Bob Dahl, Chief Executive Officer, Broward Health Imperial Point

May 2026 — Invest: spoke with Bob Dahl, chief executive officer of Broward Health Imperial Point, about the hospital’s approach to access, technology, and systemwide coordination in Broward County. “As care continues to shift from volume-based to value-based, our outcomes have to be superior,” Dahl said.

What changes over the past year have most impacted Broward Health Imperial Point, and how have they shifted your approach to operations and patient care?

At Broward Health Imperial Point, we have the unique privilege of serving very diverse patient populations as both a boutique hospital and safety-net public entity. We differ from other hospitals as a safety-net that cares for all patients regardless of their ability to pay. I take that responsibility very seriously.

In addition to our emergency room, which sees about 35,000 visits a year, we are focused on the full care continuum. We do a tremendous job in orthopedics, wound care, behavioral health, surgical care, and cardiovascular care. We constantly assess what we can do operationally to enhance services across the entire spectrum from both an outpatient and inpatient perspective. We also have invested in many emerging technologies, particularly in the robotics space.

We were the first in Broward County to have the Stryker Mako 4 robot for total hip and knee replacements. We also have two da Vinci robots for minimally invasive surgery. In addition, thanks to a $5 million donation from a generous donor, last year we were able to integrate the latest CT and imaging suite that has proven particularly beneficial for cardiovascular services.

What are some of the most significant trends shaping healthcare today, and how is Broward Health Imperial Point adapting?

Nationally, all hospitals are looking at margin performance. Without money, there is no mission, and as a safety-net we invest about half a billion in charitable and uncompensated care annually to those who are under or uninsured. Despite rising costs and increased community need, it is incumbent upon us to find ways to make the numbers work, because lives depend on our financial resilience.

We are focused on controlling what we can control, such as revenue cycle, documentation, and responding promptly to payer inquiries. As care continues to shift from volume-based to value-based care, our outcomes have to be superior. All the conversations I have with my executive team, within the hospital and across the system, are focused on safety and quality first. We want to be the best we can and ensure patients are safe while they are in our care.

We also want to meet patients where they are. Healthcare is no longer just a brick-and-mortar strategy. We are expanding services closer to home and bringing care to patients through our mobile health services. We are educating patients to ensure they know what care is available and how to access it.

How is demand for healthcare services evolving in Broward County, and what are some of the biggest needs you are seeing?

With over two million residents, Broward County is one of the largest counties in the United States. Broward Health is responsible for caring for the northern two thirds of the county. We are also working with Memorial Healthcare System on the Better Together initiative to ensure no care gaps remain despite our independent best efforts. Part of that is to look at the county in totality and determine what we can do to improve care using the resources we have, including joining forces to offer primary and maternal health services to our community members, regardless of their ability to pay. We think we can do that more advantageously together versus separately.

I also see drivers of health, such as housing, shelter, food, and employment, that continue to influence health disparities. We are working on all of those collectively within the county and the state to identify ways we can empower people to take control of their lives and become self-sustaining. It takes a village. It is not just one hospital or one county.

Another factor in South Florida is the transient population, including people from cruise ships and snowbirds. From our international program to services calibrated for seniors, we deliver the care they expect from their home health systems, and often surpass expectations due to the level of care we provide.

How are you using technology to improve care and operations?

One significant investment that helps us do that is Broward Health’s move to a systemwide electronic health record platform — Epic. The Epic integration was a significant investment and a huge lift for the organization on both the inpatient and ambulatory sides, but it allows us to see patient records not only across Broward Health but also at all organizations on the Epic platform. This creates higher quality, better knowledge of a patient’s condition, and enhanced communication with other care providers. 

We have also built a digitized platform for patient integration and engagement through Epic’s MyChart. Patients increasingly expect to manage more of their care on their phones. Through MyChart and Epic, they can schedule screening tests, appointments, and access results as soon as they become available. That level of access is becoming an important part of the patient experience.

We are also looking at how to continue evolving our use of AI, which can assist with everything from radiology screening to identifying findings that may not have been discovered initially. The next generation is what I refer to as agentic AI. It is not just about screening or identifying conditions. It creates workflows so upon a potential positive result, the next steps happen automatically, including patient scheduling and communication. 

What are some key priorities for Broward Health as a system?

A major priority is expanding access beyond the hospital itself. Through our Stay Healthy Together initiative with Broward HealthPoint, we are bringing mobile health services directly into underserved communities such as Lauderdale Lakes and Lauderhill. That gives residents convenient access to primary and preventive care in their neighborhoods.

We are also focused on partnerships. We have recently partnered with Nicklaus Children’s Health System, and we are excited about the expansion of pediatric specialty care to Broward County.

Another important investment is freestanding emergency rooms. We have three coming online in Sunrise, Lighthouse Point, and Fort Lauderdale. The goal is to bring hospital-level emergency care closer to where residents live and work, improve patient experience, reduce wait times, and make access easier.

We are also focused on accountability, data-driven decision-making, and building pipelines through schools and training programs. Our new 28,250 square-foot Graduate Medical Education hub at Broward Health Medical Center supports the next generation, with a similar hub at Broward Health North. Training future physician leaders is critical to the long-term strength of the district and the care we deliver across Broward County.

The common thread for all these ventures is creating greater access for our patients. Through strategic growth and thoughtful investment, we are creating more convenient locations, designing more integrated care delivery models, and training student physicians — all to ensure residents of Broward County have the care they need today and well into the future.

Looking ahead, how are you positioning the hospital for the future?

Not every hospital can do everything anymore, so more organizations have gone to a rational regionalization of services. Within Broward Health, that means concentrating certain high-acuity procedures at the sites best equipped to perform them while still doing pre- and post-care at the referring hospitals. That improves outcomes and helps us be good stewards of our resources.

Collaboration is key. Broward Health is looking at partnerships with other organizations that can help improve care for our patients without reinventing the wheel. If there is already a strong partner in the community, we want to see how we can work together to create that alignment.

We are very proud of what we have accomplished so far with Memorial, Nicklaus Children’s Health, and others, but we are not going to rest. Collaboration across health systems, academic partners, and community organizations remains important.

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