Gov. Ron DeSantis has appointed new board members to Memorial Healthcare System, the large taxpayer-funded hospital system in South Broward County.
The seven-member board of the South Broward Hospital District has been operating with only five members since April. The two new board members are Violet Lowrey, the retired director of Student and Career Services at Keiser University, and Diana Taub, a consultant who also serves on the State Retirement Commission.
Taub, a retired teacher and administrator with Miami-Dade County Public Schools, describes herself on LinkedIn as a “promoter of conservative values.” She is currently a Broward Republican precinct committeewoman and president of the Southwest Broward Republican Organization. Taub applied to be a commissioner of the South Broward Hospital District when there was an open position in early 2020, but did not receive the appointment at that time.
Like Taub, Shane Strum, CEO of Broward Health and interim CEO of Memorial Healthcare System, has Republican ties and previously served as chief of staff to DeSantis.
Lowrey retired two years ago from Keiser University, where Strum had served many years ago as vice chancellor. Broward Health and Memorial work closely with Keiser on clinical training opportunities for students and the recruitment of healthcare professionals.
DeSantis also reappointed Elizabeth Justen, owner of the Justen Group and a Project Manager of E-Commerce Marketing for BrandsMart USA. She also serves as the executive director of the Broward County Sheriff’s Foundation. Justen is the chair of the Memorial Healthcare System’s board.
Significant changes have been underway with Strum at the helm in recent months at Memorial Healthcare System in staffing, evaluations and programs.
Also, the North Broward Hospital District Board of Commissioners, the governing body of Broward Health, elected its officers last week and swore in its new DeSantis appointee, Jennifer Nicole. Nicole is an attorney with Gunster law. New officers are Paul Tanner, who will serve as chair; Stacy Angier, elected vice chair; and Jonathan Hage who was reappointed as secretary/treasurer.
South Florida Sun Sentinel health reporter Cindy Goodman can be reached at cgoodman@sunsentinel.com or 954-304-5908.