Villagers have been asking a lot of questions and issuing sharp complaints about The Villages Regional Hospital lately, many through Letters to the Editor and an Opinion piece sent to Villages-News.com.
Those letters, many of which detail specific issues with the facility, prompted the hospital’s parent company, Central Florida Health, to release data last week that is said to reflect improvements in patient care, though one Villager has since sharply disagreed with that assessment.
While the majority of correspondence has centered around care issues, some have asked about the volunteers who serve on the CFH board, which also includes Leesburg Regional Medical Center.
To date, there are 16 board members – three are Villages residents and three others have close ties to the community – who serve both hospitals. They include:
Gregory R. Lewis, chairperson
Lewis, a senior vice president with United Southern Bank, took over for Villager Don Hahnfeldt after he served as the board’s chair. Prior to taking the top leadership role, Lewis held the position of vice chair.
Roger A. Beyers, vice chairperson
Beyers is the third-generation owner of Beyers Funeral Home and Crematory, which has locations in Leesburg, Umatilla, The Villages/Lady Lake, Astor and Purcell Chapel in Bushnell. In 2014, Beyers purchased the Orange Blossom Opry in Weirsdale. He has served with the Leesburg Kiwanis Club, Cornerstone Hospice board, the hospital tax district board in Lake County, and on the board of directors for the Leesburg Chamber of Commerce.
Diane B. Spencer, secretary
The longtime Villager is a former chairman of Community Development District 9 and was once a CDD 9 alternate representative on the Project Wide Advisory Committee. Spencer lives in a Designer home in the Village of Fernandina.
Lindsey M. Blaise, treasurer
Blaise is the daughter of Villages owner Tracy Mathews, who oversees the design division for the growing retirement community, and the granddaughter of late Villages Developer Gary Morse. She is the president of Villages-owned Citizens First Bank, where she’s also served as executive vice president, management associate and intern.
Dr. Dwaraknadh Banala
Banala is an internal medicine specialist in Leesburg who has been practicing for more than 30 years. He is affiliated with Leesburg Regional Medical Center Physician Services and Florida Internal Medicine.
Dr. Shahbaz A. Cheema, MD
Cheema is a specialist in internal medicine with an office in Summerfield. He is affiliated with The Villages Regional Hospital, Leesburg Regional Medical Center and Citrus Memorial Hospital.
Russell J. D’Emidio
D’Emidio is a longtime member of The Villages Homeowners Advocates (VHA) and a former Community Development District 6 supervisor. He owns a Designer home in the Village of Virginia Trace.
Dr. Shivakumar S. Hanubal
Hanubal is an obstetrics & gynecology specialist in Leesburg who also has an office in Lady Lake. He completed a residency at Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center and is affiliated with The Villages Regional Hospital and Leesburg Regional Medical Center.
Dr. George E. Kainz
Kainz is a diagnostic radiology specialist in The Villages with more than 25 years of diverse experience. He is affiliated with many hospitals, including The Villages Regional Hospital and Leesburg Regional Medical Center.
George F. “Mackie” McCabe
McCabe, of Fruitland Park, is the director of hospitality for The Villages. He’s a longtime restaurateur who has a track record of overseeing Villages-owned eateries until the parent company decides to sell them. McCabe once served as a Community Development District 11 supervisor and in 2014 was chairman of the Fruitland Park Charter Review Committee. He also is the owner of Cane Gardens Country Club. McCabe’s son, Ryan, is married to Paige Boone, daughter of Villages owner Jennifer Parr, who oversees home sales for the community. Boone is in charge of polo in the mega-retirement community and Ryan McCabe works as a marketing director for Parr in the sales division.
H. Marlene O’Toole
O’Toole served as a member of the Florida House of Representatives representing the 33rd District, which included northern Lake County, Sumter County and southern Marion County. She lost to fellow Republican Dennis Baxley in the GOP Primary in August 2016 in her bid to become a state senator. O’Toole is a former account management and marketing executive with IBM Corporation who also has served as a project manager and special assistant to the president of Take Stock in Children. In March, the Village of Del Mar resident took on the role of piloting the Center for Innovation and Outreach at Beacon College in Leesburg.
Dr. David L. Sustarsic
Sustarsic is a general surgery specialist in The Villages and Leesburg who is affiliated with many hospitals, including The Villages Regional Hospital and Leesburg Regional Medical Center. He was the chairman of the former Central Florida Alliance Health board that selected current CFH president and CEO Don Henderson in 2012.
Terry R. Upton
Upton is a longtime board member who served as The Villages Regional Hospital’s first CEO, a post he held from July 2002 to August 2003. Upton also served as CEO of Ocala Regional Medical Center until he was hired in November 1997 to lead the development of The Villages Regional Hospital. After his stint as CEO of the Villages hospital, he continued to work in a variety of healthcare-related posts, including recruiting physicians to The Villages market.
Amanda J. Wettstein
Wettstein is a public and government relations consultant. She has served as the director of strategic alliances for TH@T! Company, as a co-owner of Baker Wettstein PR Inc. and as a regional director for General Dynamics Information Technology. She also has appeared on locally generated television shows on the Lake Front TV cable channel.
Robert Q. Williams, Esq.
Williams is an attorney who practices in real estate, civil litigation and municipal and government law. He is a member of the Lake County Bar Association, The Florida Bar and the Lake-Sumter Chapter of the American Inns of Court.
Lynne S. Winker
Winker is a vice president and chief marketing officer for United Southern Bank, where she has been employed for more than 30 years. She is a lifelong resident of Leesburg and is an emeritus board member of the Leesburg Regional Medical Center Foundation.
