Baptist Health South Florida announced today an expansion of its physician leadership team with the appointments of Bernie Fernandez, M.D., as the new Chief Executive Officer of the Baptist Health Medical Group, and Jack A. Ziffer, Ph.D., M.D., to Executive Vice President and Chief Medical and Clinical Transformation Officer for Baptist Health South Florida.

Dr. Fernandez, who was most recently president of Cleveland Clinic Florida, will lead Baptist Health Medical Group, a network of more than 140 employed physicians in numerous locations. In a newly established role at Baptist Health, Dr. Ziffer will define the strategy and vision for the overall expansion of physician enterprise initiatives and represent physician interests at the highest levels of the organization.

“Through the combined and visionary leadership of these esteemed physician executives, Baptist Health will be able to enhance physician collaboration and integration,” said Brian E. Keeley, President and Chief Executive Officer of Baptist Health South Florida. “With doctors and hospitals working more closely together, the power of partnership means better care for our patients and the entire community. This will also allow Baptist Health to maintain a high level of clinical performance under healthcare reform.”

Dr. Fernandez, an internist who specializes in vascular medicine, oversaw Cleveland Clinic Florida’s 200 physicians, 2,000 employees and multiple locations throughout the region.

Dr. Ziffer is an internationally recognized expert in cardiac radiology and nuclear medicine and the inaugural CEO of Baptist Health Medical Group.

In 2013, Dr. Fernandez was appointed to the Florida Board of Medicine by Governor Rick Scott, and currently serves as vice chairman. He also serves on the faculty of Florida International University’s Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine and Florida Atlantic University’s Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine. Active in the South Florida community, Dr. Fernandez is a member of the Sun Sentinel’s South Florida 100 and Broward Workshop.  He serves on numerous boards, including the Community Foundation of Broward, the Orange Bowl Committee and the World Presidents’ Organization.

“We are pleased to welcome Dr. Fernandez to our team. His wealth of experience in physician leadership will continue to evolve Baptist Health Medical Group and its focus on providing high-quality patient care in an integrated delivery system,” said Dr. Ziffer, who will also oversee Baptist Health Quality Network, the clinically integrated network for the health system.

A luminary physician in the field of cardiac imaging, Dr. Ziffer is a founding member and past president of the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography and past vice president of the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology. He has also held numerous national leadership roles, including on the Cardiovascular Council of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and the American Board of Nuclear Medicine. In addition, he is a clinical professor of radiology at FIU’s Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine.

“Under Dr. Ziffer’s leadership, the Baptist Health Medical Group grew to encompass more than 140 specialists and primary care physicians, 600 employees and 29 locations,” said Wayne Brackin, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Baptist Health South Florida. “We’re fortunate to have Dr. Ziffer carry us into the next phase of our physician enterprise, and we welcome Dr. Fernandez’s expertise as we continue to adapt to the many changes and challenges in our industry.”

About Baptist Health South Florida
Baptist Health is the largest healthcare organization in the region, with seven hospitals (Baptist Hospital, Baptist Children’s Hospital, Doctors Hospital, Homestead Hospital, Mariners Hospital, South Miami Hospital and West Kendall Baptist Hospital) and more than 30 outpatient and urgent care facilities spanning three counties. The not-for-profit, faith-based Baptist Health has more than 15,000 employees and 2,200 affiliated physicians, and also includes Baptist Health Medical Group, Baptist Outpatient Services and internationally renowned centers of excellence. Baptist Health Foundation, the organization’s fundraising arm, supports services at all hospitals and facilities. Baptist Health was just listed by Fortune magazine as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in America (#19 in the nation and #1 in Florida) and has remained on the list for 14 years. It was also recognized as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies for the third year in a row by the Ethisphere Institute. Visit BaptistHealth.net.