Interview: Jeffrey Welch, CEO

Jeffrey Welch

CEO Florida Medical Center

What lessons have you learned from the pandemic?

Hospitals typically prepare for disasters. We’re required to. For example, we prepare for hurricanes. However, typically we don’t experience a year-long disaster. This pandemic has reminded us that we must plan and be prepared for long-term disasters, not just short-term ones.

This has taught us to view our resources di erently as well. Typically, we’re able to shift teams around to make sure people aren’t becoming demoralized or overwhelmed but here is an event that has gone on seemingly forever. We’ve learned how to manage our sta ng, supplies, equipment, PPE, tests and vaccines and their distribution. We are much better prepared for future disasters and to fight the current one.

What efforts have been made to support the mental health of your staff?

During the pandemic, I reached out to our corporate o ce and asked for a person to come here and provide mental health services to our workers. It provides an outlet for people. We did this quite a bit and we didn’t think about this nearly as much before the pandemic. Our sta was very stressed and overworked, which can cause a lot of health issues. Even after COVID subsides, we should remember to bring in specialized services that can help our employees get through tough times.

How difficult is it finding talent in the current climate?

We have a very aggressive program for recruiting top talent. It’s easier to recruit people for Florida, even when they’re across the country, because of the great lifestyle Florida has to o er.

We only look for the best candidates. We have had no issues in recruiting young, good physicians, especially since Florida Medical Center is well-recognized and has so many great programs. Our cardiac, robotic, vascular and neurosurgical programs, to name a few, are all centers of excellence.

awarded in 2019, Registered Nursing and Medical Assistant were listed as second and third-most common and Registered Nursing the most common bachelor’s degree awarded in the county. Physician Assistant degrees were the second-most common master’s degrees awarded, and Osteopathic Medicine was the third-most common Ph.D. degree awarded. In the Greater Fort Lauderdale region, two of the Top 3 concentrations are in healthcare: medical assistant and registered nursing.

This is significant for the future of the healthcare sector in Broward County and elsewhere as a shortage of health personnel, nurses in particular, is already an issue that is projected to worsen. Hospitals are working now to ensure replacements in the future. “The retirement of nurses coming up may be a bigger problem than the influx of patients we’re going to get. But we have seen a good influx of nurses. Memorial has created a nurse residency program, from which we have a steady inflow of new nurses,” Joe Stuczynski, CEO of Memorial Hospital Pembroke, told Invest:

Policy While Florida’s relatively conservative political

environment has perpetually stifled any efforts at Matt Childers, Director of Research and Policy at the expanding the state’s healthcare system, particularly Florida Health Justice Project recently theorized that Medicaid, many believe the collective experiences of Florida, and more specifically, Broward County would the past year’s COVID-19 pandemic may set the stage disproportionately benefit from such an expansion. for change on the legislative front. Additionally, some Childers pointed out that of the 805,000 uninsured believe given new initiatives low-income Floridians without at the federal level, Medicaid expansion may even be the The retirement access to affordable health insurance, over 65,000 reside in fiscally prudent path for easing of nurses coming Broward. statewide pandemic-related budget shortfalls. up maybe a Since the failed legislative attempt, a group of healthcare Historically, any healthcare expansion has hit roadblocks bigger problem advocates has pursued a state constitutional amendment to in the Republican-leaning state than the influx expand Medicaid through a legislature. In 2015, the Florida Senate passed a bipartisan bill of patients we’re ballot initiative. After failing to gather the requisite signatures expanding the program by a 31-3 vote. Despite this nearly going to get. to trigger a state Supreme Court review, the coalition is aiming for unanimous support in the Senate, Joe Stuczynski the addition of the measure on the bill later died in the House Memorial Hospital Pembroke the 2022 ballot, Childers reports after that body went through the legislative session in a news statement. “Expanding Medicaid now is without considering the bill and later voted it down 72- smart public health policy and smart economics,” said 41 after a Special Session called following local media Dr. Childers in the statement. “Now is the moment, attention on the issue. considering the devastating impact of COVID-19 ( )