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
A turbulent end to the work week will give way to a stretch of sunny, warmer days beginning Sunday, offering a much-needed break from recent unsettled weather.
Skies will remain mostly cloudy overnight Thursday, with temperatures holding in the 60s. A disturbance tracking south of the area will bring a chance for showers and thunderstorms to parts of Southern Maryland later tonight and into early Friday morning. Areas north, including Baltimore, should stay dry to start the day Friday with continued cloud cover.
An ALERT DAY has been issued for Friday afternoon through Friday night, as another round of storms is expected to move through the region. Some storms may become severe, with the potential for damaging wind gusts, heavy rain, hail, and frequent lightning. Southern Maryland faces a low-end risk for isolated tornadoes.
Rain chances linger into Friday night and early Saturday as the final disturbance in the series moves through late Saturday morning into the afternoon. While showers and thunderstorms will be possible, forecasters emphasize Saturday will not be a total washout. Highs will stay on the cooler side, topping out in the upper 60s to near 70 degrees.
Sunshine returns on Sunday, accompanied by a breeze and pleasant highs in the low to mid-70s—a picture-perfect day for outdoor plans.
The warming trend continues into next week. Monday and Tuesday will feature dry conditions and plenty of sunshine, with highs climbing through the 70s into the low 80s. Temperatures will peak midweek, with mid-80s expected Wednesday and upper 80s Thursday ahead of an approaching cold front, which could bring another chance for storms late in the day.
Human remains found in the shell of a scorched car have led to a chilling mystery in a quaint waterfront Maryland town, according to police.
The disturbing discovery was made Saturday night, police said, after a motorist called 911 to report a car on fire outside the Tropic Bay Aquatic Garden Center in Davidsonville, Md., a tony community about 40 minutes outside the nation’s capital.
When firefighters arrived, they found a car engulfed in flames. Once they extinguished the blaze, they discovered a scorched human body in the passenger side of the car, police said.
Cops are treating the car fire as a suspicious death investigation. What was left of the body was taken to the medical examiner for an autopsy and identification.
“That certainly changed our investigation from what appeared to be an initial vehicle fire to a suspicious death investigation,” Anne Arundel County police spokesperson Justin Mulcahy told WJZ News. “That’s where we’re at right now.”
The gruesome discovery shocked residents of the small and idyllic waterfront town, where the median sales price of a home is almost $1 million, and the average income is $223,135.
“My wife called and asked me if I heard what happened. I was just shocked,” local Pete Best told WJZ. “It doesn’t seem like the kind of thing that would happen in a small town.”
Best told the outlet that he was playing a gig next door to Tropic Bay at the time of the discovery.
“These kinds of things happen on TV, and then you go, ‘Wow, I can’t believe it’s right around the corner,’” Best said. “It kind of puts you on your heels a little bit for sure.”
The Anne Arundel County Fire and Explosives Investigations Unit is investigating the cause of the fire as detectives work to identify the victim – and determine how they ended up in the torched car, according to reports.
Regular customers of Tropic Bay, which specializes in koi fish and water features, were surprised to find it closed the following morning and surrounded with yellow police tape, according to WBAL.
The parking lot, with a sign that reads “America’s Premiere Aquatic Garden Center,” was still littered with toasted car parts from what WBAL called a recent model Ford.
Customers told the station that the owner never closed on the weekend since that was his busiest time. They worried about the animals inside the store and whether they were getting fed and cared for.
Mulcahy told WJZ that he is counting on witnesses or surveillance video to help solve the mystery.
“We’re going to talk to anybody who may have frequented that business,” Mulcahy said. “Certainly, any surveillance footage would be part of the investigation as well, or anything we can gather to assist our case right now.”
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