Healthcare association president to retire in December

As president of the largest independent healthcare trade association in the state, Linda Quick has represented the interests of South Florida hospitals, health insurers, medical device makers and even ambulance companies for 21 years — lobbying legislators, hosting educational conferences and brokering cooperative relationships.

In a competitive industry where working together doesn’t always come easy, Quick said, the South Florida Hospital and Healthcare Association, which she has led since since 1994, has perhaps done the most good by being a facilitator.

“We bring to the table people with different experiences and roles in healthcare,” she said. “They’ve been talking with each other about how to work better together for years.”

On Thursday, the SFHHA’s membership — including 50 hospitals and more than 100 other healthcare companies in Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach and Monroe counties — learned that after Dec. 31 they will have to cooperate without Quick’s leadership. She is retiring as the group’s president at the end of the year.

The SFHHA’s board of directors is in the process of finalizing a succession plan, Quick said. She will remain in South Florida, where she expects to consider consulting and governance opportunities in healthcare.

A fierce advocate of the Affordable Care Act, Quick said one of the most rewarding aspects of her job has been seeing more Floridians gain health insurance.

“I've had the opportunity to watch our healthcare system grow in its sophistication, as well as become more and more accessible,” she said.

This story was originally published September 3, 2015 at 7:18 PM with the headline "Healthcare association president to retire in December."