After the acquisition of Palm Springs General Hospital in February 2016, longtime Miami Lakes resident Iris Berges assumed the role of CEO at the new Larkin Palm Springs Campus, the same location where she first began her career.
As a junior in St. Brendan High School, Berges tried her hand at a pharmaceutical job at the former Palm Springs General Hospital and though she learned pharmacy work wasn’t for her, it was her first step into the health and medical field. She has since worked in the field, following earning a bachelor’s degree in Dietetics and Nutrition from Florida International University and later a master’s degree in Business Administration at Nova Southeastern University.
“I always knew I wanted to be in a leadership role,” said Berges. “After working at the hospital while in high school I learned that it was preventative care that really interested me.
Berges learned the intricacies of hospital administration from her years of experience in Larkin while moving up the ranks, first as a Food and Nutrition Director, then a Director of Risk Management and Compliance Officer. She eventually earned her spot as Vice President of Compliance and Support in 2012 and was promoted to CEO of Larkin’s Behavioral Health Services location. The transition into CEO at the Palm Springs campus was a natural one and she has big plans for the 247-bed, 15-acre campus.
“I want to change the culture of the hospital,” she said. “I don’t want to hear ‘the cafeteria has great food’ I want to hear the hospital has great care. I want this to be the first choice location for patients.”
Berges is in the middle of affecting that culture by continuing to add programs, especially programs that fit with the demographics of the patients, like neurosurgery, vascular surgery, opthalmology, allergy and immunology, and more. Berges has also added staff, especially in the emergency room and triage, so there are fewer transfers to get patients the care they require.
The 23-bed emergency room offers zero wait time. Larkin has also added a medical office building to house primary care physicians and specialists such as dermatologists, internists, and more.
The Palm Springs Campus is already a teaching hospital, as are all Larkin hospitals.
“We are proving ourselves,” said Berges. “We are bringing awareness and events for the city of Hialeah and others so patients know that we are here and ready to help.”
As part of her campaign to improve quality, culture and reputation and the Larkin Palm Springs Campus, Berges and her staff are leading intermittent health fairs, free and open to the community. The last health fair, held in June 2017, had local residents stopping by to get their blood pressure checked at one of the many health check stations set up. She is also pushing initiatives to improve bedside manner, adhering to new regulations, standardized practices, and more.
Larkin’s South Miami Campus has maintained an A grade for several years from Leapfrog, an independent company that evaluates hospitals on various criteria.
Berges credits the combined help of her staff for the improvements happening now and those to come.
“You’re nothing by yourself,” she said. “It’s the team that allows you to succeed.”
Berges is a Miami Lakes resident through-and-through. Her children are attending Bob Graham Education Center and every year she and her family find Easter eggs at Picnic Park West and watch the Fourth of July fireworks shoot into the black night sky and cascade over Graham Dairy Lake. She hopes residents of Miami Lakes will also stop by the new Larkin facility for their medical needs.