Hospitals Arrive To Serve The Wellington Area And Beyond 
The Two Major Medical Hubs Serving The Greater Wellington Community Both Date Back To 1986

By Joshua Manning

Wellington Regional Medical Center and HCA Florida Palms West Hospital started small in the 1980s and grew to become beacons of healthcare serving patients across central Palm Beach County and beyond. This month we go back in time to the early 1980s, where medical procedures meant a long trek east for Wellington residents.

It was a banner year for local healthcare in 1986, when, after years of planning, two hospitals opened to serve the Wellington area.

Originally small outposts on large tracts of land, Wellington Regional Medical Center and HCA Florida Palms West Hospital have grown exponentially over the past four decades, now offering the most state-of-the-art care available to residents who once had to trek 40 minutes or more to the coast for even the most basic medical procedures.

However, back in the early years of the western communities, that was exactly what regional officials wanted. These local hospitals, now anchors in the Wellington economy, had to fight state regulators and county officials for years before being awarded the necessary approvals to build.

The national companies that built the two hospitals in the Wellington area still operate them today. In the case of WRMC, that would be Pennsylvania-based Universal Health Services (UHS), and in the case of Palms West Hospital, it’s Tennessee-based Hospital Corporation of America, now HCA Healthcare.

WRMC has provided a wide array of healthcare services to the residents of central Palm Beach County since 1986.

It started with the vision of UHS founder and Executive Chairman Alan B. Miller, said Ben Boynton, who served for years as a hospital board member.

“He chose that parcel of land based on the growth of what Wellington was envisioned to be,” Boynton said of Miller. “There were a lot of people who doubted his foresight on that property, but he pushed through as a visionary.”

Miller recalled observing the development of Wellington in the 1970s, noting that the population was growing rapidly.

“By 1986, three local doctors decided that the growing communities on the western side of the county needed a community hospital,” Miller recalled. “The doctors entered into negotiations with a number of major corporations but selected UHS to turn their vision into a reality. When UHS opened Wellington Regional in 1986, the population was growing at a rate of 50 percent.”

Dr. Jeffrey Bishop was the first physician working at the new hospital.

“I watched it being built. I was doing my internship at the old Humana Hospital,” Bishop recalled. “The doctors who opened that hospital — Dr. Harold Kirsh, Dr. Michael Longo and Dr. Albert LaTorra — recruited me. These guys were all DOs, and they wanted to open up an osteopathic hospital in the western communities.”

That dream was accomplished working with UHS. The company’s representative overseeing the project was Richard Wright. “They recruited me to open a practice in the western communities,” Bishop said. “My first office was on the third floor of the hospital before the medical buildings were built.”

Miller noted that the doctors — Longo, LaTorra and Kirsh — owned the certificate of need (CON) required to build the hospital and worked with UHS to develop the project, while developer Bruce Rendina helped the company acquire the land.

“We are always evaluating the opportunities within key markets across the U.S. to determine where there is healthcare need that we could address,” Miller said. “In the case of Palm Beach County, we had been monitoring the possibility of acquiring land in that region for several years. When the chance to acquire the land presented itself, we took swift action to seize the opportunity.”

Miller noted that in 1986, both hospitals were under construction at the same time.

“Community members expressed questions and were not certain that two hospitals were needed,” he recalled. “However, we had data indicating that the community would grow and that we would meet the need of future growth.”

In the early years, the main issue that Bishop recalled was keeping the place full. “There were days where patients from my practice were the only ones in the hospital,” he said, adding that competition was fierce with Palms West Hospital, which had already opened. “The big concern was if there’s a need for two hospitals in the western communities, but obviously, some people had good foresight.”

Bishop recalled the equestrian-themed décor and high-end caterer that ran the food service during the early years. “People came in off the streets to eat there,” he said.

He is very proud of how WRMC has grown over the past four decades.

“It has developed into a full-fledged community hospital that serves the community in a great manner,” said Bishop, who served on the hospital’s board for 25 years, including five as chair. “It has all kinds of specialty services, such as the NICU and a huge emergency department. It’s a certified stroke center, does cardiac catheterization and robotic services. They do the full gamut of what a hospital does now.”

Bishop also served as chief medical officer and program director for the hospital’s family medicine residency program, among other roles. He is also proud of his work developing the surgery and medical peer review committees.

Kevin DiLallo served as CEO of the hospital during its largest expansion years, from 1997 to 2010.

“I was there during the largest growth in the hospital’s history,” recalled DiLallo, who is now vice president of development for UHS and overseeing the construction of a new hospital for the company in Palm Beach Gardens. “We built medical offices one, two, three and four. We put the front tower on. We built the new emergency room. We built the Level III NICU, which is now named after me. There was massive growth during those years.”

During his time at the hospital, DiLallo saw a very distinct change underway, as Wellington stopped being somewhere “way out west” and became much closer to the center of life in Palm Beach County. Some of this may have been tied to the opening of the Mall at Wellington Green, just across the street.

“There was tremendous growth of the medical staff, and people becoming more accustomed to the western communities,” DiLallo said. “People didn’t come west before.”

This brought clients to WRMC from all parts of the county and beyond, often drawn by the unique offerings presented on the hospital’s campus.

“It has gone from being a community hospital, to a regional hospital, to being a true pillar of the community on the medical side,” Boynton said. “People have been travelling from other cities and states for medical procedures to be done here in Wellington. The hospital has done an incredible job bringing in these specialties. It really has been an incredible transformation.”

Miller has been very impressed by how WRMC has grown.

“In 1986, and up to today, we have seen an excellent reaction from and support by the community,” he said. “At Wellington Regional, we continue to contribute to the health of the community and boost the local economy. In 2023, we admitted 15,234 patients and had 58,961 emergency visits, and we made more than $4 million in capital investments.”

Like WRMC, it took time for Palms West Hospital to become what it is today.

In June 1981, the Town-Crier reported that, “The Hospital Corporation of America says it will have a 117-bed general surgical hospital operation by 1983.” That upbeat assessment, however, was off by several years. In October 1981, the regional Health Planning Council, which decided on hospital needs for the area, rejected the proposal, instead adding 80 additional beds to a hospital in Delray Beach. The Bureau of Community Medical Facilities in Tallahassee later agreed. Nevertheless, HCA officials said they would not give up on the plan. Eventually, approval was granted in December 1983, and a groundbreaking was held in 1984. Nearly 1,000 people were on hand to celebrate its grand opening on Jan. 19, 1986.

Mike Pugh, the hospital’s first administrator, arrived in 1984 and oversaw the construction, opening and first decade of the hospital’s life serving the community.

“I just can’t get over what a change it is and how nice it is,” Pugh said upon returning to the hospital he built for its 25th anniversary in 2011. He recalled how the hospital opened with only four doctors on staff and a trickle of patients. At first, the hospital only used one floor of its initial three. However, it grew quickly.

“In our first 10 months of serving the western communities, Palms West Hospital admitted nearly 1,200 patients and performed more than 850 surgeries and endoscopies,” Pugh wrote in a newsletter marking the hospital’s first anniversary. “By the close of 1986, there were more than 7,500 visits to our emergency department and over 3,000 outpatient visits.”

An obstetrics department was added in 1989, and a pediatric division followed in 1994. In 1993, a new 60,000-square-foot pavilion opened. Through the years, 10 medical buildings were added to the campus to accompany the hospital itself. Today, the 204-bed facility includes a full-service children’s hospital.

Deborah Welky worked for Pugh doing public relations for the hospital when it first opened. “Everybody liked Mike. He had been part of the last M*A*S*H* unit in Korea and was there when producers came out to do research for the 1970 movie of the same name,” Welky said. “He had also been a member of the Chad Mitchell Trio back in the day, just like John Denver had. So, he had stories to tell, and I like people with stories.”

She recalls the heady excitement of those early days. “The first big story to come out of Palms West Hospital was that a baby had been born at the hospital,” Welky said. “It was before the hospital’s birthing ward had been set up and was, instead, born in the emergency room. Babies wait for no plan.”

Speaking of births, she recalled how the two hospitals argued over approvals for an obstetrics ward.

“No one could argue that another hospital was needed in the area, but what they could argue about was whether another birthing ward was needed. Permission is granted based on population and need. So, argue they did,” Welky said. “Viewed hopefully as a retirement community by hospitals firmly established east of Military Trail, those of us who lived in the Wellington area knew differently. Youth sports were booming. Recreation programs were bursting at the seams. And you know what young children often have? Baby brothers and sisters. It was clear that retirees weren’t the only ones populating the area. The WRMC birthing center was approved.”

Welky eventually left Palms West Hospital for a full-time position with the Village of Wellington.

“That’s when WRMC CEO Arnie Schaffer invited me to become a part of his Community Advisory Board,” she recalled. “In addition to being goodwill ambassadors of sorts, the primary job of this board was to analyze information gathered from questionnaires filled out by patients after they had been released. When the hospitals were young, this feedback was crucial. It absolutely shaped the way things developed.”

Wellington Expands Senior Ride Program New Freebee Program Offers A Convenient Alternative Transportation Service For Senior Citizens From Wellington

Wellington’s new agreement with Freebee offers a more convenient transportation service for senior citizens in Wellington. Wellington’s seniors now have access to this free program, Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Since 2010, the Village of Wellington has provided a limited transportation program for senior residents 62 years of age and older. In an effort to expand this program and its services, the village recently received proposals from interested firms to provide alternative transportation services using a ride-share-type system.

The ride-share transportation service includes the following: Monday through Saturday service from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. using two fully electric vehicles with unlimited rides. There is a mobile app with an option to request service via dispatch/call-in. The program offers door-to-door, on-demand service; a custom dashboard with the ability to display performance metrics in real time; and single or shared-use service.

Freebee replaced Wellington’s previous senior transportation program, which often carried around 10 people per day. Now, two Freebee cars serve between 20 and 30 people per day. The initial term of the contract began on May 1, 2024, for a three-year initial term, and provides for five one-year renewal options.

Freebee is a free electric-car service funded by the village’s Parks & Recreation Department. All rides must generally be within the village limits, but the cars will travel as far north as Southern Blvd. and as far south as Lake Worth Road. Riders must be at least 55 years old and Wellington residents.

Freebee, which was created by two University of Miami graduates, serves many municipalities in South Florida. The company calls their drivers “ambassadors” because they’re expected to be friendly, welcoming and talkative with the riders.

Riders can order a car through the Freebee app, or by calling a centralized dispatch. Unlike the popular ride-share apps Uber and Lyft, there isn’t a way to see reviews for local drivers. The app has a feature where riders can post photos and reviews, however, they aren’t specific to any driver or service area.

Wellington’s Freebee cars are Tesla Model X electric vehicles. A phone app makes calling a car similar to the procedure for Uber and Lyft, but rides are free.

“It’s convenient, it’s free, you’re having fun and smiling,” said Jason Spiegel, co-founder of the company. “We are short-distance, inter-municipality transportation that provides high ridership at a lower cost for cities because our clean-energy vehicles require less maintenance and no gas, compared to trolleys and buses or traditional car services.”

This new village transportation ride service, in partnership with Freebee, provides an increased level of service. It is a free shuttle service for Wellington residents age 55 and older offering unlimited door-to-door pick-ups and drop-offs in these new Tesla Model X vehicles.

Residents who use the program no longer need to provide the previously required 24-hour notice. Rides can be scheduled for same-day service with an average wait time of 15 minutes. Commuters also have the added flexibility of scheduling their rides up to five days in advance, ensuring that they can plan their travel with ease and reliability.

The service area includes anywhere within the Wellington municipal boundaries, as well as HCA Florida Palms West Hospital and its surrounding medical offices, as well as along State Road 7 from Southern Blvd. to Lake Worth Road. Service hours are Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., closed on Sunday.

Residents can sign up by visiting the Wellington Community Center for a one-time registration. Be sure to bring your ID and water or utility bill. Information can also be provided via e-mail to rides@wellingtonfl.gov.

To request a ride, residents should:

1. Call the Freebee dispatch number at (855) 918-3733 or download the Freebee App.
2. Request a pick-up.
3. Enjoy the free ride.

Village staff is working on targeted outreach to seniors, including current senior transportation commuters. The outreach plan includes senior workshops, pre-registration of current riders via the Freebee portal and direct mailers. Additional marketing and promotion of the service throughout Wellington will be scheduled in conjunction with Freebee’s economic development team.

To learn more about the Freebee service, visit www.wellingtonfl.gov/rides.

 

A Minister, Politician, Columnist And More Father John Mangrum Was An Instrumental Leader In The Early Years Of The Wellington Community

Father John Mangrum — also known as “Johnny The Stroller” — was a spiritual leader, early elected official, devoted community builder and beloved newspaper columnist. This month, our Wellington History series continues by featuring this instrumental leader from the early years of the Wellington community.

The early years of Wellington were filled with fascinating characters, but perhaps none of such well-rounded interests as Father John Mangrum.

Mangrum’s influence cut across many layers of the fledgling Wellington community. He was an Episcopal priest instrumental in growing one of Wellington’s earliest churches. Mangrum was also an ecumenical leader who helped several other religious congregations gain their foothold in Wellington. He was also an avid horse lover known as the “priest of polo,” who gave the opening prayers at the old Palm Beach Polo stadium.

Mangrum was also a political leader, joining the Acme Improvement District Board of Supervisors — Wellington’s pre-incorporation government — in 1981 as the first non-developer representative of the community. First by appointment, then by election, he served as an Acme supervisor for more than a decade as the community wrestled with the thorny issue of incorporation.

Beyond the religious and political spheres, Mangrum was also engaged in the crucial work of community building. His alter ego was “Johnny The Stroller,” the name of his long-running column in the Town-Crier newspaper. He went to events around the young community and wrote about them, always with a focus on weaving together a gathering of transplants from elsewhere into the backbone of a new Wellington community destined for greatness.

In 1976, St. David’s in the Pines Episcopal Church became the first church established in the new community of Wellington. It had a handful of member families when the Rev. John F. Mangrum became its second rector in 1979.

Originally from Grand Rapids, Michigan, Mangrum grew up with a deep love of baseball and music. He served in the Pacific during World War II after doing his basic training here in Palm Beach County. After the war, he studied at the Berkeley Divinity School at Yale University before returning to Michigan to serve as an Episcopal priest.

After several postings in Michigan, he moved to Florida with his wife Shirley in the mid-1950s, serving at congregations in Mount Dora, Avon Park, Tampa, Jacksonville and then Clewiston. He was serving in the Glades when he first heard of the huge new development known as Wellington, and when the position at St. David’s became available, Mangrum jumped at the chance to be involved.

Through the boom years of the 1980s, Mangrum grew his congregation from a few dozen families to more than 400. The church, under his leadership, built a new 300-seat building dedicated on Thanksgiving Day in 1987, and even hosted Prince Charles (now King Charles III) on Easter Sunday in 1980 during one of his polo-playing trips to Wellington.

“He was a very solid priest who brought people into the congregation when Wellington was growing,” recalled Father Steven Thomas, who followed Mangrum as rector at St. David’s. “He was actively involved in the life of the community.”

He first met Mangrum while Thomas was working at St. Andrew’s School in Boca Raton.

“All of the priests in the southern part of Palm Beach County met once a month. I invited him to come to St. Andrew’s for chapel. He would come maybe once a year and give a talk during the children’s service. He was popular. They loved hearing him,” Thomas recalled.

When Mangrum eventually decided to retire in the early 1990s, he brought Thomas to Wellington and urged him to apply for the position.

“He was instrumental in my coming to Wellington and put in a good word for me with the church council. That led to me being involved in the church community for three decades,” said Thomas, who retired as rector at St. David’s in 2023.

Mangrum’s role in the religious life of Wellington wasn’t contained to St. David’s and his Episcopal flock. He was an active member of the community’s clergy association and used the resources at his disposal to support other congregations. As the leader of Wellington’s first established congregation, Mangrum believed it was his sacred duty to help others get started.

St. David’s housed the fledgling congregations of Wellington Presbyterian Church, St. Peter’s United Methodist Church and Temple Beth Torah while they waited for their own properties to be developed. While the parish that became St. Rita Catholic Church never met at St. David’s, a major fundraiser supporting St. Rita was held at St. David’s.

By the early 1980s, there were several thousand residents living in Wellington, which was still largely controlled by developers. In 1981, the developers chose Mangrum for appointment to a seat on the Acme Improvement Board of Supervisors as a representative of the growing residential population. When several Acme seats were opened to the residents through election in 1989, he stayed on the board, this time as an elected representative.

Acme, Wellington’s pre-incorporation government, had limited control, largely over drainage, roads and parks. But it was also one of the only outlets residents had to express their concerns.

“Father Mangrum was a team player. He was always willing to listen to other people’s points of view,” said Kathy Foster, who served alongside Mangrum in the late 1980s and early 1990s. “When I was president of Acme, I could always count on him to help build consensus.”

Foster, who went on to become Wellington’s first mayor after incorporation, said that Mangrum was “definitely committed to the community and to what the people wanted.”

He was particularly useful at representing Wellington before the Palm Beach County Commission and other areas of county government. “A lot of negotiating went on with the county to make sure they didn’t implement something the people of Wellington did not want,” Foster said.

She added that Mangrum’s importance to early Wellington could not be overstated.

“Father Mangrum was an integral leader in the early Wellington community,” Foster said. “He and Father [Walter] Dockerill [of St. Rita] started the ecumenical association to bring all of the different faiths together.”

She particularly recalled his jubilant personality and his love of polo.

“The thing I remember most was that he always had a smile and witty remark for everyone he met,” Foster said. “He reigned every Sunday at his box at polo. He would call out to everyone passing by. He knew everyone’s names, and always had a kind comment to say.”

In his multi-faceted roles as a spiritual leader, elected official and community builder, one of the tools at Mangrum’s fingertips was his weekly “Johnny The Stroller” column in the Town-Crier. He put that famous wit of his to work, pen to paper, to continue building the Wellington community.

Sometimes he mused about community events, such as the Fourth of July fireworks show (“A Big Bang in Wellington”); sometimes he called for needed amenities (“Wellington Needs Its Own Community Center”); or espoused his favorite pastimes (“Polo Is The Place To Be On Sunday Afternoons”). The goal was the same — further the creation of the community called Wellington.

Reflecting years later, he expressed thanks to his good friend, Town-Crier founder Bob Markey Sr., for giving him a platform to continue his mission of preaching the gospel of Wellington.

Aside from all these other roles, Mangrum was also a charter member and president of the Wellington Rotary Club, a founding member of the Palms West Chamber of Commerce, a founding member and board member of the Wellington Boys & Girls Club, and a board member with the Vinceremos Therapeutic Riding Center.

In 1997, seven years after retiring from St. David’s, Mangrum and his wife left Wellington for a retirement community in Boca Raton. He did return on occasion, including to receive a community service award from the Town-Crier in 2000 and to have his name placed on Wellington’s Founders Plaque in 2003.

Shirley Mangrum passed away in 2001, while Father John Mangrum died March 18, 2010, at the age of 87.

“It was the great Henry Pitt Van Dusen who said that the minister is the duly accredited friend of the whole community,” Mangrum said when interviewed for his Town-Crier community service award in 2000. “That idea has governed my whole life. In Wellington, that is what I was, and that is why you were here talking to me today.”

A Expert Eye For Equine Art
International Fine Art Photographer Irina Kazaridi Is A Master With The Camera

By Mike May

Every year during the winter season, Wellington is home of many specialists in the equestrian world — riders, owners, trainers, grooms, breeders, coaches, journalists and more. Among the visitors are world-renowned equestrian photographers, and this year, that group included Irina Kazaridi, a fine art photographer who specializes in equestrian and polo photography.

Kazaridi hails from Beaulieu-sur-Mer, a scenic town in the south of France located between Nice and Monaco.

Recently, Kazaridi spent two months in Wellington, and she was not alone.

“My family joined me on this trip, so we combined it with a holiday,” she explained.

During the trip, she was able to mix business with pleasure.

“The main reason for coming to Wellington was the Winter Equestrian Festival, a unique and beautiful event that reunites the most elegant equestrian society and their most amazing horses,” Kazaridi said. “I had two small exhibitions of my work planned. One was at the beautiful private equestrian property in Wellington, Double A Stables, and another at the Longines Global Champions Tour in Miami. It was a great opportunity to showcase my work.”

Kazaridi has been taking photographs and showcasing her unique work for more than 10 years.

“I’ve been in the equestrian photography business since 2013, starting with polo in Saint-Tropez, which is near my home,” Kazaridi said. “Over the past 11 years, I’ve traveled the world to the most beautiful equestrian events.”

She excels in taking pictures of a wide variety of equine subjects.

“I photograph all types of horses, including jumpers, dressage, polo and racing horses,” Kazaridi explained.

She specializes in taking pictures of horses because of the appeal of the unexpected.

“I am drawn to taking pictures of horses because of the unpredictability of shooting, and the excitement of chasing the perfect shot,” Kazaridi said. “It’s also satisfying to see my works adorn the most sophisticated interiors.”

While Kazaridi knows how to take great pictures, her ability to bring that photo to life, so to speak, is what makes her artwork uniquely special.

“My specialty is creating fine art portraits for interior décor, and I collaborate with designers worldwide,” Kazaridi said.

One of Kazaridi’s biggest fans is equestrian Ariane Stiegler, president of Double A Stables in Wellington.

“What caught my eye was how she reached into horses’ souls and photographed them in a very unusual way — portraying only parts of their anatomy,” Stiegler said. “Her prints are large, extremely powerful and decorative. I knew when I called her that her uniqueness would set her apart from all traditional photographers in the United States and worldwide. I truly believe she is one of a kind.”

Kazaridi’s latest project is a new and different kind of equine pictorial.

“Now, I’m working on my new book of fine art photographs of the white wild horses of Camargue,” Kazaridi said. “It’s in the Provence region, in the south of France.”

Stiegler knows that Kazaridi’s new project will be well received by the general public, especially by horse lovers.

“She is extremely creative and her new endeavor of shooting horses in Camargue and putting together a book will propel her to new heights,” Stiegler said.

To learn more about the equine fine art photography of Irina Kazaridi, visit www.horseprintcollection.com.