Position serves all three hospitals

Merritt Island, FL - Michael Edwards has been named as Director of Pharmacy for Health First and will oversee the hospital pharmacy departments system wide for Holmes Regional Medical Center, Cape Canaveral Hospital, Palm Bay Community Hospital, as well as the future Viera Hospital. Edwards has been serving as Interim Director of Pharmacy following the retirement of Vince Trunzo earlier this year.

"Mike has done an outstanding job as Interim Director this year and his credentials in the field of pharmacy make him the ideal candidate for the position of system-wide Director," said Roy Wright, President and COO of Cape Canaveral Hospital.

Prior to his post as Interim Director, Edwards served as Pharmacy Manager for the past four years at Holmes Regional Medical Center. Edwards joined the Holmes Regional Medical Centers Pharmacy in 1992 as a Staff Pharmacist. In 1998 he was promoted to Pharmacy Supervisor. Five years later, in 2003, he became Manager in that Pharmacy. He also served as a Pharmacist with Specialty Pharmacy Services in Melbourne and Walgreens Pharmacy in Palm Bay.

Edwards holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from University of South Florida and a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of South Florida. He is currently pursuing his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from University of Florida.

Edwards serves on numerous Health First committees, including Pharmacy & Therapeutics, Medication Safety, Patient Safety, Board Quality, Policy Standards, Environment of Care, Emergency Management Team Planning, Hurricane Preparedness, Clinical Informatics Leadership, Joint Commission Medication Management, Pharmacy Value Analysis Team (as Team Facilitator), Quality/Operations, and Patient Care Services. He has also served as a member of the Pharmacy Department Partnership Council, VHA Pharmacy Directors Council, Neoplastic Disease Committee, and as HRMC Department Head Committee.