Baptist Medical Center South appoints six new board members

Baptist Medical Center South is welcoming six new members to its board of directors. The new members add a diverse range of skills, knowledge and experience to the board.

“Unlike many health systems, Baptist South has its own local board who play a vital role in setting the strategic direction of our hospital to ensure we are meeting the health care needs of our residents,” said Kyle Dorsey, FACHE, hospital president of Baptist South. “Our new members are entrenched in our community and have a deep understanding of our area. I know they will help us shape our decisions in the best interests of our patients so they get advanced, high-quality care.”

The newly appointed board members begin their terms March 27, 2023, will serve three-year terms.

Allison Bovee, MBA, is a commercial relationship manager and a senior vice president at Synovus Bank. A commercial banker for nearly 20 years, Bovee is passionate about serving locally owned businesses. A current member of the Leadership Jacksonville class of 2023, she is a member of the Circle of Sisters for Rethreaded, and a past board member of the Association for Corporate Growth.

Emily Dawkins is North Florida regional president for Truist Financial Corp. She previously served as a vice president with SunTrust Bank. Dawkins has more than 20 years of banking experience and has served on the boards of the Association of Corporate Growth, Junior League of Jacksonville and The Cathedral School. She has also been involved with the United Way Resource Management Team.

Veronica Lee, MBA, is senior vice president and global head of accounting products for State Street Corp. Lee has more than 20 years of financial services experience and previously served as head of integrated client experience and global head of investment operations product management for FIS.

Hugh Matthews, PE, is chief executive officer for England-Thims & Miller, Inc. A professional engineer in Jacksonville for nearly 40 years, he is a member of the JAX Chamber board of governors, past chairman of the board of Seamark Ranch, a member of Lifeline Children’s Services and Fruit Cove Baptist Church, and serves on the leadership board for the University of Alabama College of Engineering.

Julie Merten, PhD, is an associate professor of Public Health at the University of North Florida and director for the interdisciplinary health studies program in the Brooks College of Health. She is also editor-in-chief for the Florida Public Health Review Journal. Her research involves behavioral cancer prevention, specifically in the areas of skin cancer and tobacco control.

Jeremy Wood, MD, is chief of emergency medicine for Emergency Resource Group. Dr. Wood is a board-certified emergency medicine physician and has been the medical director of Baptist South’s Emergency Department for the past eight years. He has served as secretary of Baptist South’s Medical Staff, followed by chief of staff elect, then chief of staff in 2020-2021. Dr. Wood has been with Emergency Resources Group for 16 years which he joined after completing his residency program with Michigan State University. He serves on the leadership team of Emergency Resources Group.