Board Members Elected

The South Broward Hospital District Board of Commissioners, that oversees all actions of Memorial Healthcare System, elected its officers at the July board meeting.

 Laura Raybin Miller was elected Chairperson, Doug Harrison was elected Vice Chairman and Karen Harrington was elected Secretary/Treasurer. The board members serving alongside the officers are Jose Basulto, Hobel Florido, Vic Narang, and newly appointed board member Frank Ledee.

'I am honored to be elected Chairperson of the South Broward Hospital District by my Board colleagues,' said Chairperson Miller, 'and look forward to continuing my service to our community in this role. Given the challenges arising from new legislation, the ongoing evolution of healthcare delivery and the current transformation from traditional healthcare to population health, I am confident that together with the rest of our board, our management team and staff, we will continue to provide excellent service and outcomes for those we serve.'

Laura Raybin Millerwas appointed to the South Broward Hospital District Board of Commissioners by Governor Jeb Bush in August of 2000. She was subsequently reappointed by Governor Bush in July of 2005 for a second four-year term. Ms. Miller was re-appointed by Governor Charlie Crist, for a third term on the board of the South Broward Hospital District (Memorial Healthcare System). November 1, 2013, Governor Rick Scott announced the reappointment of Ms. Miller to the board of Commissioners of South Broward Hospital district and is currently serving in her fourth term as Commissioner on the board for a cumulative 16 years.

In 2001, she was appointed by President George W. Bush to the United States Commission for the Preservation of America's Heritage Abroad. In June of 2005, Chief Financial Officer Tom Gallagher appointed Ms. Miller as Commissioner to Healthy Kids in Tallahassee, a Board that provides healthcare to more than 200,000 children throughout Florida. She is a dedicated mentor with Women of Tomorrow, a local organization designed to inspire, motivate and empower at-risk young women to live up to their full potential through a unique mentoring program with highly accomplished professional women and scholarship opportunities.

Ms. Miller has been instrumental in raising public awareness for breast cancer, as well as actively involved with the growth of the Memorial Cancer Institute. In her capacity as Commissioner of the District, she spearheaded a Teen Violence Summit, bringing together non-profit, faith-based and governmental leaders and agency heads to raise awareness of the rising incidents of teen violence in Broward County and connect families and teens with resources and programs to help reverse this trend of teen-on-teen violence. Ms. Miller is the proud mother of Adam Raybin, a local fireman / paramedic, who serves with the Broward Sheriff's Fire Rescue.

Noted newly elected Vice Chairman Doug Harrison, “It is an honor to serve as a member of the South Broward Hospital District where I have been given the opportunity for the last three and half years to make a positive impact in this community. I am excited to be a part of this fine healthcare system at a time when great innovations and quality patient care continues to be the focus of all strategic planning. I look forward to continued success and collaborative work with the administration and staff of Memorial Healthcare System. Furthermore, I thank Governor Rick Scott for appointing me to this position of leadership.”

Douglas A. Harrison is an Assistant City Attorney for the City of Miami and is a former adjunct professor at Broward College. He joined the Office of the City Attorney in March 2015, after serving as Senior Litigation Counsel for the City of Hollywood. Mr. Harrison is an Assistant City Attorney in the General Litigation Division, handling litigation in State and Federal Courts in the areas of Government, Commercial, Civil Rights, and Negligence. Prior to practicing in the municipal arena, he was in private practice handling both civil and criminal cases in State and Federal courts.

Mr. Harrison also served as an Assistant State Attorney for the Miami-Dade County State Attorney's Office as a member of the Career Criminal/Robbery Unit and the Environmental Crimes Unit. He was Policy Director Editor of the Journal of Law and Public Policy at the University of Florida College of Law. Mr. Harrison is a member of several professional organizations, including the Broward County Bar Association and the Miramar Pembroke Pines Regional Chamber of Commerce. He received his Bachelor and Law Degrees from the University of Florida.

'It is an honor to serve in an organization that does so much good for so many in our community,' said Karen Harrington, who was appointed to the South Broward Hospital District Board of Commissioners in 2015. She has been President of Rickey's Restaurant since January 1983.

From November 2009 - 2012, Ms. Harrington was Republican candidate for U.S. Congress, District 23. Her current community service includes Welcome Home Warriors, the Alzheimer's Foundation and the Airport Advisory Board for Dania Beach. Ms. Harrington is dedicated to helping women who are pregnant and are in need of medical support through Respect for Life. Among her goals is to support the expansion of the Memorial Neuroscience Institute Epilepsy Program. Ms. Harrington attended Broward College to pursue Hotel and Restaurant Management.

Also attending the meeting was Frank Ledee, the newest member of the South Broward Hospital District Board of Commissioners, who was recently appointed by Governor Rick Scott. Ledee, of Hollywood, has been employed by Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle as Assistant State Attorney for more than 21 years.

As the Division Chief for the Gang Unit of the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office, Mr. Ledee supervises the investigation and prosecution of some of the most violent offenders in the State of Florida. In addition, he oversees the State Attorney's Multi-Agency Gang Strike Force and the State Attorney's newly created Gun Violence Unit.

Mr. Ledee also serves as liaison to numerous State and Federal law enforcement agencies, providing legal and investigative support in several areas including emergency preparedness, airport security, and use of force investigations. He received his Bachelor and MBA Degrees from Barry University and his Law Degree from Nova Southeastern University. Mr Ledee succeeds L. Kenneth Barnett and is appointed for a term beginning July 22, 2016, and ending June 30, 2020.