When I walk in to Plantation General Hospital each day, I am so proud of what I see. All around me, there are dedicated health professionals who are so committed to patient care. Protecting your health is important to all of us, and I can see that every day—from the volunteers to the nurses to the technologists and physicians. Everyone makes the patient the number-one priority.

My journey to becoming CEO started a long time ago. In fact, I remember deciding at the ripe old age of six that I wanted to be a nurse and help people. I followed that career path and joined Plantation General as an R.N. in 1975. While I enjoyed every moment of my hands-on patient care experiences, I am honored to now serve our patients as an administrator. Having big-picture challenges makes every day unique.

I like to think of Plantation General as three hospitals in one.

• We have an award-winning pediatrics unit with a dedicated emergency department, a total of 16 pediatric intensive care beds, a general inpatient pediatric unit, an award-winning Level III neonatal intensive care unit recognized by the Joint Commission, as well as surgical (inpatient/outpatient) and diagnostic services.
• Our women’s health department offers emergency services, labor and delivery, a high-risk unit, as well as postpartum and gynecological care. Numerous education programs and an outstanding lactation service are also available.
• In addition, we offer adults a wide range of services, including critical care, telemetry and medical surgical units, as well as diagnostic imaging, surgery (inpatient/outpatient), emergency care, stroke care, and physical therapy.

This hospital is a busy place. Last year, we had 54,000 total patient contacts. Of those, 10,000 were admitted to the hospital. The ER saw more than 43,000 patients, and we helped bring more than 3,000 babies into the world.

Above and beyond our medical expertise, our staff offers something special to all our patients: the delivery of quality care to our community. Over the past two years, we have developed a new mission statement “Quality Driven—Customer Focused.” We know that every patient is a person with individual needs and concerns. We work every day to meet those needs and the needs of our patients’ families.

Our commitment to Central Broward County also takes place outside the hospital walls. Other staff members and I are active in the local chambers of commerce, schools, homeowners’ associations, and assisted-living facilities, as well as the United Way and the March of Dimes. We know that really serving our patients means knowing the neighborhoods and the people who live in them.

If you want to learn more about Plantation General Hospital, please visit our website. And if you have medical questions or need a doctor referral, call Consult-A-Nurse® at 1-866-442-2362. We’re here to help keep you healthy.

—Barbara J. Simmons, R.N.

Chief Executive Officer

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