It’s an exciting time at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital.

Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital is one of the nation’s leading pediatric hospitals and an integral member of the Memorial Healthcare System family. Now, we’re growing our facility, our reach, and our services.

Our hospital building is adding four more stories to ensure that Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital remains uniquely qualified to treat pediatric conditions for South Florida kids and families. This means that our already comprehensive pediatric care and programs will expand even more, with additional specialized services and patient areas.

The hospital will add 72 new private patient rooms, a Pediatric Heart Institute, Children’s Cancer Center, hybrid operating rooms and surgical suites, an ICU and CVICU unit, and a Rehab unit with a gym. But that’s only part of the story.

Our building plans also highlight our commitment to the “Power of Play” as a healing mechanism. That’s why we’re including play zones, a teen room, a family lounge and fitness center – all in a caring, compassionate setting designed for the special needs of our young patients.

Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital’s reach will continue to extend into the surrounding communities to make it easier for families to access excellent pediatric care. But for all of our efforts to be truly successful, we need highly qualified healthcare professionals like you.

Please take a look at our open jobs and plan to attend our upcoming in-person Job Fair on Tuesday, April 19. Keep reading for more details.

Choose your specialty from dozens of children’s health services.

Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital is a full-service hospital and Level I Trauma Center nationally recognized by U.S News and World Report, Planetree, Leapfrog and others. We treat minor illnesses, health emergencies and some of the most complex pediatric medical conditions.

The hospital is staffed by world-class pediatricians, pediatric specialists, specialty trained clinicians, and a highly skilled ancillary support staff. More than 650 physicians are on the medical staff, working across more than 50 technologically advanced specialties in which you can also contribute your experience and knowledge.

Each day, we work with families in the effort to best meet the needs of the child. We average over 360,000 pediatric encounters each year including emergency visits, admissions, surgeries and comprehensive follow-up care.

In addition to our freestanding hospital in Hollywood, Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital has specialty centers and pediatric service locations in Boca Raton, Coral Springs, Miramar, Pembroke Pines, Wellington, and Weston. There is no shortage of opportunity for people who can embrace our patient- and family-centered approach to care in a child-friendly atmosphere.

Browse our pediatric services and search our open jobs. We’d also love to see you at our upcoming in-person Job Fair on Tuesday, April 19.

A Conversation with a Top Memorial Trail Blazer: Leah Carpenter

For 20 years, Leah Carpenter has been a leader at Memorial Healthcare System – most recently, as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. Appointed to her current position in 2021 after serving as CEO at three of our hospitals, she took a few moments to reflect on her years at Memorial, and what has inspired and helped her along the way.

What made you want to go into healthcare to begin with?

I went into nursing because I wanted to connect with patients and be invested in who they were as people. I loved being at the bedside, taking care of patients. But destiny had a different plan for me, and I moved my way through the ranks in leadership.

How did you end up in leadership?

Three things influenced: first, my mother’s influence in my upbringing. She taught us that we had to be engaged – we could not complain about things without taking the responsibility to come up with solutions. Second, when I first entered healthcare 36 years ago, leaders were disconnected from the people on the front lines and what they were doing. They had no idea of what was really happening at the bedside. So I wanted to be part of changing that. I wanted to be a different kind of leader, one who was responsible for making the changes I wanted to see in the world.

Finally, I was always taught that “to those who much is given, much is expected.” I’ve been blessed beyond imagination, and I’m able to give those blessings back through leading.

What, if any, obstacles did you experience?

Well, I’m deaf in my right ear. It’s something that developed over time, so I came to a fork in the road because you need all five of your senses to take care of patients. I’ve also had mentors who taught me how it should be done and some from whom I’ve learned what not to do. The best of my mentors showed me how we could change the environment for our front-line workers. I wanted to be part of positive change, to make sure that our staff had what they needed to provide the care they were trained to do.

Tell us something about your mentors.

My mother was a single mom. She is of European descent, and a Holocaust survivor. My dad was African-American, descended from enslaved people. I grew up in a primarily Black community in 1970s Newark. We were very poor but the expectation and understanding were that education was the only way out.

I had a dear friend who was one of the guardian angels who made sure my sister and I were safe and on the right path. My father’s sister, and several teachers from grammar, middle and high school, all identified my gifts and pushed me to develop them. The survival skills I developed in the inner city were not unlike the survival skills you need in corporate America. My mentors helped guide me in a world and a profession at a time when women were struggling to break through. Women and especially women of color are still in that struggle.

You came to South Florida in 2000, and joined Memorial in 2002. How did that come about?

I was CNO at North Shore Medical Center for two years. I loved that hospital and its environment, and had some amazing mentors there. But I recognized that for-profit healthcare was not in line with the kind of work I wanted to do – provide phenomenal care for people, regardless of their ability to pay. So Memorial was a whole new world. It was what healthcare is supposed to look like, the way it’s supposed to be provided. I’m surrounded by people who have the same ethics, moral compass and commitment to patients, family and our communities that I do.

What’s your advice for women who are building careers in healthcare, or in any field, for that matter?

The most basic and important asset that you possess is your integrity. Don’t let anyone compromise it. If you give it away, you’ll never get it back.

You also must find an organization that reflects your values. Find people who are not necessarily in your image, but who have similar ideals, and who are not fearful of doing a lot of hard work. A mentor once said to me, “You’ll know you’re succeeding when people think that it’s easy by watching you.” Make it so that people don’t see the struggle, the blood, sweat, and tears, and the injustices that women – and, in particular, women of color – face.

Then, do the work, Focus on the goal, and keep your eyes on the prize. If you’re passionate about something, believe in it, and know it’s something you need to get done, get it done. Don’t let anything stop you. Fight for things that are right and just. Fight for people who can’t fight for themselves. And most importantly, always do the right things for the right reasons.