Welcome New Board Members, Tim Cook and Tony Jenkins

Grace Medical Home recently welcomed two new members to their Board of Directors: Tim Cook, senior vice president and chief mission integration officer for AdventHealth and Tony Jenkins, Market President, Central Florida Region, for Florida Blue.

Tim Cook, senior vice president and chief mission integration officer for AdventHealth, has over 30 years of leadership experience in church, community, and health care settings, including 25 years with AdventHealth. Previously, he served as CEO of AdventHealth Altamonte Springs and led the launch of The Hope & Healing Center in 2021 to support those struggling with opioid addiction. His leadership spans multiple AdventHealth facilities, including overseeing the construction of AdventHealth Apopka’s new campus. Before health care, he was a pastor and a United Way executive director. Cook holds a master’s in humanities and religion from Andrews University and a bachelor’s in theology from Pacific Union College. He and his wife, Vivian, live in Longwood, Florida, and enjoy making music with their family.

Tony Jenkins is the Market President for Florida Blue’s Central Florida region, where he provides strategic oversight to drive business growth, enhance brand visibility, and foster employee engagement. With a background in Human Resources and Public Relations at CSX Corporation and 20 years in leadership roles at Walt Disney World, he brings extensive experience in hospitality and corporate management. Tony is deeply involved in the Orlando community, serving on multiple boards, including Grace Medical Home and the UCF College of Medicine Dean’s Advisory Council. Recognized for his leadership, he has received numerous accolades, including the Orlando Business Journal’s CEO of the Year and Diversity in Business Lifetime Achievement Award.

“Tim’s extensive experience in health care, mission integration, and community service will enrich our work and strengthen our commitment to whole-person care, said Grace’s CEO, Stephanie Nelson Garris. “Tony’s exceptional leadership and deep expertise in business strategy, community engagement, and healthcare innovation will be invaluable.  We are honored to have Tim and Tony serve on our board to advance Grace’s mission and expand our impact in Central Florida.”

Hope Renewed: A Morning of Prayer and Praise at Grace

Grace Medical Home recently hosted our annual Patient Worship Service, offering an uplifting time of worship, prayer, and encouragement for our community. The event was a beautiful reminder that Jesus cares for every patient, family, and individual who walks through our doors.

The service opened with a heartfelt prayer from Dr. Sherry Brooks, setting the tone for a morning of reflection and hope. The Grace Worship Team led the congregation in powerful songs, including He Calls Me Friend and I Run to the Father, filling the space with melodies of faith and reassurance.

Pastor Omar Cardona delivered an inspiring message, reminding all in attendance of God’s deep love and care. He also extended an invitation to receive prayer, a moment that many embraced, finding comfort and support from our dedicated prayer team members.

A highlight of the service was patient testimonials led by Dr. Marvin Hardy, offering firsthand stories of perseverance, healing, and the impact of compassionate care. These testimonies deeply resonated with those in attendance, reinforcing Grace’s mission.

The event concluded with words of gratitude and a closing prayer from Kirsten Carter, leaving everyone with a renewed sense of faith and encouragement.

We hope that those in attendance left Grace with more than just a program in their hands; they carried with them the peace and promise that Jesus cares for them and that they are not alone.

Ann-Marie Cools: Flavoring Lives at Grace

Ann-Marie Cools, Grace’s new Community Nutritionist, first learned about the job opening from her sister, Samantha Cools Bermudez, our staff attorney with Medical Legal Partnership. “She spoke so highly of her experience with the Grace team and patients, that I was eager to apply,” recalls Ann-Marie. “It was divine timing as I had just moved back to Orlando.”

 Ann-Marie’s interest in nutrition developed at a young age due to her severe allergies. “I remember how much time and energy it took for my parents to find nutritious foods and therapies that helped alleviate my ailments,” shared Ann-Marie. “Thankfully, I come from a family of great cooks who like to experiment with a variety of ingredients.”

 While studying dietetics and nutrition at Florida International University, she learned there are a multitude of ways to create a balanced lifestyle and that “one size does not fit all.” “I began to appreciate how healthy food choices make a huge impact on people’s lives,” Ann-Marie said.

 “As a nutritionist/dietitian, we’re often labelled as the ‘food police,’” Ann-Marie said. “Many think our food preferences are boiled chicken, carrots and salad - all bland and unappealing. Healthy food doesn’t have to be boring or bland. It’s a great way to experiment with fresh ingredients and different flavors.”

 “What I love most about nutrition is being able to spread messages that inspire people to feel as good as they can through food, and how to achieve that in a sustainable way,” Ann-Marie concluded.

National Grant Generates Important Quality Improvement Initiative

Grace Medical Home has been chosen by the Americares Foundation, Inc. as one of only nine clinic recipients of their Roadmap Addressing Disparities in Health Outcomes quality improvement grant.

“Grace Medical Home continually strives to improve our clinical operations with a proven track record of success,” said Stephanie Garris, Grace’s CEO. “This $30,000 grant will be a driving force to undertake a new quality improvement initiative focusing on Diabetes, particularly poor control of Hemoglobin A1C. While we review this outcome annually, we have never stratified the data to identify racial or ethnic disparities, until now. The data shows that our African American patients face a disparity in controlling or preventing diabetes. This grant will provide the resources and incentives to undertake an initiative to address this disparity.”

Specifically, the data shows that diabetic African Americans have a greater likelihood of having poor diabetes control (an A1C greater than 9%), with 29% of African Americans in this category, compared with 21% poor control of our Hispanic patients and 23% of our white patients. Our clinicians prefer our diabetic patients to be in the 7.0 to 8.9 range, so that is the goal for improvement as we work to eliminate this disparity. Additionally, African-American patients have pre-diabetes at disparately high rates. In a large sample of our adult patients who are not diagnosed with diabetes, 35% had A1c results in the pre-diabetic range. Unfortunately, a higher percentage of African American patients in this sample with 44% in the pre-diabetic range.

 Targeted intervention with our diabetic and prediabetic African American patients will include a multidisciplinary team, led by our staff nutritionist, Ann Marie Cools, who has extensive knowledge in providing nutrition education in culturally-sensitive ways, Dr. Sherry Brooks, Medical Director, Dr. John Sanderson, Assistant Medical Director, Stephanie Garris, Chief Executive Officer, Nirvana Muniz, Director of Behavioral Health, and Sara Sullivan, Data and Evaluations consultant.

Dan The Man Navigates With Grace

Volunteer Navigator, Dan Jeffers, interacts with patients at Grace.

Nearly every Wednesday, following devotion at Grace, shouts of “Dan The Man” echo throughout the Welcome Room. Staff and visitors alike recognize and thank a mainstay at Grace – Volunteer Navigator, Dan Jeffers, affectionately known as “Dan The Man.”

Upon retirement from a 35-year career in medical sales, Dan was looking for a volunteer opportunity to serve others. He learned about Grace from Trustee Rick Fletcher’s daughter, Arden Magee, in October 2019 and he has been volunteering consistently ever since.

Though his official volunteer role is as a Navigator, cheerfully escorting patients to the appropriate area in our facility, he willingly wears many hats. From serving as a “roadie” assisting fellow volunteer, Dr. John Fleming, by setting up Dr. Fleming’s keyboard on days he provides musical accompaniment, to serving as joke translator for Pastor Omar, part-time baby rocker and upstairs coffee maker, he lends a hand wherever and whenever he is needed. “I really enjoy making our patients smile or laugh, especially the little ones,” said Dan.

Dan shared, “This place is such a soothing place. I am amazed at the incredible compassion, respect, and heart that the entire staff show towards our patients. Grace is an incredible community, everyone in the building conveys God’s positive spirit. I have never experienced a kinder, more positive environment than Grace’s.”

If you are here on Wednesday mornings, join in our celebration and appreciation of Dan The Man.