Board touts turnaround

Broward Health hiring executives

The leaders of Broward Health took steps Tuesday to fill depleted senior executive ranks and insisted that recent news of staff resignations, a reduced credit rating and other negative developments did not paint a true picture of the public hospital system’s operations.

“I read a lot of garbage out there, and I’m undaunted,” said Rocky Rodriguez, chairman of the board. “It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t hurt anymore. We’re in the right direction, and we’ll get this place in the right direction. And I don’t care who likes me, I don’t care who doesn’t like me, but I’ll tell you the truth, I didn’t come here to be in a popularity contest.”

The four-member board of Broward Health named Alan Goldsmith as chief financial officer and Gino Santorio as chief operating officer. Both had previously worked at Jackson North Medical Center in North Miami Beach. Broward Health refused to release their salaries, saying a formal public records request would need to be filed.

Since May, Broward Health has lost several senior executives, including its interim chief executive officer, two senior vice presidents, and the interim CEO of Broward Health Medical Center of Fort Lauderdale.

One of the executives, senior vice president Doris Peek, resigned in the wake of a scathing outside report on her handling of a marketing contract. She was given severance of $214,008, provided she didn’t sue or disparage Broward Health.

At the board meeting, Dr. Louis Yogel, chief of staff of