President and CEO Terry Forde, and Community Health Services President Dr. Drew Fink, officially began their tenures at Health First today.
And, on a rainy, overcast, and windy morning courtesy of passing Hurricane Debby, both Health First leaders kicked off Day 1 in much the same fashion as all Health First associates – with new associate orientation and e-Learning modules.
Both Forde and Dr. Fink joined dozens of new Health First associates at the company’s Rivercrest Connections Center for the official welcome program – receiving their employee badges, important information about the organization and benefits, and taking plenty of time to get to know their fellow associates.
Health First in April named Forde new president and CEO. He comes to Brevard County and Health First after serving as president and CEO of Gaithersburg, Maryland-based Adventist HealthCare – one of Maryland’s largest employers.
“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,” said Kent Smith, Health First Board of Trustees’ Chair, during Forde’s announcement. “The Space Coast welcomes Terry and looks forward to his guidance to further Health First’s legacy of providing exceptional quality and compassionate care.”
Announced in June as Health First’s new President for Community Health Services, Dr. Fink brings more than two decades of distinguished health care leadership experience, including the last 18 years in various leadership roles with Clearwater, Florida-based BayCare Health System – a system where he started his career as a practicing internist. BayCare is a leading not-for-profit health care system in the Tampa Bay Region, operating 16 hospitals and more than 160 care locations and 31,000 team members.
“Dr. Fink has dedicated his life and career to providing compassionate care for others as a bedside physician, as well as a steady and proven leader in building a tremendously successful patient-centered organization at BayCare,” said Kent Smith, Health First Board of Trustees’ Chair.
“We are very fortunate to have Dr. Fink join our community, and we look forward to working with him to advance Health First’s mission of providing exceptional care to the Space Coast.”
About Health First
Founded in 1995, Health First is Brevard County’s not-for-profit, community healthcare system. The fully integrated delivery network (IDN) includes health insurance plans, hospitals, a multi-specialty medical group, and outpatient and wellness services. As a locally owned, not-for-profit organization, Health First is committed to investing in our community. In 2022, Health First provided more than $220 million in community support. To learn more about Health First and how we’re giving back to our community, please visit HFgivesback.org.
