Maryland
Health First names Maryland health care executive Forde as its new president/CEO
Health First has named Maryland health care company executive Terry Forde as its new president and CEO. Forde will take over in August.
Forde is president and CEO of Adventist HealthCare, headquartered in Gaithersburg, Maryland, a suburb of Washington, D.C. Adventist HealthCare is one of Maryland’s largest employers.
Forde will succeed Steve Johnson, who retired as Health First president and CEO in February 2023. Until Forde arrives in August, Kent Smith, chair of Health First’s board of trustees, will remain as interim CEO of Health First.
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Health First is Brevard County’s largest employer, with a staff of more than 9,500. It operates four hospitals ― Cape Canaveral Hospital in Cocoa Beach, Holmes Regional Medical Center in Melbourne, Palm Bay Hospital and Viera Hospital — as well as health insurance plans, a multispecialty medical group, and outpatient and wellness services.
“In Terry, we found an experienced and sympathetic leader who shares our passion for patient safety, is committed to providing high reliability, has a proven history of success, and tenacity in building strong, lasting culture,” Smith said. “The Space Coast welcomes Terry, and looks forward to his guidance to further Health First’s legacy of providing exceptional quality and compassionate care.”
In a statement released by the two hospital companies, Forde said: “It has been an honor to work with the dedicated leaders and team members of Adventist HealthCare, especially during the midst of a pandemic and significant change in the health industry. I am so glad to have been part of an organization dedicated to being the best choice for both patients and team members, and look forward to joining Health First to promote vibrant well-being in Florida.”
Health First was founded in 1995 when Cape Canaveral Hospital and Holmes Regional joined together to create a integrated health care delivery network and not-for-profit system.
Health First now is at a crossroads, recovering from financial losses that hit many hospital companies in recent years. It broke ground this year on a new $410 million hospital and medical office complex off State Road 520 on Merritt Island that will replace the current Cape Canaveral Hospital in 2027. And it recently expanded its health insurance coverage territory.
Emmanuel Asiedu, chair of the Adventist HealthCare board of directors, said Forde “has been a tireless advocate for championing our mission, driving improvement and expanding our services in order to provide physical, mental and spiritual healing to every person, every time. We are grateful for his many achievements and for the leadership system he established that will continue to guide our delivery of high-quality, compassionate care to our community.”
Founded in 1907, Adventist HealthCare, is a faith-based, not-for-profit comprehensive health care system consisting of three community hospitals, one managed academic medical center and two specialty hospitals. It has more than 50 facilities across the Greater Washington, D.C., region. It has more than 10,000 employees and a network with more than 2,000 physicians.
Forde has served in a range of leadership roles over the past 17 years with health care organizations in Kansas, Missouri and Colorado.
From 2007 to 2011, he was chief executive officer for Parker Adventist Hospital in Parker, Colorado. From 2003 to 2007, he was chief financial officer and chief operating officer for Porter Adventist Hospital in Denver. During his tenures, he helped guide the two organizations through renovation and expansion, including two major capital projects totaling $177 million.
Forde received his Bachelor of Science in business administration from Union College in Lincoln, Nebraska, in 1993, and his Master of Business Administration from Mid-America Nazarene University in Olathe, Kansas, in 1996.
Adventist HealthCare is not affiliated with Altamonte Springs-based AdventHealth, which owns a 27% stake in Health First as part of a $350 million deal that took effect in January 2020.
Dave Berman is business editor at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Berman at dberman@floridatoday.com, on X at @bydaveberman and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/dave.berman.54
Maryland
Maryland mom of 2-month-old girl dies after golf cart accident
A Maryland mother of a newborn daughter died on Monday after suffering fatal injuries in an incident involving a golf cart over the weekend, authorities said.
Mary Beth Blasetti, 32, was a passenger in an E-Z-GO golf cart driving on the 600 block of Maid Marion Hill in Annapolis on Saturday when she was thrown from the cart, suffering life-threatening injuries, the Anne Arundel County Police Department said.
Blasetti was airlifted to the University of Maryland R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center, where she died two days later, police said.
Blasetti appeared to have been ejected from the golf cart after hitting “some sort of a dip,” police spokesman Justin Mulcahy told WJZ-TV.
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“This is an extremely tragic, unfortunate situation,” Mulcahy told the station. “Our hearts go out to everyone impacted and we’re going to continue investigating it with the State’s Attorney’s Office just to determine what exactly happened here.”
The driver of the golf cart was identified as a 32-year-old woman from Crownsville, Maryland. No further information about the driver was immediately provided.
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Blasetti and her husband recently purchased their first home in Annapolis, and welcomed their 2-month-old daughter in September, friends wrote on an online donation page for the family.
Friends remembered Blasetti as a “devoted wife, mother, daughter, sister and friend, and her absence will be deeply felt by all who knew her.”
“Mary Beth brought joy to so many and had a wide community of friends and family who are devastated by her sudden passing,” the post read.
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Police said the incident remains under investigation.
Maryland
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Maryland
Bay Bridge renovations could limit traffic for Maryland drivers
MARYLAND – The two spans that comprise the Bay Bridge are 50 and 70 years old. Now, FOX 5 is learning about some of the proposals for a fix or replacement.
For decades, families across the DMV headed to the beaches have loaded up for a journey to the beach. Part of that process is often some time in traffic at or near the Bay Bridge.
The State of Maryland knows it doesn’t have to be that way and started the process a few years ago about a potential fix. After initial studies, they’ve determined the bridge should remain in the same general location it is now. There was earlier consideration of other spots along the bay.
In a 50-page document, the Maryland Transportation Authority lays out the options they’re recommending at this point, and ones that they’re not.
For example, due to cost and environmental impact, the MDTA is recommending a bridge instead of a tunnel.
There are seven configurations that are being looked at most closely. Six of those options involve a new bridge and different numbers of lanes and configurations. The seventh option is a rehabilitation of the current bridge.
The MDTA is hosting three listening sessions to get feedback from drivers and stakeholders. Click here to see open house information.
“We’re hoping the public will come to provide input on the number of lanes—how big should we be building a bridge, how many lanes for the future, do we need to make it more affordable, do we need to just meet what we’re expecting or do we need to plan beyond that, and what kind of transit or shared use options,” said Bruce Gartner, the Executive Director of the Maryland Transportation Authority.
The Authority plans to decide what to do by the end of 2026.
Jacqueline McLee crosses the Bay Bridge often to visit her son in Delaware. She thinks something needs to change, but 10 lanes might be too many for her.
“I don’t know what to think. It’s good and bad. It makes me nervous, that’s a lot of lanes, it’s a lot of work. I don’t know about that one,” McLee said.
Jacqueline’s husband, Marny, welcomes some sort of expansion.
“There’s so much traffic flowing through here back and forth during the summer time and holidays, so it’ll definitely make a big difference and get across the bridge a little quicker,” he said.
Open House Information
Virtual
Wednesday, December 4, 2024
(6-8 p.m.)
baycrossingstudy.com
Submit a Question
Anne Arundel County
Monday, December 9, 2024
(6-8 p.m.)
Broadneck High School
1265 Green Holly Dr.
Annapolis, MD 21409
Queen Anne’s County
Wednesday, December 11, 2024
(6-8 p.m.)
Kent Island High School
900 Love Point Road
Stevensville, MD 21666
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