2015 Escambia County Business Journal by Rowland Publishing, Inc.

An 850 Business Magazine Special Report

Escambia County 2015 Bu si n e s s Jou r n a l

TABLE OF CONTENTS

10 4 J obs Overview President/Publisher Brian E. Rowland EDITORIAL Editor Linda Kleindienst Senior Staff Writer Jason Dehart Staff Writer Chay D. Baxley Production Specialist Melinda Lanigan CREATIVE Creative Director Lawrence Davidson Production Manager/Network Administrator Daniel Vitter Art Director Jennifer Ekrut Advertising Designers Jillian Fry, Amanda Hartsfield Staff Photographer Matt Burke SALES & marketing Director of Sales and Marketing McKenzie Burleigh Director of New Business Daniel Parisi Ad Services Coordinator Lisa Sostre Account Executives Darla Harrison, Tanya Heath, Lori Magee, Tracy Mulligan, Rhonda Murray, Linda Powell, Paula Sconiers, Chuck Simpson, Alice Watts, Drew Gregg Westling Sales and Marketing Assistant Christie Green

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A wellspring of talented workers, combined with concentrated community efforts, is helping to bring new economic development to Escambia County.

7 S tuder Institute

Passionate about the place they call home, Quint and Rishy Studer have invested in a think tank designed to improve Pensacola’s quality of life.

10 P ort/Airport Two

of the county’s biggest economic drivers, the Port of Pensacola and Pensacola International Airport, have attracted new business ventures that will pump millions into the local economy.

12 B usiness Development Local

businesses looking to grow and new start-ups alike have help at hand from the Florida Small Business Development Center Network and the Gulf Coast Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

16 M ilitary Pensacola and

the U.S. Navy have a 100year partnership that has resulted in the Department of Defense pumping $6.7 billion into the local economy each year.

18 T ourism It’s more

than just the beach that brings tourists here. With a new tagline of “Loved by explorers since 1559,” Pensacola is luring in visitors with its history, culture and revitalized downtown.

21 D emographics 22 I nstitute for Human and Machine Cognition Top

researchers from around the globe come to the institute looking for ways to help machines and people develop a more synergistic relationship.

25 H ealth Care

Four major health systems provide medical care for the Pensacola area, giving top notch local care with newage technology, techniques and practices.

Courtesy of FSBDC (12) and Illustration courtesy of Bullock Tice Associates (10); Cover photos By Scott Holstein (port) and Courtesy of IHMC (robotics) and Visit Pensacola (Miltary)

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Jobs Ove rvi ew

Focus On Jobs Diverse economy helps Escambia County’s job growth trajectory By Linda Kleindienst

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Jerry Margarden (left), outgoing president and CEO of the Greater Pensacola Chamber of Commerce, and and Scott Luth, head of economic development

corrugated brown boxes and fluff pulp for diapers and other hygiene products. “There’s a much more upbeat feeling here today than we had even five years ago,” says Jerry Maygarden, the outgoing president and CEO of the Greater Pensacola Chamber of Commerce who is now taking over the Chamber Foundation. Indeed, there is a certain bustle in the region. There is a renaissance going on in the

downtown area, sparked in part by new development from The Studer Group. And the greater metropolitan area is growing. Houses are going up, people are moving in and getting jobs. Meanwhile, the military side of the economic equation remains strong, pumping up to $6.7 billion a year into the local economy, while tourism has grown to where Pensacola Beach had its best summer season ever in 2014. “We are very fortunate here with the diverse

photo by Matt Burke

hen the bottom dropped out of the economy in 2008, the private business sector in Escambia County put together a plan that focused on creating jobs, opportunity and investment. It resulted in Vision 2015 and a goal to create 3,000 new jobs. But even before the clock closed out 2014, the plan was way ahead of schedule. The total of new jobs was already pushing 8,000. Some of that growth is due to the expansion of Navy Federal Credit Union, which announced in October 2014 that its plan is to bring 5,000 new jobs to the area by 2026, for a total employee base of 10,000 workers. In making the announcement, Navy Federal CEO Cutler Dawson said of Pensacola, “It’s a great place to grow your business and a wellspring of talented people to employ.” And that’s exactly the message Pensacola and Escambia County economic development officials are sending to the world. So far, it seems to be working. Existing companies are expanding, and new companies are coming to the county’s deepwater port, the international airport and local commerce/ industrial parks. In October another big announcement came from International Paper, a global leader in packaging and paper products, which plans to reinvest more than $90 million over the next five years by reopening its Pensacola Containerboard Mill, located in Cantonment. The mill, which during its last year of operation had a local economic impact of $330 million, produces material to create

nature of the economy,” explains Scott Luth, CEO of the Community Economic Development Association for Pensacola and Escambia County, the new agency that will lead the county’s economic development efforts. “In 2013, we had West Fraser elect to reopen the McDavid Mill to cut lumber to support the growing construction industry. Another company in the paper printing business is looking at expansion. Now there are two new companies at the port and another at the airport.” Economic developers in the county are working to attract suppliers for Airbus, which this year will begin assembling A320 jetliners at a new facility in Mobile, Alabama. The first planes are expected to start rolling off that assembly line in 2016. Another focus is on technology. At the University of West Florida, a new major field of study is cyber security. In 2014, the university’s Innovation Institute launched the Center for Cybersecurity. “Cybersecurity is more than just IT,” said Sikha Bagui, the center’s director. “Cybersecurity has applications in the health care sector, telecommunications sector, financial sector, industrial sector and defense contracting. There is a critical need to fill 50,000 cybersecurity jobs in just the federal government and private industry.” Luth said part of the area’s attraction for business is the fact that within a five-mile radius the county has Interstate 10, rail lines, a deepwater port, an international airport, two four-year colleges and Naval Air Station Pensacola. Meanwhile, from a lifestyle standpoint, the community offers a double A baseball team that plays in a new state-of-the-art stadium, a growing downtown retail corridor in Pensacola, a cultural hub that offers opera, orchestra and theater productions, as well as a historical center that has become part of the tourism lure. “We used to talk about only the beach. Now people are coming to see where Andrew Jackson once slept,” says Maygarden. “We’ve got an emerging cultural arts center, and it all adds to the attractiveness.” Pensacola is also unusual in that, for its size, it has a large medical complex with four major hospital systems — Sacred Heart Health System, West Florida Hospital, Baptist Health Care (which includes the world-famous Andrews Institute for Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine) and Naval Hospital Pensacola. And those facilities have affiliations with major medical centers around the country, including the Mayo Clinic and M.D. Anderson. Maygarden says new businesses being courted by the county are appreciative of how unusual it is to find that kind of a health delivery system in a region the size of the greater Pensacola area. In selling the region, the county also has the military to thank for a workforce that some employers are looking to hire. “Thanks to the huge military industry complex we have, there is the availability of a workforce,” Maygarden says. “And we’re beginning to see the fruits of that now in people who call us asking about sites. The local colleges also place a heavy emphasis on programs that focus on the aerospace fields.” In 2012, Mayor Ashton Hayward unveiled the city’s new effort to change its image with a branding campaign that included a new logo and a new motto — Pensacola: The Upside of Florida. The thrust was to capture a larger share of the future by improving the regional economy. Luth credits the aggressiveness of the community — the city, the county and the private sector, all working together — with helping to bring many of those 8,000 new jobs to the greater Pensacola area during the last several years. “They have created an atmosphere in which these companies can be successful,” he says.

Greater Pensacola Chamber Small Businesses, Big Jobs More than 1,100+ Local Businesses Yearly Networking Events Small Business Advocacy PensacolaChamber.com 850.438.4081

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Stude r Institu te

Gates That Open Doors for Everyone

Investing for the greater good By Tisha Crews Keller

Photo By Hamilton Images

he Gates Foundation is to Africa what The Studer Institute is to Pensacola. In terms of investing for the greater good, no better comparison can be made. Quint and Rishy Studer, the philanthropists behind the Studer Institute, believe that keeping resources at home — to improve quality of life in their own backyard — is the highest level of stewardship. They created the Studer Institute as a way to do just that. The think tank is a team of around 20 professionals at the top of their field who share one common trait: a passion for the place they call home. Founder and principal investor Quint Studer made his name and fortune in the health care industry, where he now serves as a consultant and best-selling author. Clearly, though, his main goal is to give back to the community that cradled him. “In looking at more national think tanks, such as the Brookings Institute or the Hoover Institute, I’ve always felt that it was important for people to have good research, good data and then good information about what the data is showing,” Studer explains. “I think if we don’t measure it, then we don’t improve it.” So, with the Studer Institute, what he sought was really to create what people normally do nationally with institutes and think tanks, but to do it on a local level. The impetus was to improve the quality of life for the Pensacola metro area. “Most cities are already so developed that they don’t have the amount of empty land that

Quint and Rishy Studer, the philanthropists behind the Studer Institute

allows for good urban planning to use that land wisely,” Studer observes. “And the most valuable opportunity we have is Pensacola State College and the University of West Florida. Gallop data shows there’s an advantage to communities that have universities in their area because of the tremendous talent. One of the reasons that Studer Group could grow the way it has is because we had talent locally.” The point isn’t really that Studer believes Pensacola is so different from its sister cities such as Panama City, Destin and Mobile, Alabama. The difference is in his approach to giving back. “I don’t think Pensacola is different than

those other places,” Studer says. “What makes me passionate about this city is that I live here. Rishy and I think everyone has a human responsibility to make their area the best it can possibly be.” And so the Studer mantra goes: By working together, we can impact things locally. The main goals for the Studer Institute team are to shed light on socio-economic facts about the greater Pensacola area and to begin brainstorming ways to turn challenges into success stories. For instance, the Institute’s Pensacola Metro Report 2014 is the current edition of an annual report on economic and human 2015 e s c a m b i a c o u n t y BUSIN E SS J OU R NA L

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factors that affect business development in the area. For 2014, the report uncovered several key measures that show the good — and the bad — story on the area’s readiness for true economic development. The report looks at long-term data trends from 1970 through 2013. The publication examines four main indicators of a community’s well-being: economic, public health, demographic and educational sectors. Harnessing the synergy of these four indicators and telling a much broader (and complex)

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story of the community allows the Institute’s academics to dig much deeper into the issues and discuss possible modes of change.

The Good and the Bad Since 2000, the greater Pensacola area has made huge strides in its rebranding and economic development initiatives. Specific success points indicate a rebound that is still growing in downtown and beyond: ▪ Palafox Street/Downtown renaissance with growth in new and expanding business

Photo by Michael Spooneybarger

Pensacola Bayfront Stadium, home of the Blue Wahoos

▪ A booming financial services sector, led by a $250 million investment by Navy Federal Credit Union ▪ Beach and aviation tourism growth since the 2010 BP oil spill ▪ Growth in technology and knowledgebased businesses, especially in Gulf Breeze ▪ Potential growth in niche markets associated with IT and aerospace ▪ Mixed-use retail/commercial buildings on tap for the downtown landscape In terms of challenges, Pensacola has its share — but not without the determination to change. The bottom line for Studer is that Pensacola has a stagnant population. “If you’re going to bring jobs and dollars into your community, you have to attract people,” he maintains. The Metro Report reveals several key factors that are holding the area back from its full potential, and these are really no different from anywhere in the United States or, in particular, the South. According to the Studer Institute, the main top-line challenges are poverty, poor health outcomes and low educational achievements overall. Low graduation rates affect the community as a whole, not just individual lives and families.

Poor lifestyle choices contribute to rising rates of behavior-based chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes and obesity. The gap between the average Escambia County salary and the state — and U.S. — averages is widening. Studer believes the wage index and education are the critical problems for his beloved city. “Our (wage index) used to be above the Florida average, and now it is behind,” he laments. “That wage index is earning power. It might feel good for some employers to pay a little bit less so they can make a little more profit, but in the long run that’s detrimental to the community because you’re taking dollars out of the system. So I think our wage index is something that we need to address. We need to take that leap of faith and realize that when you pay your employees more, you improve productivity, improve service and it improves the bottom line — it doesn’t hurt it.” For Studer, the No. 1 component for success is also the one that’s going to take the longest to impact: education. Graduation rates are too low in Escambia County, particularly with the minority population. “We have wonderful school board personnel, but just looking at the data we’ve seen key measurements stay flat over the last

13-14 years, despite hard work,” he explains. “So I don’t think it’s a matter of talent or expertise. It’s important to focus on the bright spots — areas where teachers and administrators are showing it can be done — and scaling those throughout the rest of the system. It’s also looking at Santa Rosa County, which seems to be performing better in education, and looking for answers outside our metro area. The long-term solution is improving educational performance and graduation rates in a collaborative way.” Studer believes the educational challenge ties in with another factor — single parent households in the area. “We can’t impact whether people get married or stay together, but we can certainly improve services for those people such as after school programs, early education and so on,” he says.

Coming to the Table The Metro Report is national-level research that is targeted at the local community — and not many communities have access to that. The true purpose of the Metro Report, though, is to entice community leaders to talk about ways to turn the negatives into positives. “We’re interested in creating conversation in the change,” Studer says. “That sometimes

means leading the dialogue also. We’ve noticed there is tremendous demand for leadership development. So the Studer Institute plans on being a front runner, providing education and training on how to create great work places. If we do that, we’ll grow this community.” To that end, the Studer Institute is planning critical business education such as non-profit board development and small business training. Right now, The Studer Institute is funded completely by philanthropy. In the future, the hope is that other companies and individuals will see the value and help with funding. “This isn’t anything new,” he says. “As I traveled the country over the last 15 years, you see how … think tanks can look objectively at what works best and how to scale it across the country because they’re not being paid by a certain vendor to show a certain outcome. The unique thing is doing this at the local level. It’s unique but fun to focus completely on a local environment.” In the Pensacola metro area, the Studer Institute thinks that by taking something that has positive aspects nationally (think tank approach) and using it locally, they can not only come up with the measurement but also help create the conversation to improve the quality of life for area residents.

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Port/Ai rport

Here to Serve The Port of Pensacola and Pensacola International Airport are economic heavy lifters in this region By Jason Dehart

wo of this city’s biggest economic dynamos — the Port of Pensacola and Pensacola International Airport — are embarking on new business ventures that will add a total of 500 new jobs and millions of dollars to the local, and regional, economy. A lease agreement signed this past summer solidifies the hold that the city-owned Port of Pensacola has on a critical segment of the oil and gas industry. For the past five years or so the port has been a service depot for a wide range of ships and vessels that service the needs of exploration, surveying, pipe-laying and harvesting of oil and gas. Today, the latest development is that port client Offshore Inland Marine & Oilfield Services will team up with DeepFlex to build a major undersea pipe manufacturing plant here. The new plant will hire 200 new workers, which will dramatically add to the port’s current workforce of about 100 full-time employees, according to Port Director Amy Miller. The average wage of those new workers will be at least 115 percent of the regional average, she said. “It’s a huge economic development project, not just for the port but for the region, and it 10 / 2015 E s c a m b i a C o u n t y BUSIN E SS J OU R NA L

really gives us a foothold in the offshore oil and gas industry,” Miller said. “The pipe that is manufactured at this plant will be deployed to oil and gas production projects not just in the Gulf of Mexico but all over the world. About a year from now you’re going to have flexible composite pipe that’s stamped ‘Made in Pensacola’ all over the world.” When the plant gets going in the second half of 2015, it’s expected to crank out up to 62 miles of special pipe a year. Pensacola Mayor Ashton Hayward said the new facility is the result of dogged campaigning. “Two-and-a-half years ago, I set out a new vision for our port, designed to position it to better compete in a changing global marketplace and to be an economic engine for our region,” he said. “We are beginning to see results. The constant modernization of subsea oil and natural gas production, combined with our nation’s renewed dedication to reducing dependence on foreign oil, has provided new opportunities for our historic port to play an important role in our city’s economic growth and diversification.” Just how big a player is the offshore oil service industry? Overall offshore expenditures in the

Gulf of Mexico are expected to reach $167 billion between 2013 and 2016, officials said. That amount can only go higher as more areas of the Gulf are explored, Miller said. “There is evidence that there is oil and natural gas producing capacity in the eastern Gulf from the Louisiana/Mississippi border eastward to Florida territorial waters,” she said. But deep-sea pipe manufacturing isn’t the only industry coming to Pensacola. The city recently signed a lease with VT Mobile Aerospace Engineering — a world leader in aircraft heavy maintenance — to build a major maintenance, repair and overhaul facility at Pensacola International Airport. Three hundred jobs will be created, each with an average salary of around $41,000. Officials said that VT MAE is one of the world’s leading MRO companies and will provide a crucial boost to the regional economy. Under the terms of the lease, the city will build an aircraft hangar on nearly 19 acres that can accommodate two wide-body passenger aircraft. It’s expected to be ready to go in mid 2016. “By working with VT MAE, we will be able to create good, high-paying jobs and cement

Photo Scott Holstein (Port) and Illustration courtesy of Bullock Tice Associates (airport)

Pensacola’s position as a true contender for aviation and aerospace industry investment,” said Mayor Hayward. “This partnership aligns well with our regional goals to create a robust aerospace cluster and will help create greater business and job opportunities for the citizens of Pensacola and Escambia County.” Interim Airport Director Daniel Flynn said the airport is a large economic engine that already has about 1,700 employees. Regionally, the airport provides more than 5,772 jobs and produces an annual direct and indirect impact of over $565 million. Pensacola International Airport served 1.5 million passengers in 2013. “So you can see that one tenant bringing in 300 additional jobs is a significant increase in the number of individuals employed at the airport,” he said. Like their counterparts at the seaport, Flynn is hoping the airport is able to capitalize on ancillary industry sectors within the aerospace industry. “As the Airbus plant in Mobile opens up, Pensacola is situated in an ideal location for some of the second- and third-tier suppliers to be located,” he said. “We’re far enough away that Airbus and a second- or third-tier supplier in Pensacola aren’t competing for the same labor pool, yet we are close enough to accommodate the needs that they might have. So as we progress with some of our economic development initiatives we are looking at other airport properties to attract some of those other suppliers.” Passenger service, meanwhile, is up slightly and several direct flights have been added, Flynn said. Gone are the days when flying anywhere out of Pensacola involved a stop in Atlanta — although Atlanta certainly is still one of the airport’s major markets. “We have direct nonstop service to a lot of major hubs. If you go west, you have direct service to Houston, direct service to Dallas; to the north, you have direct service to Atlanta, Nashville, Charlotte, and on Saturday and Sunday you have flights to Washington, and to the south direct service to Miami and Orlando, Tampa,” he said. “So, again, the Pensacola airport has very good air service connections. We are very pleased with where we stand in terms of commercial service out of Pensacola. We are working with the incumbent carriers to open up new markets that might benefit them and us, and other entrants who could augment the service we already have.” Flynn said that while everybody focuses on growth and travelers want to see more carriers added, the thing to remember is a lot of airports have experienced significant decline in the number of passengers over the past few years. Not so at Pensacola, he said. “From a traffic standpoint we are happy with where we are. Last fiscal year we were 2 percent above where we were (the previous) fiscal year in terms of passenger counts,” he said. “Obviously trying to work in this economic environment the last few years has been challenging, however Pensacola has been successful in maintaining service levels.”

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Busi ness Developm ent

Pensacola: A Cradle for

Business Innovation and Growth

Specialized programs spur economic development

ost large urban areas have an array of services for small business owners and entrepreneurs. In fact, economic development these days is big business itself, with large cities and counties competing for as few as 50 new jobs to an area. Incredibly, Pensacola and Escambia County have not one, but two specialized programs that provide assistance and low-risk alternatives for small businesses and startups to get the boost they need in the precarious early stages of business. With the considerable resources of the federal government, a full university and the area’s Chamber of Commerce, there is little issue left unmitigated for a small business owner or entrepreneur.

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The Florida Small Business Development Center Network at the University of West Florida (FSBDC at UWF) and the Gulf Coast Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) at the Greater Pensacola Chamber of Commerce are two programs that are fit for a much larger economic development area than just Pensacola.

The Power of the Network The Florida Small Business Development Center Network at UWF is the perfect starting place for the (not necessarily) new business owner. According to its website, the FSBDC at UWF provides tools, training and resources to help business owners at all stages to grow and succeed.

By Tisha Crews Keller

“The goal,” explains Kelly Massey, FSBDC director, “is to provide small business — whether established or just beginning — with tools and resources to help mitigate common entrepreneurial pitfalls.” This means that a small business owner or entrepreneur may find at the FSBDC professionals who can answer practical questions such as how to obtain certificates and registrations; where to register business names; examples of business concepts/plans; mapping out the first steps of beginning a business; and even how to land government contracts — a specialization that makes a lot of sense in the military-heavy Escambia County region. The FSBDC is part of a statewide service network of more than 40 locations, funded in

photo by Matt Burke (Myhre and Massey) and Courtesy of FSBDC (Bishops Coffee)

(Left) Bishop’s Coffee & Tea was founded in the summer of 2007by Tionna Bishop, whose desire was to become her own roaster and provide people with great quality coffees and teas from around the world. (This page) Michael Myhre (left), CEO of the Florida Small Business Development Center Network, and Kelly Massey, regional director.

part by the U.S. Small Business Administration. With additional money from supporters such as the Defense Logistics Agency, the State of Florida, the University of West Florida and other public/private partners, the center at UWF serves as the lead host institution for the network. Because of its diverse funding, the FSBDC is able to provide assistance to business owners in Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa and Walton counties at little or no cost. “No matter if a business is just beginning or has been in business for years, we provide specialized resources and assistance to help them,” Massey continues. “We offer a comprehensive toolkit of services for qualifying existing businesses looking

to accelerate market growth, including Growth Acceleration, International Trade, Government Contracting and Business Continuation.” Massey has recruited a team with diverse experience and education to make the most of the SBDC’s influence. “Our professionally certified consultants have a variety of backgrounds and education,” he explains. “Several have more than 20 years of experience in small business consulting.” His team of eight includes consultants, managers and — a new addition — an international trade consultant so that clients may take advantage of the area’s unique opportunities with the military and the deep-water port. Doug Herrick, owner of SunFarm Energy in Pensacola, is a great example of the FSBDC’s influence. In 2011, the former naval aviator co-founded SunFarm Energy to design and install commercial and residential solar energy systems. Working with the FSBDC at UWF, Herrick received business advice and resources to grow his company. He also worked with students at UWF’s College of Business on a human resources project that provided insight he could use.

Herrick’s experience is not unususal. The FSBDC employs UWF graduate students to provide assistance to the Escambia business community. “This demonstrates an invaluable opportunity for both students and our clients,” Massey says. “Students are given an opportunity to apply what they have learned in class, and small businesses in our region benefit from their knowledge.” In addition, the FSBDC at UWF offers free or low-cost workshops to area business owners, with topics such as, “Franchise Basics,” “How to Do Business with Eglin and Hurlburt Air Force Bases” and “International Trade Basics.” These workshops are held at a variety of times and locations and advertised through the center’s website.

Investing Today in Tomorrow’s Employers The federal government and higher education aren’t the only ones interested in business growth in Escambia County. The Greater Pensacola Chamber of Commerce dedicates considerable resources to startups and business growth. As part of its overall mission, the Chamber focuses on 2015 e s c a m b i a c o u n t y BUSIN E SS J OU R NA L

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Ideally, the CIE is a “short-term (1–3 years) bridge” between a home office and Class A office space. In other words, it’s perfect for businesses that are at or near revenue needs. Kelly Reeser, director of Entrepreneurial Development, manages the CIE and the programming for the tenants of the facility. “The CEI provides a physical location for entrepreneurs to gather, work and share ideas,” she explains. “As well as a network of the experience and wisdom of business owners who are willing to mentor and assist growing companies.” Currently home to 12 tenant businesses, the center has about 7,500 square feet of leasable space, which varies in size from 100 square feet to over 900 square feet.

In simple terms, the CIE provides very affordable office space and on-demand consulting services for beginning businesses and entrepreneurs. Each client receives a business coach and access to an entrepreneur-in-residence for individualized business development. Jeff Phillips, CEO of Accountingfly, is one of the CIE’s go-to examples for success. The company provides recruiting services and software to the accounting industry. “The CIE has offered Accountingfly discounted rent and office services to help preserve startup capital,” Phillips explains. “They introduced the team to one of the CIE’s board members and other mentors and provide executive coaching to our leadership team.” The small company started in 2012 and has already made a name for itself in the accounting industry. Recently, Phillips was named “One of the Most Influential People in Accounting” by Accounting Today Magazine. Unique programs provide the incubator companies the ability to connect with each other and mentor professionals so they can grow their business. Many of the “mentor” Doug Herrick (right) and Donald Long professionals offer are co-founders of free or reduced-price SunFarm Energy, services for CIE a Pensacola solar integrator company tenants. Educational that began in 2011 courses and “lunch and provides and learn” opporsystems for commercial and tunities allow for residential use. the CIE’s experts to provide feedback and custom ideas for things like funding and workforce training programs. Discounted rates on Chamber programs and memberships are also extended to CIE tenants. To qualify for the CIE program, companies must submit an application online (gulfcoastinnovation.com). Requirements include a business plan or executive summary, with (at minimum) a proof of concept. A selection committee reviews applications, evaluating whether the business is at the stage to enter into a lease and the potential for growth and jobs creation. Whether a small business is barely out of the garage or even established but still considered “small,” Pensacola and Escambia County have resources to accelerate growth and push forward ideas. These programs come from a variety of sources, but one thing is clear: Pensacola is ready to be known as a cradle for innovation and business growth.

photo by Matt Burke

business expansion and entrepreneurial growth. This relates directly to the focus on creating high-wage, sustained growth jobs in the area. The Gulf Coast Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) is the Chamber’s outreach to startup and fledgling businesses. Formed in 2008, the CIE is a partnership between the Greater Pensacola Chamber and Pensacola State College. The CIE incubator is managed through the Chamber and receives support from both municipal economic development funds and private investors. The CIE targets “early stage, high-growth companies” to increase the odds of their success. The list of innovators associated with the center includes Cogon Systems, GridSouth, Avalex Technologies and more.

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Tax season is not the only time of the year to hire a certified public accountant (CPA).

Hire a licensed CPA,

Because Every Business Counts Beyond taxes, CPAs are licensed by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) to perform financial audits, reviews and compilations. Only a licensed CPA is legally authorized to audit financial statements for bank review or compile financial records for the purpose of expressing opinions regarding the reliability or fairness of the information at hand. Bookkeepers and accountants do not require licensure to perform basic bookkeeping or accounting functions, however only licensed CPAs are allowed to use the CPA designation and advertise or represent themselves as a CPA. CPAs licensed by DBPR must meet strict professional and technical requirements to provide advanced financial, business and tax services to their clients. Eligible candidates must graduate with an appropriate baccalaureate or master’s degree and meet certain work-experience requirements before they can sit for the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants Uniform CPA Exam to become licensed. After obtaining professional licensure, CPAs must also complete 80 hours of continuing education every two years to maintain their license.

In addition to extensive education and testing, licensed CPAs are required by law to carry Errors and Admissions insurance, which adds an additional level of protection for their clients. When selecting a CPA, consumers should always verify the professional license with DBPR prior to hiring. Licenses can be verified quickly and easily by visiting www.myfloridalicense.com, by calling 850-487-1395 or by downloading the free DBPR Mobile app from the iTunes or Google Play app store. When verifying a license, consumers should also make sure the license is current and check for any complaints or disciplinary actions against the licensee.

Unlicensed activity occurs when an individual offers to perform or performs services that require a state license and the individual does not hold the required license. Florida law sets specific rules and guidelines for obtaining professional licensure and holds the people who have met these requirements to high professional standards. Floridians are asked to report any suspected unlicensed activity to DBPR by emailing ula@myfloridalicense.com or calling the Unlicensed Activity Hotline at 1-866-532-1440.

It is important for consumers to not only choose a licensed CPA to make decisions regarding their business’ finances, but to also select one that meets their specific needs. Florida CPAs have a wide variety of expertise, clients and past experiences. Prior to hiring, consumers should find out what type of accounting work a CPA typically performs and compare it to the specific service needs of their business. DBPR is reminding Floridians of the danger of hiring unlicensed CPAs to assist them with their business’ financial needs.

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M i l itary

Celebrating 100 Years of Community Naval Air Station Pensacola and the local community have supported one another — and reaped the rewards together By Laura Bradley

ensacola’s Naval Air Station is practically its own city — 23,000 military and civilian personnel make up the base, which has everything from a seaport, to an airfield, to its own version of a college campus with the Naval Air Technical Training Center. The base contributes $1.3 billion annually to the local economy in military salaries alone; including indirect contributions, the Pensacola Chamber

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Foundation estimates that along with NAS Pensacola, the Department of Defense contributes around $6.7 billion per year to the greater Pensacola region. But the relationship between the base and Pensacola at large comes down to much more than just numbers — it’s a relationship of give and take and most importantly of mutual support. “It’s a superb relationship between Pensacola and the military,” said Rick Harper, an economist at the University of West Florida. “Pensacola is one of the most military-friendly towns in the nation because there’s such a long history of naval aviation in the community.” Personnel moving in from other parts of the country tend to fall in love with Pensacola and form lasting relationships with not only the community but special people within it. Pensacola’s nickname as the “Cradle of Naval Aviation” is often amended, Harper said, to the mother-in-law of naval aviation, “because so many fliers come through Pensacola and meet their spouses.” Most people who work on the base are military personnel — they make up about 17,000 of the 23,000, according to Patrick Nichols, public affairs officer for NAS Pensacola. Most military personnel are on the base for aviation preflight and flight training, being trained as naval flight officers. But the base also trains Air Force combat systems officers, allied forces and more. Aviation reigns, Nichols said, adding

Photos Courtesy of Visit Pensacola, Inc. (military) and Individual (dollen)

that they also train in aviation maintenance — everything from air traffic control to aircraft handling and maintenance. The base also teaches recruiters and survival training, along with a “large contingency” of doctors and nurses going through operational medicine training. The other roughly 6,000 people on the base are civilians. Most (about 2,700) are civil servants, paid by the Department of Defense to work in areas like public affairs, public works and security. Contract personnel make up the next biggest portion of civilians at 1,900 — people working in fields that range from culinary services and cleaning to aircraft maintenance. The rest, about 1,300, are nonappropriated positions working in the galley and recreation facilities like the gymnasium, movie theater and bowling alley. Although the base is big enough to be its own city, it’s anything but isolated from the community. “For 100 years the City of Pensacola, and the county and surrounding communities have been supporting NAS Pensacola,” said Nichols. “It’s hard to meet someone who doesn’t know someone or isn’t related to someone that is somehow affiliated with NAS and the Navy.” Many officers who come to Pensacola end up staying once they retire. It’s a combination of access to the base, exchange and military hospitals, and the local friendliness. Nichols himself is one of those charmed transplants.

“I’m from Colorado originally,” he said. “I came here, fell in love with the beaches. The people here support the base, they support the Navy, the military in general, and it’s just a great community. So it does bring a lot of people back.” Although one might guess this phenomenon is common to any place near a base — and to an extent, it is — there’s something even more special about Pensacola. Per capita, Florida has the most military retirees. According to the Office of the Actuary, there are over 32,800 retired military people in the 325 zip code. Per capita, this is more than any other zip code — 782, the area of San Antonio, Texas, has the most total military retirees, at over 36,000, but its population is also much, much larger.

Bronze Star Medal. After about 27 years living outside the state, Dollen returned to Florida, serving as Command Master Chief at NAS Pensacola for his last 12 years before he retired from the Navy. “I’d been all over and actually I couldn’t think of a better place to retire than Pensacola,” Dollen said. The weather was certainly a factor — like most of us, Dollen isn’t a huge fan of cold weather or snow — but access to military infrastructure and the warmth of the community were big deciding factors. Dollen is now a member of the USO Advisory Council, along with Leadership Pensacola, and vice president of the Pensacola Council of the U.S. Navy League. He also works as a realtor with Coldwell Banker, helping military retirees and families find their homes in Pensacola. It’s familiar territory for Dollen, as he pointed out it ties in with his previous duties as a Command Master Chief, to assist and support his sailors and their families. “This is just another way of taking care of people,” he said. And the newcomers tend to fall in love with the area. Most plan on sticking around; even if they’re only stationed for a few years, Dollen said a lot of them want to come back. “The community is very vibrant,” Dollen said. “You’ve got a great downtown area, and all the festivals … It’s just a good place. There’s always something new to do in the Pensacola area.” In addition to the usual local events, community outreach from the military translates into a strong, friendly presence in the community — from Blue

“I’d been all over and actually I couldn’t think of a better place to retire than Pensacola.” — Michael Dollen, member of the USO Advisory Council and vice president of the Pensacola Council of the U.S. Navy League

After growing up in Pensacola, and graduating from Pine Forest High School in 1978, Michael Dollen joined the Navy in 1983 and spent over 30 years serving across the country, from New York to California to Hawaii — and eventually Florida. He even spent a year in Baghdad, Iraq, as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom and earned a

Angels shows (in November 187,000 people showed up for their three-day homecoming event) to thousands of hours in volunteer work in the community. It’s hard for a military retiree not to feel at home in this stretch of the Sunshine State. And, as Dollen pointed out, “the beaches, of course, are beautiful.” 2015 e s c a m b i a c o u n t y BUSIN E SS J OU R NA L

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tourism

Beyond the Beach

Visit Pensacola explores new direction in tourism promotion By Ashley Kahn Salley

ou might think marketing one of the world’s most beautiful beaches would be an easy job. But selling Northwest Florida isn’t always a day at the beach. Just ask Steve Hayes, president of Visit Pensacola, the destination marketing organization that separated from the Greater Pensacola Chamber after 25 years to become an independent entity in January 2014. After the Chamber conducted a nationwide search to hire a leader for its tourism arm, Hayes was just settling in when the structural change occurred. “I think pulling it out of the Chamber has certainly benefited the community,” Hayes says. “It has given us more purpose, more direction for where we need to go and how we help grow things, not only for tourism but for the community.” When he relocated to Pensacola from the Tampa Bay area, Hayes himself became the Gulf Coast tourist, learning and exploring the community he now promotes. He did this by walking — everywhere. What he discovered is a uniquely explorable town, full of energy, activity and buzz.

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Getting Tourism Off the Ground When you’re marketing a beach, there’s a lot of competition — especially in Florida. With 1,350 miles of coastline to contend with, Hayes and his team have to differentiate Pensacola from beaches at home and around the globe. “A few things I heard off the bat is that Pensacola is a drive destination, and we still are predominantly, but you have to look at how we grow our air business,” Hayes says. “When you have non-stop flights coming in from major markets, people will come to vacation and do business.” Yet despite the relative difficulty of direct air travel, 2014 was another record year for Northwest Florida tourism. Not only was occupancy up, but the money people paid to stay here also increased. “It’s great to have someone stay in a hotel or condo, but what’s more important is the visitor out spending in the restaurant, shopping, going to different attractions,” Hayes says, “because it provides a greater economic impact.” Pensacola Beach is currently rated No. 19 of the Top 25 Beaches in the U.S. on TripAdvisor, with reviewers touting “vistas only God

Fort Pickens

Value of the Visitor » $ 1,134 Average Spend Per Visit » $ 178 Average Spend Per Day (compared to $148 statewide) 46 percent spent in lodging, leaving 54 percent in revenue to area businesses »T ourism jobs make up 9 percent of the labor force in Escambia County

could create.” While people come first and foremost for a beach vacation, the strong numbers can also be attributed to the city’s vibrant cultural scene and rich history — with popular regional attractions that include the National Naval Aviation Museum, Fort Pickens, Gulf Islands National Seashore and Historic Downtown. Visit Pensacola is capitalizing on the city’s broad appeal with its latest campaign tagline: “Loved By Explorers Since 1559.” “My first reaction was how beautiful it all was,” Hayes says. “You have beautiful beaches, a strong military presence, a business center of Northwest Florida, the historical and cultural aspect; it’s all here — just in a smaller footprint.” That small footprint gained a big audience in recent years but for reasons beyond the scope of any marketing team. The Deepwater Horizon oil spill of 2010 prompted BP to air national television ads that thrust “The South” into the spotlight. And for better or worse, this stretch of the Sunshine State exudes quintessential Southern charm.

Putting Pensacola on the Map

Photos Courtesy Visit Florida/Colin Hackley

One project Hayes has implemented in his short tenure is research. Prior to his arrival, Visit Pensacola did not conduct ongoing research to show the value of the visitor (see sidebar). The agency now has a year-and-a-half of data, which Hayes plans to use to determine the overall impact of tourism. Any native of Pensacola can tell you that few people outside of Northwest Florida know where it is — let alone what it has to offer as a destination. Pensacola, Pensacola Beach and Perdido Key boast pristine scenery and just enough to do, without the crowds and congestion. And Pensacolians want it to stay that way. So do former and prospective visitors, Hayes learned by conducting focus groups in Chicago, Nashville, Dallas and the Washington, D.C. area. But how do you put Pensacola on the map without getting away from what makes it great?

National Naval Aviation Museum

Some Tourist Highlights National Naval Aviation Museum — It’s no surprise that one of the world’s largest air and space museums is located in Pensacola, home to the Cradle of Naval Aviation, which in 2014 celebrated its 100th birthday. Admission is free. Historic Downtown

“What’s funny is our customer says that,” Hayes says. “We talked to past visitors and visitors to Northwest Florida who had not been to Pensacola. Those who had been enjoy the area because we are not like Panama City, Destin or Gulf Shores.” For now, the goal of Visit Pensacola is learning how to smartly grow the business — keeping the natural ambiance and tranquility while still giving visitors things to do, so their length of stay remains the same and they keep coming back. To that end, the organization has embarked on a five-year strategic plan to grow the right way. “You can grow tourism by making the customer feel more welcome, by making sure they have the types of products they are looking for, by educating and helping locals embrace the benefit of tourists — all without having to build five more hotels,” Hayes says. “It can be done smartly with controlled growth, so it doesn’t take away from what we have here.” Because, as Hayes discovered on his long walks through the city, “It just feels good, and a good place to be.”

Blue Angels — On most Tuesday and Wednesday mornings from March through November, the pilots of the U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron can be seen practicing over the National Naval Aviation Museum. Practices typically start at 11:30 a.m. (Central Time) and last about an hour. On most Wednesdays they make themselves available for autographs. Historic Pensacola Village — Costumed guides take visitors through several of the 20 properties operated by the University of West Florida Historic Trust that are located in the Pensacola National Register Historic District. Blue Wahoos — A minor league team that is a Class Double-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds, the Wahoos play at Pensacola Bayfront Stadium. In 2014 the Wahoos’ stadium was ranked as the second best overall ballpark experience out of 160 surveyed by Stadium Journey.

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Demograph ics

Escambia County Info Time Zone Central Standard Elevation 143 ft. Population Escambia County — 305,817 (2013 est.) Pensacola — 52,703 (2013 est.) Median Age 37.6 years Median Family Income $55,200 Education Attainment (Age 25+) High school graduate or higher — 87.1 percent Bachelor’s degree or higher — 23.2% Mean Commute to Work 21.7 minutes People Per Square Mile Escambia County — 458.7 Pensacola — 2,303.5 Median Home Cost $145,750 (Oct. 2014)

Old Christ Church

Photo Courtesy oF Visit Pensacola, Inc.

Some of Greater Pensacola’s Leading Employers Baptist Health Care, health care — 4,494 employees Sacred Heart Health System, health care — 3,498 employees Navy Federal Credit Union, financial service center — 3,113 employees Gulf Power Company, electric provider — 1,774 employees West Florida Healthcare, health care — 1,300 employees Ascend Performance Materials, manufacturing — 800 employees West Corporation, business, processing, outsourcing — 800 employees Medical Center Clinic, health care — 500 employees Santa Rosa Medical Center, health care — 498 employees International Paper, manufacturing — 450 employees Cox Communications, communications — 400 employees

sites in the Pensacola area are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Did you know? » Pensacola’s streets were laid out by

British cartographers in the 1700s. » Pensacola is the westernmost city in

Northwest Florida. » Escambia County is Florida’s 19th most

populous county, with 1.6 percent of Florida’s population. » Escambia and St. Johns were Florida’s

original two counties, formed July 21, 1821. » Escambia comes from a Spanish word for

“barter” or “exchange.” » Pensacola was the original capital of

Florida, where Gen. Andrew Jackson exchanged flags with Spanish Gov. Jose Callava, bringing West Florida under control of the United States.

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Institu te for Human & Mac h i ne Cogn ition

Small Town, Big Ideas

How the Institute for Human & Machine Cognition made Pensacola a research hub By Ashley Kahn Salley

hey have developed innovative technologies for space exploration. They’ve created apps to help kids monitor medical conditions via text message. And recently, they set a land-speed record for legged robots at a worldwide robotics challenge. Meet the researchers of the Florida Institute for Human & Machine Cognition. Headquartered in Pensacola, the institute was founded by Dr. Kenneth Ford and Dr. Alberto Cañas at the University of West (Right) Testing Florida in 1990. the Grasshopper By 2004, the exoskeleton, which Florida Legislature was designed by IHMC and built by recognized its merits NASA to address the and spun IHMC exercise needs of into an independent astronauts living in zero-g environments not-for-profit orgafor extended periods nization and member of time. (Below) of the state univerAlberto Cañas (left) and Kenneth sity system. Today, Ford, founders of the institute has a the Institute for staff of around 100 Human and Machine Cognition. in Pensacola and 15 at a satellite campus in Ocala. Of the Pensacola-based team, 85 percent are technical — and half of those are Ph.D. research scientists. What those scientists choose to do on a daily basis is largely up to them. Associate Director Sharon Heise sums up their efforts for the layperson: “We refer to

Cañas

Ford

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(Below) Testing of the X1a Exoskeleton’s powered ankle, designed to address paraplegic mobility. (Right) More than 800 visitors attend an open house featuring IHMC’s robotics research facility.

it as human-centered computing. What we really do is work on all manners of systems and technologies that essentially help people perform better.” As a society faced with a near-constant influx of new technology, we often feel a need to adapt to our personal devices more than they adapt to us. IHMC places an emphasis on making man’s relationship with machine more synergetic. “We look at people working with technology as a whole system, with the siliconebased element and the carbon-based element of equal importance from a design analysis and evaluation,” Heise continues. “We think about ‘fit’ a lot. We fit our machines, but our machines need to fit us, so we can leverage and augment each other’s best capabilities and mitigate each other’s weaknesses.”

Photos Courtesy of the Institute for Human and Machine Cognition

Just Another Day at the Office IHMC employs experts in the fields of cognitive science, computer science, mechanical engineering, artificial intelligence, mathematics and even medicine. Offices are scattered to facilitate interaction and learning. Researchers celebrate their successes and work through inevitable challenges, each providing a unique perspective and knowledge base. They can pursue any passion they wish as long as it’s consistent with the institute’s philosophy of developing technologies that are helpful to people. (They don’t develop weapons, for example.) “Since we provide our researchers so much autonomy, our people set down roots and they tend to stay,” Heise says. “There is a pervasive sense of joy and satisfaction, because they are doing things that have a tangible impact on society and national security.”

There’s also a lot of diversity, adds Senior Writer and Communications Manager Carl Wernicke, because IHMC recruits the best of the best from all over the world. (You read that right — top researchers come from far and wide to put down roots in Pensacola, Florida.) “To me, it shows that even in Pensacola, you can operate at the very highest levels,” Wernicke says. “People come here and they walk down the street and we take them for lunch or coffee, and they really like it. The more urbane Downtown Pensacola becomes, the better we are able to sell it.” There’s an economic impact, too. Research projects at IHMC are funded by grants — mostly government, some corporate and private sources — but all from out of town. “We focus very hard on getting our goods and services locally if we can, so we do a lot of local business. Say a local restaurant, local people go and eat there, pay their salaries, and the money is recirculated,” Wernicke notes. “But ours is coming from outside of the community and going into it. To me, that’s an interesting difference and really creates an impact by bringing that new money in.”

The Business of Discovery Wernicke says his workplace sparks considerable curiosity, because it is a business of discovery, rather than production. “A lot of times people say, ‘What do you produce?’ but you don’t actually see many products going out the door,” he explains. “That’s because we are imbedded in other projects, always doing research on portions of other projects.” Heise says the bulk of work roams the range of basic research all the way through prototype development. At that point, the

institute relies on a transition partner to help carry its research into the market, where it can be of use to national security or society. These so-called “transition partners” are major industry leaders, among them titans like NASA, Boeing and Honda. Much of the research centers on assistive technologies in three primary classes: ▪ s ensory assistance (helping with sight, touch or balance) ▪m obility assistance (helping with gait or push recovery), and ▪ c ognitive assistance (helping with memory or perception). The implications of technologies studied and produced at IHMC are as far reaching as they are awe inspiring. At any given moment, you might witness a paraplegic man take steps using advanced exoskeletons, learn how Alzheimer’s patients may someday recall forgotten memories or get a glimpse of the latest trends in cybersecurity. Or, you could see a funny-looking robot racing through the grass across the street. (And that’s just a typical Tuesday.) Those robots have got people wondering what IHMC is all about. “People jump on the ‘cool’ projects, but they don’t see the other research we do,” says Wernicke. “I think in the last couple years because of the ‘cool’ factor, people have a lot better idea of what we do and who we are.” To see for yourself, mark your calendar for the next Evening Lecture Series. These events are headlined by some of the most celebrated scientists around the globe (like the chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society). There’s always something new to learn. Visit ihmc.us — or the institute itself — to learn more. 2015 e s c a m b i a c o u n t y BUSIN E SS J OU R NA L

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Health care

Ester Remegio, Sacred Heart Hospital Pensacola

A Question of Access Staying local for solutions to common health care woes

Photos Courtesy of Sacred Heart Hospital

ometimes national problems can have simple, homegrown solutions. At least that’s the theory many health care providers in Escambia County operate on these days. Through quality care, improved communications between facilities and physicians, and a fresh dedication to new-age technology, techniques and practices, Escambia’s health care scene is primed for improved outcomes and positive development. But transitioning into a healthful community requires more than just proximity to medicine. According to Mark Faulkner, president and CEO of Baptist Health Care, his team (now 6,500 strong) is focused on keeping the lines of communication open between health care providers and patients — educating locals on the importance of preventive care, as well as early diagnosis and intervention.

By Chay D. Baxley

“We’re all about the quality of life for our community,” shared Faulkner. “Every day we come to work we think of ways to elevate the quality of life for our community. That’s our singular focus. We realize and recognize where our roots are.” And his institution isn’t alone in its initiative. “I always tell people that we have four really, really good hospitals,” emphasized Dr. Michael S. Oleksyk, vice president for Medical Affairs at Baptist Health Care — referring to his place of employment as well as Sacred Heart Health System, West Florida Hospital and Naval Hospital Pensacola. Sacred Heart and Baptist are non-profit health care providers; West Florida is a private facility affiliated with HCA. Oleksyk has been a physician in the area for nearly 29 years and enjoys professional privileges at all three 2015 e s c a m b i a c o u n t y BUSIN E SS J OU R NA L

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New private rooms and exterior of West Florida Hospital

Escambia Health Care by the Numbers » Four hospitals — two nonprofit, one private and one military — cater to the residents of Escambia County. » In 2014, approximately 10,000 workers were employed by the county’s hospital facilities. » Sacred Heart in Pensacola is a 566-bed acute care facility, which includes Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola, Children’s Hospital at Sacred Heart and Sacred Heart Women’s Hospital. » Baptist Hospital is a 492-bed tertiary care facility. » West Florida Hospital is licensed for 515 beds. » Total number of civilian hospital beds: 1,573

deciding to switch its internal layout to private rooms for all admitted patients. The act inspired others unilaterally. “We’re really focused on quality,” emphasized Doidge. “We’re (also) focused on reducing hospital acquired infections, such as Sepsis. In January of 2009, we went to all private rooms. We were the first hospital in Escambia County to do that. It helps lower infection rates. It helps give the patient a better place to rest and recover. Since we did that in 2009, the other hospitals have followed suit.” Today, the county’s 1,573 beds are all in private rooms. For residents like Doidge who have had family in all of the surrounding facilities at some point, the switch was an encouraging upgrade. “When you’re at your worst,” sympathized Doidge, “the last you want to do is have people around that aren’t giving you the peace and relaxation and the comfort needed for you to recover.” Faulkner, of Baptist, said patients can expect a lot more attention to be paid to outcomes and to elevating the overall health of the community. “I think we recognize it’s not a question of quality providers, it’s a question of access,” he said.

Photos Courtesy of West Florida Hospital

of the county’s civilian hospitals. During his tenure, he has seen the local medical community adapt to meet the demands of an evolving system — forming connections with leading industry leaders, like their recent partnership with the Mayo Clinic, and expanding their overall scope of care. “For an area this small, the quality of health care is phenomenal,” said Oleksyk. From pre-natal care to innovative cancer treatments, there’s not too much the dedicated medical professionals of Escambia aren’t trained to tackle. A few complex cases (for example, burn victims and transplant patients) are still outsourced to neighboring communities with more experience. Largely though, residents’ overall health can be attended to in-house — close to home and loved ones. Keeping things local is something the medical professionals of Escambia pride themselves on. Across the board, this close-knit community of caregivers is focused on one thing: quality care for their patients. “We’ve put a lot of resources into quality,” shared Kendrick Doidge, vice president of Business and Public Relations at West Florida Hospital. “(We’re) trying to provide the highest level of quality for the community that we serve.” According to Doidge, an Escambia native, West Florida Hospital’s dedication to quality prompted the administration to assemble “medical taskforces” charged with staying abreast of the latest and greatest in health care innovation. As a result of their discoveries, the hospital made a dramatic change by ultimately

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