Protecting Against a Pandemic-One Florida County's Response
How the administrator of one of Florida's largest county's faced the unprecedented challenges of COVID-19.
Featuring:
Throughout Verdenia’s career, which began as a budget analyst in 1987, she has demonstrated the ability to collaborate with strategic partners to enhance the quality of life for residents and businesses. Verdenia was lead negotiator in the recruitment of the Scripps Research Institute, a foundation of the local biotechnology industry. She led the successful voter-approved 2016 Infrastructure Sales Tax initiative projected to generate $2.7 billion for new and renovated schools, roads and facilities over a ten-year period.
Recognizing equality of housing, representation, and business opportunities for all, Verdenia led initiatives such as the Mandatory Inclusionary Workforce Housing Program, Community Land Trust, redistricting post-Census, re-implemented the small/minority/women business enterprise program in 2019, and the recently created Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Verdenia is actively involved with tourist development, securing events such as the third presidential debate in 2012, Super Bowls in 2001, 2007 and 2020, and Major League Baseball Spring Training expansion.
Verdenia holds a Master of Science Degree in Public Administration, Bachelor of Science Degree in Rehabilitative Services, both from Florida State University. Verdenia is affiliated with national, state, local, professional and community organizations and has received numerous accolades. While Verdenia’s acknowledgements span many years, her recognitions in 2021 include Florida’s Onyx Magazine’s one of 2021’s Women on the Move, honoring the state’s most impactful and influential women.
The Palm Beach County Black Business Investment Corporation honored Verdenia with the Joseph C. Bova Award in February. The CEO said the reasons for this presentation to Verdenia is because she is the calm in any storm, never gives up and perseveres while advocating the rights of small/minority/women business enterprises. In May, Verdenia along with the county’s Florida Department of Health director and Health Care District CEO received the 2021 Leadership Heroes in Medicine Award from the Palm Beach County Medical Society for their collaboration in response to the pandemic. In July 2021, Verdenia earned the role as President of the Florida Association of County Managers, a collective body of all 67 counties in Florida.
Verdenia is married to Joe and they have two daughters, Jasmin, Shannee, and granddaughter, Lauren Nicole.
Verdenia Baker
Verdenia, a certified financial manager, was appointed Palm Beach County Administrator in 2015. She is responsible for overseeing 6,800+ employees, and balancing a $5.4 billion budget. With a population of over 1.5 million, Palm Beach County is Florida’s third largest county and notably one of a few with AAA bond rating, critical for financial stability.Throughout Verdenia’s career, which began as a budget analyst in 1987, she has demonstrated the ability to collaborate with strategic partners to enhance the quality of life for residents and businesses. Verdenia was lead negotiator in the recruitment of the Scripps Research Institute, a foundation of the local biotechnology industry. She led the successful voter-approved 2016 Infrastructure Sales Tax initiative projected to generate $2.7 billion for new and renovated schools, roads and facilities over a ten-year period.
Recognizing equality of housing, representation, and business opportunities for all, Verdenia led initiatives such as the Mandatory Inclusionary Workforce Housing Program, Community Land Trust, redistricting post-Census, re-implemented the small/minority/women business enterprise program in 2019, and the recently created Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Verdenia is actively involved with tourist development, securing events such as the third presidential debate in 2012, Super Bowls in 2001, 2007 and 2020, and Major League Baseball Spring Training expansion.
Verdenia holds a Master of Science Degree in Public Administration, Bachelor of Science Degree in Rehabilitative Services, both from Florida State University. Verdenia is affiliated with national, state, local, professional and community organizations and has received numerous accolades. While Verdenia’s acknowledgements span many years, her recognitions in 2021 include Florida’s Onyx Magazine’s one of 2021’s Women on the Move, honoring the state’s most impactful and influential women.
The Palm Beach County Black Business Investment Corporation honored Verdenia with the Joseph C. Bova Award in February. The CEO said the reasons for this presentation to Verdenia is because she is the calm in any storm, never gives up and perseveres while advocating the rights of small/minority/women business enterprises. In May, Verdenia along with the county’s Florida Department of Health director and Health Care District CEO received the 2021 Leadership Heroes in Medicine Award from the Palm Beach County Medical Society for their collaboration in response to the pandemic. In July 2021, Verdenia earned the role as President of the Florida Association of County Managers, a collective body of all 67 counties in Florida.
Verdenia is married to Joe and they have two daughters, Jasmin, Shannee, and granddaughter, Lauren Nicole.
Transcription:
Robin Kish (Host): Protecting the health and safety of a community while keeping businesses and services running, isn't easy. Harder, still during a global pandemic. We sat down this spring with the Administrator of one of Florida's largest counties to learn how she's facing the unprecedented challenges of COVID-19 on this edition of Here For Your Health.
Welcome to the Health Care District of Palm Beach County's podcast Here For Your Health. I'm your host Robin Kish. Our guest today is Verdenia Baker, County Administrator for Palm Beach County, Florida. Thanks very much for joining us today.
Verdenia Baker (Guest): Thank you for the invite.
Host: Palm Beach County has played a critically important emergency management role in the COVID-19 pandemic. And you, yourself have been front and center as Incident Commander, but there really was no playbook for this. Can you describe some of your actions and responsibilities starting with what took place early on?
Verdenia: Part of it was pulling our team together, as Incident Commander and then bringing in new partners that we had not necessarily worked with in an emergency. And so here in Palm Beach County, we're really a collegial group. And so we were able to bring the Healthcare District to the table with us. And, and that made a huge difference. The Department of Health is one of our regular partners during emergencies. And so they also stepped up to the table. We worked not only with partners within our community, United Way and others, but we worked with our neighbors to the south, as counties.
And so we all learned from each other. We vetted ideas and issues with each other in order to address the needs of our community. You know, we've got 67 counties throughout the state and they're all a little different, we're all a little different. But I think we more similarities to our neighbors to the south, Dade, Brown and Monroe, than we have with, with others.
And so we were able to form a very good partnership with, with those neighbors to the south. We also work very, very closely with Florida Department of Emergency Management. I can not say enough good things about them, because we were able, they, you know, we had cell phones and we would call each other you know, late at night on our rides home, on our rides in, in the morning on Saturday, Sunday, there was just no time that you, people could not be reached. So it was just building really relationships. And I think that is what got us through the really traumatic times.
Host: You have stressed the importance of clear and consistent communication with community partners with the public and government officials; how has that helped with Palm Beach County's vaccination efforts?
Verdenia: I think that has assisted us in being as transparent as one can be and to be able to share with the community when we didn't have an answer, we simply said so. But I, I think our community needed to have that trust that we were providing them the right information, that their interest was first and foremost, the health and safety of the community. We worked diligently with our business community to try to keep as many businesses operating. And as a matter of fact, a lot of our leading industries never closed. They never closed. Construction is one that's booming. It, it was so very busy. We all learned to pivot and meet the needs of, of the public.
So, I think just being able to continue to communicate to help people understand why certain rules were in place. And then to document that information.
Host: How has the county supported access to COVID-19 testing and vaccinations for those who are eligible, including minority populations in the underserved?
Verdenia: The underserved communities, including minority communities were first and foremost in our minds. When we first started out with vaccinations, we hit those underserved communities with our partners, which was the Department of Health, as well as the Health Care District. Those were mobile units early on, St. George's in Riviera Beach, was one of the first centers we hit and the Glades, because the Glades then had not only the healthcare working in the Glades at the hospital and the clinics, but we also had the Department of Health out there, but soon thereafter, the state pivoted to large vaccination centers, mass vaccinations. And so we also had to comply with that. That is when we opened south county, a location in south county in our south county civic site, worked with the south Florida Fair organization. And they were wonderful in working with us. We set up the largest mass center at that site. And then we also had a north site at Palm Beach Gardens who was, one of our partners in the effort to get people vaccinated. Once those sites were set up, we were also in discussions during this time with FDEM on our underserved communities. And so soon thereafter, we set up in Palm Beach Gardens, they agreed to provide us with ongoing vaccines for Riviera Beach. So we set that particular pod up, which really was to service the underserved community in Riviera, Mangonia and Lake Park. And then later on, we got approval for ongoing vaccine for Boynton Beach, and then another, for the city of West Palm.
Host: What do you think are the key steps in encouraging individuals to receive the COVID-19 vaccination when so many are reluctant to do so?
Verdenia: I think education. We've held a number of townhall meetings. We will be holding some in the future and I really want to target our population that is between that age of 40, a little over 40 down to 16, so that we can provide them with the appropriate information, so that they then become comfortable in consulting with their doctors to make sure that it's for them. I know that there are a lot of myths out there and we need to debunk those myths. We need to provide people with factual information from the healthcare industry.
I think that having the right people at the table to provide the appropriate unbiased information, and then making it an ease to receive the vaccine. And so, as we pivot from the very large vaccination sites now to again, targeting those communities based on data out of the Florida Shots System, we know where some of the areas that we need to do more focused. And so I think part of addressing those particular areas, it will also allow us to educate more in those particular communities.
Host: And that's a strategy. Are there any other strategies? I know across the country and here in Palm Beach County, various types of incentives are being offered by employers.
Verdenia: Yes. And that, that's key. We're over 80 plus percent of our 65 year olds having been fully vaccinated. And so therefore you've seen our death rates significantly decrease. But I think we need to all be conscious of the fact that we're also losing people between the age of 16 and 40, and we don't want to do that. We want our, our young people to understand what's going on, be comfortable with it. Move forward. We are looking at incentives. The county is providing incentives from a different pot of money. It's not Avaloran funding. It is through our healthcare third party and we have a wellness program.
So we're using those wellness dollars that they provide to us to incentivize our employees that have not been vaccinated to become fully vaccinated. I believe that a number, as you stated, a number of businesses are also providing that incentive. It's crucial, if we're going to stay in business, we have to have a healthy environment.
Host: I know you've been fully vaccinated. What was it like for you for the first and the second dose of the vaccine?
Verdenia: Well, the first dose I had a sore arm. That was it. The second one, I was just tired. But I can't blame that on the vaccine alone. I was just tired. But you know, we pushed through and we keep it working. I really didn't have any, any negative side effects, short of just fatigued.
Host: Are you glad you made the decision to be vaccinated?
Verdenia: Very happy that I made that decision. I help with my parents, they're elderly and they're in Fort Pierce. Actually I had to become comfortable with the vaccine. I was not one of those people that immediately said, yes, I'm doing this. I had to do my homework on it and talking to health officials making sure that I was comfortable with this particular vaccine. And then encouraging my parents to do it because I would never want them to take something that I was not comfortable taking myself. So my parents, when they were eligible, they took the vaccine.
My husband was eligible. He took the vaccine and when I became eligible, I took the vaccine. My daughter works in healthcare. You know, she, she also had to become comfortable with it and I didn't push her. But she eventually with all of the appropriate information and talking to the, her doctor, she also took it. So I'm extremely happy. So we, you know, we've got a little happy home when it's just us. We don't necessarily have to wear a mask and I feel much better because when I go to help my parents, I don't feel as though I'm putting them in danger.
Host: And that's something that we've heard from many families who've been able to reunite and now feel comfortable. Tell me a little bit about that orange bracelet you're wearing.
Verdenia: Well, speaking of family, Team PBC, we are a family. And so we need to make sure that we're protecting each other as well. Some of us have been fully vaccinated. Others have not. And so in order to keep a healthy environment in the county, we still are wearing masks. We're distancing and making sure we're sanitized. And so as a part of healthy environment, when an employee comes in, they answer a series of questions to make sure, you know, they haven't taken aspirin to reduce fevers. They don't have the normal telltale signs of COVID and then we check their temperature and if they have a temperature, we, we send them home and then send them for tests before they can come back. So, that has significantly helped us in keeping our environment as healthy as possible.
Host: Ms. Baker, what has been the most rewarding experience for you in the fight against COVID?
Verdenia: Actually to see the death rate significantly decline, to have people call the office or write, or, or see you out in the community and say thank you very much for looking out for the betterment of our community. Thank you for requiring all those things. I'm still working. So I'm really happy. And then the programs that through federal assistance, we've been able to provide to our community to help to get our businesses back up and running or continuing to operate, providing rental assistance and utility assistance. So there are a number of things working with partners within our community that we've been very successful here in Palm Beach County.
Host: And congratulations to you, to Dr. Lena Alonzo, Director of the Florida Department of Health for Palm Beach County, as well as to Darcy Davis, Chief Executive Officer of the Health Care District of Palm Beach County for being honored by the Palm Beach County Medical Society with a Hero in Medicine Award for your individual and collaborative leadership in the fight against COVID.
Verdenia: Thank you very much, but I have to say that I know my two partners all agree. We couldn't have done this job without the support of our employees. They have done a yeoman's job. I didn't earn this award just by myself. It's, it's all of the team that made this possible. And it's the leadership from our various boards that also made it possible.
But yet, it's also the community that trusted us and actually worked with us on implementing the policies that we set, wearing their masks, staying the distance and it, it slowed this particular virus down. So, now if we can just work together and get vaccinated and develop that herd immunity, we can get rid of the mask.
Host: Thank you, Ms. Baker for your time and your insight today. If you find this podcast helpful, please share it on your social channel and check out our full podcast library for topics of interest to you at healthcaredistrictpodcast.org. Let us know what you think. Your review helps us reach more people just like you.
Today's podcast is brought to you by the Health Care District of Palm Beach County. The Health Care District is a unique safety net healthcare system located in south Florida and provides county residents access to primary care, skilled nursing and hospital care, registered nurses in nearly all the county's public schools and oversight of the county's trauma system, which includes operating two life-saving Trauma Hawk, air ambulances. Learn more by visiting HCDpbc.org.
Robin Kish (Host): Protecting the health and safety of a community while keeping businesses and services running, isn't easy. Harder, still during a global pandemic. We sat down this spring with the Administrator of one of Florida's largest counties to learn how she's facing the unprecedented challenges of COVID-19 on this edition of Here For Your Health.
Welcome to the Health Care District of Palm Beach County's podcast Here For Your Health. I'm your host Robin Kish. Our guest today is Verdenia Baker, County Administrator for Palm Beach County, Florida. Thanks very much for joining us today.
Verdenia Baker (Guest): Thank you for the invite.
Host: Palm Beach County has played a critically important emergency management role in the COVID-19 pandemic. And you, yourself have been front and center as Incident Commander, but there really was no playbook for this. Can you describe some of your actions and responsibilities starting with what took place early on?
Verdenia: Part of it was pulling our team together, as Incident Commander and then bringing in new partners that we had not necessarily worked with in an emergency. And so here in Palm Beach County, we're really a collegial group. And so we were able to bring the Healthcare District to the table with us. And, and that made a huge difference. The Department of Health is one of our regular partners during emergencies. And so they also stepped up to the table. We worked not only with partners within our community, United Way and others, but we worked with our neighbors to the south, as counties.
And so we all learned from each other. We vetted ideas and issues with each other in order to address the needs of our community. You know, we've got 67 counties throughout the state and they're all a little different, we're all a little different. But I think we more similarities to our neighbors to the south, Dade, Brown and Monroe, than we have with, with others.
And so we were able to form a very good partnership with, with those neighbors to the south. We also work very, very closely with Florida Department of Emergency Management. I can not say enough good things about them, because we were able, they, you know, we had cell phones and we would call each other you know, late at night on our rides home, on our rides in, in the morning on Saturday, Sunday, there was just no time that you, people could not be reached. So it was just building really relationships. And I think that is what got us through the really traumatic times.
Host: You have stressed the importance of clear and consistent communication with community partners with the public and government officials; how has that helped with Palm Beach County's vaccination efforts?
Verdenia: I think that has assisted us in being as transparent as one can be and to be able to share with the community when we didn't have an answer, we simply said so. But I, I think our community needed to have that trust that we were providing them the right information, that their interest was first and foremost, the health and safety of the community. We worked diligently with our business community to try to keep as many businesses operating. And as a matter of fact, a lot of our leading industries never closed. They never closed. Construction is one that's booming. It, it was so very busy. We all learned to pivot and meet the needs of, of the public.
So, I think just being able to continue to communicate to help people understand why certain rules were in place. And then to document that information.
Host: How has the county supported access to COVID-19 testing and vaccinations for those who are eligible, including minority populations in the underserved?
Verdenia: The underserved communities, including minority communities were first and foremost in our minds. When we first started out with vaccinations, we hit those underserved communities with our partners, which was the Department of Health, as well as the Health Care District. Those were mobile units early on, St. George's in Riviera Beach, was one of the first centers we hit and the Glades, because the Glades then had not only the healthcare working in the Glades at the hospital and the clinics, but we also had the Department of Health out there, but soon thereafter, the state pivoted to large vaccination centers, mass vaccinations. And so we also had to comply with that. That is when we opened south county, a location in south county in our south county civic site, worked with the south Florida Fair organization. And they were wonderful in working with us. We set up the largest mass center at that site. And then we also had a north site at Palm Beach Gardens who was, one of our partners in the effort to get people vaccinated. Once those sites were set up, we were also in discussions during this time with FDEM on our underserved communities. And so soon thereafter, we set up in Palm Beach Gardens, they agreed to provide us with ongoing vaccines for Riviera Beach. So we set that particular pod up, which really was to service the underserved community in Riviera, Mangonia and Lake Park. And then later on, we got approval for ongoing vaccine for Boynton Beach, and then another, for the city of West Palm.
Host: What do you think are the key steps in encouraging individuals to receive the COVID-19 vaccination when so many are reluctant to do so?
Verdenia: I think education. We've held a number of townhall meetings. We will be holding some in the future and I really want to target our population that is between that age of 40, a little over 40 down to 16, so that we can provide them with the appropriate information, so that they then become comfortable in consulting with their doctors to make sure that it's for them. I know that there are a lot of myths out there and we need to debunk those myths. We need to provide people with factual information from the healthcare industry.
I think that having the right people at the table to provide the appropriate unbiased information, and then making it an ease to receive the vaccine. And so, as we pivot from the very large vaccination sites now to again, targeting those communities based on data out of the Florida Shots System, we know where some of the areas that we need to do more focused. And so I think part of addressing those particular areas, it will also allow us to educate more in those particular communities.
Host: And that's a strategy. Are there any other strategies? I know across the country and here in Palm Beach County, various types of incentives are being offered by employers.
Verdenia: Yes. And that, that's key. We're over 80 plus percent of our 65 year olds having been fully vaccinated. And so therefore you've seen our death rates significantly decrease. But I think we need to all be conscious of the fact that we're also losing people between the age of 16 and 40, and we don't want to do that. We want our, our young people to understand what's going on, be comfortable with it. Move forward. We are looking at incentives. The county is providing incentives from a different pot of money. It's not Avaloran funding. It is through our healthcare third party and we have a wellness program.
So we're using those wellness dollars that they provide to us to incentivize our employees that have not been vaccinated to become fully vaccinated. I believe that a number, as you stated, a number of businesses are also providing that incentive. It's crucial, if we're going to stay in business, we have to have a healthy environment.
Host: I know you've been fully vaccinated. What was it like for you for the first and the second dose of the vaccine?
Verdenia: Well, the first dose I had a sore arm. That was it. The second one, I was just tired. But I can't blame that on the vaccine alone. I was just tired. But you know, we pushed through and we keep it working. I really didn't have any, any negative side effects, short of just fatigued.
Host: Are you glad you made the decision to be vaccinated?
Verdenia: Very happy that I made that decision. I help with my parents, they're elderly and they're in Fort Pierce. Actually I had to become comfortable with the vaccine. I was not one of those people that immediately said, yes, I'm doing this. I had to do my homework on it and talking to health officials making sure that I was comfortable with this particular vaccine. And then encouraging my parents to do it because I would never want them to take something that I was not comfortable taking myself. So my parents, when they were eligible, they took the vaccine.
My husband was eligible. He took the vaccine and when I became eligible, I took the vaccine. My daughter works in healthcare. You know, she, she also had to become comfortable with it and I didn't push her. But she eventually with all of the appropriate information and talking to the, her doctor, she also took it. So I'm extremely happy. So we, you know, we've got a little happy home when it's just us. We don't necessarily have to wear a mask and I feel much better because when I go to help my parents, I don't feel as though I'm putting them in danger.
Host: And that's something that we've heard from many families who've been able to reunite and now feel comfortable. Tell me a little bit about that orange bracelet you're wearing.
Verdenia: Well, speaking of family, Team PBC, we are a family. And so we need to make sure that we're protecting each other as well. Some of us have been fully vaccinated. Others have not. And so in order to keep a healthy environment in the county, we still are wearing masks. We're distancing and making sure we're sanitized. And so as a part of healthy environment, when an employee comes in, they answer a series of questions to make sure, you know, they haven't taken aspirin to reduce fevers. They don't have the normal telltale signs of COVID and then we check their temperature and if they have a temperature, we, we send them home and then send them for tests before they can come back. So, that has significantly helped us in keeping our environment as healthy as possible.
Host: Ms. Baker, what has been the most rewarding experience for you in the fight against COVID?
Verdenia: Actually to see the death rate significantly decline, to have people call the office or write, or, or see you out in the community and say thank you very much for looking out for the betterment of our community. Thank you for requiring all those things. I'm still working. So I'm really happy. And then the programs that through federal assistance, we've been able to provide to our community to help to get our businesses back up and running or continuing to operate, providing rental assistance and utility assistance. So there are a number of things working with partners within our community that we've been very successful here in Palm Beach County.
Host: And congratulations to you, to Dr. Lena Alonzo, Director of the Florida Department of Health for Palm Beach County, as well as to Darcy Davis, Chief Executive Officer of the Health Care District of Palm Beach County for being honored by the Palm Beach County Medical Society with a Hero in Medicine Award for your individual and collaborative leadership in the fight against COVID.
Verdenia: Thank you very much, but I have to say that I know my two partners all agree. We couldn't have done this job without the support of our employees. They have done a yeoman's job. I didn't earn this award just by myself. It's, it's all of the team that made this possible. And it's the leadership from our various boards that also made it possible.
But yet, it's also the community that trusted us and actually worked with us on implementing the policies that we set, wearing their masks, staying the distance and it, it slowed this particular virus down. So, now if we can just work together and get vaccinated and develop that herd immunity, we can get rid of the mask.
Host: Thank you, Ms. Baker for your time and your insight today. If you find this podcast helpful, please share it on your social channel and check out our full podcast library for topics of interest to you at healthcaredistrictpodcast.org. Let us know what you think. Your review helps us reach more people just like you.
Today's podcast is brought to you by the Health Care District of Palm Beach County. The Health Care District is a unique safety net healthcare system located in south Florida and provides county residents access to primary care, skilled nursing and hospital care, registered nurses in nearly all the county's public schools and oversight of the county's trauma system, which includes operating two life-saving Trauma Hawk, air ambulances. Learn more by visiting HCDpbc.org.