Scott Wester, FACHE, will assume his new role of leading the health system on July 5.
Memorial Healthcare System in Hollywood, Florida is welcoming a new CEO next week, the South Broward Hospital District Board of Commissioners announced Wednesday.
Following a national search, Scott Wester, FACHE, will serve as the health system's new president and CEO starting on July 5. He succeeds Aurelio M. Fernandez, III, FACHE, who retired in May following a six-year tenure leading the organization.
"We are excited about the future and the impact Scott will have at Memorial and in this community. His expertise, approachable leadership style, and overall knowledge and understanding of our industry and community will help him lead this organization to greater heights," said Douglas A. Harrison, chair of the South Broward Hospital District Board of Commissioners, said in a statement. "We welcome Scott and look forward to working with him."
Wester, who has had a healthcare career spanning three decades has expertise in healthcare management and operations, finance, academia, philanthropy, and building successful partnerships, the press release says.
Most recently, Wester served as president and CEO of Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center for Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System, a nonprofit, Catholic health system in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, with 880 beds. In that role, served between 2008 and 2022, his achievements include leading a $250 million partnership with Louisiana State University to align on workforce development, medical research, and interdisciplinary sciences. He also oversaw the financial growth of the center from $500 million to $1.6 million, raised more than $55 million that was used to build a free-standing children's hospital, and recruited over 400 physicians.
Prior to that, he served as president and CEO of St. Francis Medical Center in Monroe, Louisiana, a 620-bed hospital owned by the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System, from 2004 to 2008. From 200 to 2004, he served as president and CEO of St. Elizabeth Hospital in Gonzales, Louisiana, a 95-bed acute care facility that is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center.
"I felt a consistency of culture and community dedication from every person I met at Memorial during my interviews," Wester said in a statement. "I look forward to applying the tools I have gathered in my 30-year career to help propel this organization and work closely with Memorial’s workforce and other stakeholders to achieve the best for all."
Related: Memorial Healthcare System CEO Announces Retirement
Melanie Blackman is a contributing editor for strategy, marketing, and human resources at HealthLeaders, an HCPro brand.
Photo credit: HOLLYWOOD, FLORIDA, USA - APR 22, 2020: Memorial Regional Hospital complex / Sunshower Shots / Shutterstock.com