As a locally-owned, not for profit organization, Baptist Health Care (BHC) continues to seek innovative, resourceful ways to maintain a solid foundation of health care services in our community that are accessible to all citizens. To help determine future development of the main campus, Baptist is forming a Campus Redevelopment Council.
The Board of Directors of Baptist Health Care has appointed a Campus Redevelopment Council for the purpose of recommending strategies for the redevelopment of the Baptist Health Care main downtown campus. “The advisory panel consists of persons intimately familiar with the local community and the work of Baptist Health Care,†states Jerry Maygarden, Senior Vice President of Baptist Health Care and council facilitator. “These local community members have experience in urban planning, community redevelopment, transportation and economics as well as knowledge and understanding of our community needs have agreed to serve.†Members include:
• Jerry Maygarden – BHC Foundation staff / former mayor and state legislator
• Marie Young – county commissioner
• Oliver Darden – BHC board member / businessman
• Thaddeus Cohen – Director, Community Development Department
• Ronald Townsend – city councilman
• Irv Williams – Lakeview staff / community leader
• Evon Emerson – president, Pensacola Area Chamber of Commerce
• Marguerita Soule – board member / community leader
• Milton Usry – board member / community leader
To ensure that Baptist Health Care will continue to be a good neighbor serving the needs of the community through providing superior quality health care, the Board of Directors has adopted a set of guiding principles to assist the council with its work:
• The Board of Directors (BOD) of Baptist Health care (BHC) will rely on a community panel of local leaders and technical advisors to make recommendations for redevelopment of the Pensacola campus.
• The BOD is committed to making sustainable improvements to the campus.
• The BOD is committed to maintaining a corporate presence at the North “E†Street location.
• The BOD supports the idea of using the campus redevelopment plan to stimulate neighborhood improvements and job growth.
• The BOD is open to community participation, including joint ventures and partnerships with organizations interested in redeveloping the inner city.
“Baptist Health Care will continue to be a good neighbor serving the needs of this community providing superior quality health care,†states Irvin Williams, PhD, VP of Diversity, Baptist Health Care. “Baptist Health Care’s vision is for the main downtown campus to continue to operate as a thriving, outpatient facility.â€
On June 26, 2008, Baptist Health Care announced an asset purchase agreement with Hospital Corporation of America (HCA) to acquire West Florida Hospital. Once the acquisition is complete, anticipated to be by the end of 2008, residents of Northwest Florida and surrounding areas will have expanded access to more than 60 Baptist Health Care locations.
Learn more about Baptist Health Care and our commitment to the Pensacola community online at www.BHCexpansion.org or call (850) 434-4080. A dedicated web page has been created to provide information and updates.