Senior Executive Promotions at Memorial Healthcare System Reflect Culture, Leadership, and Diversity
Memorial Healthcare System announced several of its senior leaders have moved into new roles within the organization. These strategic appointments reflect Memorial’s commitment to promoting talent that help facilitate its continuing excellence in the delivery of care while also reflecting the diversity of its workforce and community.
“The development of these leaders is something we take great pride in, knowing they will preserve and elevate a business culture that has been the core of the Memorial experience in South Florida for 70 years,” said K. Scott Wester, CEO of Memorial Healthcare System. “They are advocates for and representatives of the caregivers we employ and communities we serve.”
Executives that have assumed new positions include:
Vedner Guerrier, MBA, LSSBB, has been named executive vice president and chief transformation officer. He had previously been CEO at both Memorial Hospital West and Memorial Hospital Miramar and replaces Nina Beauchesne, who retired after nearly 35 years as a Memorial executive. Guerrier began his journey with the healthcare system as a staff therapist in 2001 and also helped position Memorial Cancer Institute to become one of a select few Cancer Centers of Excellence in Florida during the time he led that service line. “I’m confident Vedner will provide the type of visionary leadership that will guide the system through its next phase of growth and innovation,” said Wester.
Joseph Stuczynski will lead Memorial Hospital West as its CEO, moving from the same position at Memorial Hospital Miramar. Stuczynski also served the system in chief financial officer roles at Memorial Regional Hospital South and Memorial Hospital Pembroke, where he began in 2005. He is the current chair of the South Florida Hospital & Healthcare Association.
Stephen Demers takes over the top executive position at Memorial Hospital Miramar after previously leading Memorial Hospital Pembroke. While at Pembroke, where he began in 2022, he oversaw the growth of the hospital’s bariatric surgery and wound healing programs, as well as the maintenance of the facility’s “A” grade in Leapfrog’s annual hospital safety review.
Felicia Turnley, FACHE, who had been chief operating officer at Memorial Hospital West, is now CEO at Memorial Hospital Pembroke. She first entered the system as a director at Memorial Cancer Institute 22 years ago, prior to spending the last 18 years helping oversee the growth at Memorial West. “I hope to be a role model for staff that can see the path I took and understand that growth and advancement opportunities very definitely exist within our system,” she said.
Melida Akiti becomes Memorial’s first chief community officer. Previously overseeing Memorial Primary Care and leading health-focused initiatives that addressed social determinants of health and removed barriers to ensure equal access to care, Akiti will now work to enhance community health programming, foster meaningful partnerships, and promote health equity, education, and awareness to maximize Memorial’s impact in cities throughout South Florida. She has been a Memorial executive for more than 12 years.
One of South Florida’s largest employers, Memorial was recently certified as a “Great Place To Work” by a global authority on workplace culture, employee experience, and leadership behavior. It was also included on Modern Healthcare magazine’s list of the “2023 Best Places to Work in Healthcare.”
# # # South Florida-based Memorial Healthcare System (www.mhs.net) is a national leader in quality care and patient, physician, and employee satisfaction. Its commitment to deeper caring and smarter health prioritizes a person-centered approach that has delivered safe, positive outcomes for 70 years. Featuring multi-disciplinary collaboration, research, innovation, and transparency within its many facilities, Memorial is focused on removing barriers, increasing access, and providing equitable care throughout the region. It employs a staff of more than 16,000 and operates six hospitals, numerous primary, urgent, and 24/7 care facilities, medical office buildings, a health specialty center, and nursing home. To learn more, visit mhs.net and connect on Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn.