South Florida Sun-Sentinel Palm Beach (Sunday)
Goldsmith makes a difference in hospital’s operations
Alan Goldsmith never imagined he’d be in the healthcare industry. After graduating from the University of Central Florida with a degree in hospitality management, he found himself waiting tables at a local restaurant. Then came the day that changed his life.
A friend told him about an open position for a human resources assistant at St. Mary’s Medical Center in West Palm Beach. The position required customer service and hospitality management skills, so he applied and ultimately got the job — as well as much more.
“The person I was replacing was going to the accounting department,” Goldsmith said. “She interviewed me for the job, and then we became friendly and started dating. So, I got a career and a wife, all in one day. It was one of those good days in my life.”
Goldsmith describes his career as being the stereotypical “mailroom scenario,” in which he moved up through the ranks after starting out as just an assistant. He ultimately returned to school and earned an MBA from Nova Southeastern University, sat for the CPA exam and then worked his way up the career path, but from the finance side.
Today, Goldsmith serves as executive vice president and chief administrative officer of Broward Health, where he’s recognized as a strategic decision-maker and visionary leader.
For his significant contributions to the healthcare system and implementation of both operational improvements and financial efficiencies, as well as his community involvement, Goldsmith has been named winner of the South Florida Sun Sentinel’s Next Excalibur Award as a Business Leader in Broward County. The award recognizes the next generation of leaders who will contribute to the growth and sustainability of business and civic life in Palm Beach and Broward counties.
“Alan is one of the hardest-working individuals I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with,” said Gino Sa, former president and chief executive officer of Broward Health. “He’s extraordinarily strategic and the type of person who keeps me on my toes.”
Goldsmith’s leadership and financial acumen are particularly valuable today, when Broward Health is facing unprecedented challenges due to the coronavirus pandemic. “COVID is not going to be great for our finances,” he said. “Forty percent of our revenues come from elective surgeries, which the governor reduced earlier in the year, so there will definitely be a reduction in our revenue year-over-year.” Broward Health posted $1 billion in revenue in fiscal 2019.
In 2018, Goldsmith streamlined hospital system operations and reduced expenses by $33 million. He helped lead the successful implementation of a TeleTracking system to optimize patient operations and help improve patient flow in the system’s emergency rooms.
“Bringing that on across the organization was very challenging to do, but Alan did it on an accelerated timeline,” said Santorio, now CEO of Mount Sinai Medical Center of Greater Miami. “He’s the type of person who would wake up at 3 a.m. because his kid woke up, and he’d make about a dozen phone calls to different units to ensure that we were going to make it work.”
Goldsmith is committed to giving back to the community and serves on the board of directors of both the Children’s Diagnostic & Treatment Center and Junior Achievement. In 2019, he chaired Step Out Walk to Stop Diabetes, the signature fundraising event of the American Diabetes Association, which raised over $530,000. He also created and launched Vaccinate Broward, a multi-system initiative to ensure that children and adolescents were vaccinated prior to the start of the 2019 school year.
Goldsmith is just as committed to his family as he is to his career. “When I’m not working, I spend every second of the day with my six-year-old, four-year-old and my wife,” he said. The family enjoys sports and the beach.
Gold smith’ s analytical approach to solving problems has been evident his entire life. “Alan has a keen business sense,” said David Kaye, an attorney in New York City who is a lifelong friend. “He also has street smarts — he’s able to talk to someone and connect on a personal level by maintaining professionalism and understanding the best way everyone can succeed. It’s not really competitive, it’s collaborative.”
Kaye recalls studying together with Goldsmith when the two were in grade school. “We studied really hard for a geometry test, and I ended up with a Band he got a D ,” he said .“And every time he graduated with another degree or got a promotion, I would think that you never would have thought that the guy who got a Din geometry would be where he is today— running a hospital.”
“He’s the type of person who would wake up at 3 a.m. because his kid woke up, and he’d make about a dozen phone calls to different units to ensure that we were going to make it work.”