHF signature. Currently, the foundation emphasizes two critical issues: healthcare workforce development, particularly in nursing, and access to healthcare for the underserved.

“Our board felt that, with the severity of the nursing shortage and its implications, we needed to focus on programs to strengthen nursing,” Wexner says. “Nursing is an honored profession, but misunderstood, and nurses are the unsung heroes of healthcare. The challenge is to make the shortage meaningful to the public. A highly educated, competent nursing workforce is the key to safe, quality care for everyone.”

One way that PHF supports nursing is by identifying effective retention strategies. The foundation is conducting a study to examine how environment impacts retention and offers hospitals a funding opportunity to transform their workplaces to better meet the professional and human needs of nurses. PHF has helped unify the local nursing community through other initiatives, including an annual awards dinner that recognizes outstanding contributions to the profession, and the Healthcare Workforce Partnership, bringing together chief nursing officers from the region’s hospitals for problem-solving sessions. The foundation provided a grant to Community College of Palm Beach County to help disadvantaged students become RNs and, in partnership with Tenet, created the first BSN program at Palm Beach Atlantic University. In both cases, the foundation has made a long-term commitment to promote healthcare careers.

Access to healthcare is also high on the PHF agenda. The foundation’s philosophy is that access to quality care for the most vulnerable citizens ultimately strengthens the entire community. PHF grantees reflect the diversity of the community and the many ways that individuals and organizations are striving to meet emerging and complex needs of the underserved.

Philanthropy plays an increasingly significant role in healthcare, as non-profit hospitals struggle with diminishing resources and strained finances. Wexner believes that the field is changing as donors become more directly involved. That trend harmonizes well with PHF, which practices a “hands-on” approach that transcends grantmaking. PHF operates a health careers camp and in partnership with the State Department of Health, School District of Palm Beach County and several South Florida academic institutions, is designing a health center for special needs children.

Projects such as these energize, challenge and reward Wexner and the staff. “It’s exciting to be a catalyst and have a broad reach. We have an incredible, devoted staff, whose longevity and passion have created a culture of commitment here.”

Wexner encourages organizations to come forward with ideas, even if those ideas are incomplete. “We don’t expect a completely developed proposal. We’re very approachable and want to hear from the community. We accept grant proposals all year and do reviews on a quarterly basis. We make a commitment to our grant recipients and our relationships with them empower them to achieve their goals and improve the quality of life for this community.”