104_Enhancing Early Childhood Brain Development at HCA Florida Palms West Hospital

On this episode of The Healthcare Plus Podcast, Quint Studer is joined by Dr. Stephanie Montgomery, Partner, Build a Brain, Build a Life, Build A Community, Dr. Alexander Gumiroff, Chief Medical Officer, HCA Florida Palms West Hospital, and Jason Kimbrell, CEO, HCA Florida Palms West Hospital. 

Their conversation highlights the transformative “Build a Brain, Build a Life, Build a Community” initiative, which aims to enhance early childhood brain development, and showcases the implementation of the program at HCA Florida Palms West Hospital. 

Quint shares about the initial research conducted in Escambia County that led to the founding of the program and the difference it has made for parents, children, and communities across the country. 

Dr. Gumiroff and Jason Kimbrell also examine the program’s broader implications for addressing health inequities and encouraging community engagement through activities like book donations and the education of childcare workers. They underscore the importance of ongoing leadership and authentic community involvement in sustaining this initiative, ultimately aiming to improve future health outcomes and kindergarten readiness

About Alexander Gumiroff, MD, MBA, MHA, FACOG

Dr. Alex Gumiroff has been appointed Chief Medical Officer of HCA Florida Palms West Hospital, effective May 15, 2023. 

After finishing his residency training at New York Presbyterian/Cornell University Lower Manhattan Hospital, Dr. Gumiroff relocated to Florida and has been a practicing OB-GYN for a Federally Qualified Health Center in Fort Myers, caring for the underserved population. 

During that time, he also supervised the training of Medical, Physician Assistant and Nurse Practitioner students in both outpatient and inpatient settings.

About Jason Kimbrell

Jason Kimbrell was appointed chief executive officer of HCA Florida Palms West Hospital in June of 2021. 

Prior to Palms West, Kimbrell was the chief executive officer for Highlands Hospital and transitioned the newly acquired asset into the HCA healthcare portfolio. Kimbrell has been with HCA Healthcare since 2015. He is a graduate of HCA’s Executive Development Program and started his HCA career as the assistant administrator for HCA Florida West Hospital in Pensacola. 

Kimbrell is a veteran of the United States Air Force and began his career in healthcare in the public safety sector, serving as a firefighter, critical care flight paramedic and EMS Chief.  

About Stephanie Montgomery, Ed.D.

Stephanie is a native Georgian with over 24 years of experience in education and community partnerships. Stephanie has served Northwest Georgia as a School Improvement Specialist in literacy and academic achievement. She has worked as an ELA Specialist and liaison to help strengthen relationships between state and local school systems. Through this work, she has developed a unique lens for identifying issues related to readiness skills and achievement gaps. She is skilled at working with teams to bridge the gap between knowledge and research, helping put policy into practice. Stephanie has also served as a classroom teacher, district-level curriculum coordinator, and grant writer.