Shane Strum brings a range of healthcare experience and now finds himself in a unique position: serving as the CEO of one health system while also acting as the interim CEO of another.
Mr. Strum became interim CEO of Hollywood, Fla.-based Memorial Healthcare System in September while remaining president and CEO of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based Broward Health.
The North and South Broward Hospital Districts Boards of Commissioners, doing business as Broward Health and Memorial Healthcare System, respectively, voted to appoint Mr. Strum as interim CEO following the decision by Memorial's governing board to terminate K. Scott Wester's contract, leading to his resignation. Mr. Wester had led Memorial since 2022.
"It happened quickly for all of us," Mr. Strum told Becker's. "I had a lot of experience working with Memorial. I was there for many years as a senior vice president. I was also on their board, a two-time chairman. They have a really well-run, well-oiled machine. They are kind of the gold standard here in our county, so I'm extremely familiar with the organization, and I was kind of flattered to be asked to do the interim in their time of need."
Broward Health and Memorial Healthcare System are nonprofit public health systems in Broward County, and Mr. Strum sees his dual leadership role as an opportunity to forge a new path for both organizations, which share the same mission.
"This is a unique, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the two to work together, really for more collaboration, more partnerships. And since we share the same mission as safety nets — regardless of one's ability to pay, we're going to take care of you — this gives us an ability to go out more throughout the entire community and really do a better job on that front," Mr. Strum said.
Moving forward, he plans to work with board members and leaders on a 100-day plan for Memorial, as he did when he joined Broward.
He said he also plans to reevaluate the organization, the positions, and then identify the most critical priorities.
"The board will help us harmonize and put all that together and then lead us as we move forward," Mr. Strum said. "I do know that the desire and wishes of the Memorial Healthcare System's board is for us to move quickly and to continue to be the leader that they've always been in the community."
Specifically, he sees primary care as an area for potential collaboration between the two systems.
"Our first thought was that we would be able to work together, combining the groups to really get back out and go into the community," Mr. Strum said. "We have many primary care centers across the county, but we can more strategically target the areas that are underserved."
He also noted Broward's work in offering free health screenings and community health fairs, saying that with Memorial, the two systems can take a more strategic approach to reach communities in the entire county.
"The boards really have shared with me that they believe it's a dynamic time for healthcare across our entire county," Mr. Strum said. "Broward [County] has about 2 million residents, so we really put the well-being of the residents first. … I think we can enhance how patients seek and receive care throughout South Florida and really just focus on some great things that could continue to happen through collaboration."