A Message from Brian E. Keeley, President & CEO, Baptist Health South Florida:
How does a healthcare organization benefit a community? The answer seems obvious. Hospitals, outpatient centers, emergency services — these things benefit the community simply by being there. But that’s only part of the story.
A large part of the way we benefit the community springs from our not-for-profit, faith-based mission of caring. We provide charitable care to our less fortunate neighbors. We reach out to the uninsured through our support of free clinics. And we educate the community about health and wellness, while also providing free health screenings.
Our faith-based mission is also reflected in our high ethical standards. The 165 governing members of Baptist Health’s Board of Trustees and affiliated Boards of Directors adhere to principles that set the standard for the corporate world. Our conflict of interest policy, for example, prohibits Board members and their immediate family members from doing business with Baptist Health.
All Baptist Health Boards are totally independent. That means that no Baptist Health executive or member of management may sit on any Baptist Health Board. And our Board members serve without compensation — except for the satisfaction they receive from the benefits they bring to our community.
We believe that there is a relationship between the way we govern ourselves and the way we treat others. By doing what is right, we serve as an example while meeting the needs of our community. In fact, we’re so committed to this philosophy that our Board of Trustees has created a special committee — chaired by longstanding Board member Tony Alonso — whose sole purpose is to ensure that we provide significant community benefit.