By Lois Thomson, South Florida Hospital News, for ACHE of South Florida

Dionne Blackwood, FACHE of Memorial Healthcare System, began her 30-plus-year career in healthcare in IT, moved into finance and more than 20 years in leadership. It wasn’t until she went to Jackson Health System that she found that her passion was not in finance, but in using her experience in finance to provide patients with access to healthcare resources.

As she explained, “I was able to use my experience in finance to enter Jackson Health System and advance my career where I was an administrator for mental health and community services.”

Dionne’s passion is her current position as Vice President, Memorial Primary Care and Ambulatory Services, in which – among other responsibilities – she oversees 15 primary care practices, OBGYN, Podiatry, Sickle Cell Medical Home, and three Urgent Care Centers. She points out, “It’s not just primary care; I’m responsible for the health of the community.” She went on to say, “We are so successful because of our focus on the whole person, not just when we see our patients in the office.” She is very proud of the value-based care program that allows access to all in the South Broward Community. In her spare time, she volunteers as the Vice Chair of the Memorial Financial Credit Union and is a Member of the Broward County Homeless Continuum of Care.

Along with her passion in healthcare, Dionne is proud about being a member of ACHE (American College of Healthcare Executives) South Florida Chapter. She has been a member for more than 20 years, but admitted that when she joined, “It was the only professional, and most prestigious, organization in healthcare. I maintained my membership throughout the years as I knew one day I was going to become a Fellow.”

During her career, she realized that many of her mentors were Fellows in ACHE. Dionne inquired and was able to receive guidance from a colleague through the application process, and she became a Fellow earlier this year.

As Dionne attended ACHE events in working toward her fellowship, she began to realize the benefits of being involved in the organization. “It’s not just networking opportunities, and the great educational and professional development. What’s impressive is the number of CEOs, COOs who attend and are willing to give their time to individuals who want to be mentored and to grow in their career.”

Thanks to an active South Florida ACHE Chapter, Dionne states, “I’ve encouraged others to join and pursue their Fellowship.”