As 2024 comes to a close, Broward Health is looking back at the Top 10 moments of the year. Our system is growing and evolving to meet the healthcare needs of our vibrant community. We are proud to be part of the very fabric of Broward County and remain committed to being champions for a healthier community.
1. New leadership: Over the course of the year, Broward Health has onboarded several executive leaders to transform and expedite growth across the system. New leadership includes Manny Linares, chief executive officer of Broward Health Medical Center; Melida Akiti, chief transformation officer; Bernardo B. Fernandez, Jr., M.D., corporate physician executive; Don Eachus, president of the Broward Health Foundation; Jose L. Baez-Escudero, M.D., chief of cardiology of Broward Health Physician Group; Michele Thoman, MBA, RN, chief operating officer of Broward Health Medical Center; Jose Martinez-Elejalde, M.D., FACC, FACP, chief medical officer of Broward Health Medical Center; and Donald B. Jaffee, chief financial officer of Broward Health Medical Center.
2. New investments in technology: Broward Health continued to invest in innovative technology that supports exceptional patient care at its hospitals, including:
- A new Affirm 3D stereotactic mammography unit with a stereotactic biopsy attachment at Broward Health Coral Springs.
- New ophthalmic surgical equipment, including microscopes and a 3D system for superior visualization during surgery at Broward Health Imperial Point.
- A StealthStationTM Surgical Navigation System for spine surgery at Broward Health Medical Center.
3. Epic goes live: Across Broward Health on Nov. 2, caregivers and administrative staff implemented Epic, a nationally recognized electronic health record system. Epic supports our patients and caregivers with streamlined daily workflows, better care coordination and a unified platform that extends to other healthcare systems that use the system. Patients can now use MyChart to check their medical records and communicate with their providers.
4. Maternity care center opens in Lauderdale Lakes: Broward HealthPoint, an affiliate of Broward Health, opened the Maternity Care Center & Heart Community Resource Center in coordination with Community Care Plan in the Lauderhill and Lauderdale Lakes area after identifying health disparities in maternal care in central Broward County. A coalition including Broward Health, Community Care Plan, Urban League of Broward County and the Broward County Healthy Start Coalition, applied for and received an $850,000 grant from the Health Foundation of South Florida to open an OB-GYN clinic to serve ZIP codes 33311 and 33313 that include Oakland Park, Lauderhill and Sunrise — areas currently known as maternity care deserts.
5. Broward PACE Program: In partnership with Miami Jewish Health, the Broward PACE Program opened to offer comprehensive healthcare services designed to meet the medical, social and long-term care needs of older adults. PACE allows older adults to maintain their independence in the community while offering caregivers and loved ones the flexibility to address healthcare requirements.
6. Expanding our footprint: For over 86 years, Broward Health has been a pillar in the community providing extraordinary care to the residents of Broward County. As Broward County’s population continues to grow, building services in close proximity to where many people live and work is a benefit for the entire community. This includes constructing three freestanding emergency departments in 2025 in Fort Lauderdale, Sunrise and Lighthouse Point, and two medical office buildings at Broward Health Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale and Broward Health North in Deerfield Beach.
7. Launched new website: Broward Health launched a rebranded website this fall. The new website is sleeker, more visually appealing and more user-friendly. Patients and visitors can search for care by service line and also find providers via our Find a Doctor feature, which includes Broward Health Physician Group providers.
8. Broward Health rebrand: In January 2024, Broward Health unveiled a new brand, including new mission and vision statements, as well as refreshed five-star values with a new logo. Our new branding is elevating our organizational culture as champions for a healthier community. These brand elements were created after significant research and strategic planning to best position us to meet the needs of our employees, patients and community today and well into the future. Additionally, the new cultural framework for our mission, vision and values has invigorated our workforce and rooted our mission — Exceptional Care. Extraordinary Compassion. Everyday Excellence.
9. GME program expands: In the summer of 2024, Broward Health matched with the largest Graduate Medical Education (GME) class ever. With a significant physician shortfall predicted in Florida and nationwide, Broward Health, the first statutory teaching hospital in Broward County, is focused on continuing to expand and enhance its GME program to meet the needs of our growing population. As of fall 2024, Broward Health's GME program has 293 active residents in 26 programs.
10. Funding our care: Thanks to the generosity of our community partners, the Broward Health Foundation is able to help shape the present and impact the future of healthcare in our community. This year, Broward Health received over 1,110 individual donations totaling over five million dollars. Donations are helping to advance technology and to ensure critical services are available to keep our community healthy.
Looking forward to another year of growth and success for our community in 2025!
Broward Health, founded in 1938 and headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, ranks among the 10 largest public healthcare systems in the United States. Nationally recognized for its focus on high-quality care for the residents of Broward County and beyond, Broward Health boasts five hospitals, two trauma centers, a dynamic academic partnership with Florida Atlantic University, was the county’s first statutory teaching hospital and has an ever-growing graduate medical education program. It includes more than 50 health centers and physician practices covering virtually every healthcare specialty.
Broward Health never stops working toward its mission of Exceptional Care, Extraordinary Compassion and Everyday Excellence. Driven by more than 11,000 talented employees and physicians who deliver care to all patients, regardless of their ability to pay, Broward Health is one of the largest employers in Broward County with an operating budget of $1.6 billion, and annually provides more than $470 million of charity and uncompensated care.