BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA — Inside Health First Holmes Regional Hospital, the Heart Center lobby was arranged for the scholarly poster competition, with research posters displayed along black-draped walls.
This was the first interprofessional scholarly poster competition hosted by Health First, with 105 attendees, 50 student presenters, 22 judges, and featuring medical students from Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine, biomedical students from Florida Tech, Health First pharmacy residents, and Health First clinicians.
The competition itself was part of a larger effort taking shape behind the scenes.
Health First is working to establish a Graduate Medical Education program in Internal Medicine and Family Medicine, pending approval by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education.
That process requires a strong foundation in scholarly activity.
Judges gathered as a student explained the research she brought to present at Health First’s first scholarly poster competition.
Most of the presenters were first- and second-year medical students. They stood beside their work with a clear sense of excitement and readiness. When judges approached, they stepped into their explanations with confidence.
The posters covered six categories: clinical vignettes, clinical research, basic science research, biomedical research, quality improvement, and medical education innovations.
Each one reflected a different approach to medicine, yet all pointed toward the same goal of improving patient care.
Health First Hospitalist, Dr. Lynell Newmarch, helped lead that effort, building the structure that made this night possible.
“With a goal to establish a strong foundation for the GME program, the scholarly activity workgroup was established to create policies, procedures, and a consent form for scholarly activity to occur within Health First,” she explained.
Through collaboration with Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine, students were paired with mentors and given opportunities to complete meaningful research.
A pilot program with a smaller group helped identify challenges and refine the process. From there, the idea for a larger, interprofessional event took shape.
“This inaugural Health First Poster event gave Health First the opportunity to collaborate closely with educational institutions within Brevard County and cement a bond within our community,” Newmarch said.
“This has been a long time coming,” said Dr. Timothy Laird, Health First Medical Group Chief Medical Officer. “It really advances the quality of medical care in Brevard County by drawing attention to the great research that’s being done by local medical students.”
“This has been a long time coming,” said Dr. Timothy Laird, Health First Medical Group Chief Medical Officer.
“It really advances the quality of medical care in Brevard County by drawing attention to the great research that’s being done by local medical students.”
He added that it also rekindles physicians’ own academic mindset, bringing them back to the academic mindset and encouraging them to consider how new research can directly improve patient care.
“Having a system that’s involved in academia even helps us recruit and retain our doctors better,” he said, noting that many physicians are drawn to environments where innovation is part of daily life.
Terry Forde, Health First president and CEO, focused on the role of education in shaping the future of healthcare.
“Research and education really is the start of bringing best practices and a commitment to preparing the next generation for serving the needs of the community,” he said.
“When you have an education-based healthcare system that helps train future physicians and clinicians, it makes everybody better.”
Health First President and CEO Terry Forde speaks with medical students about their research projects during the inaugural scholarly poster competition. “Research and education really is the start of bringing best practices and a commitment to preparing the next generation for serving the needs of the community,” he said. “When you have an education-based healthcare system that helps train future physicians and clinicians, it makes everybody better.”
He emphasized that patients benefit directly, with more perspectives and greater attention supporting their care.
On the floor, those ideas were not abstract. They were happening in real time.
Students moved between posters, listening to one another and offering encouragement. The environment felt supportive rather than competitive.
Even as judges evaluated their work, there was a sense that everyone was contributing to something shared.
One of those students was Catherine Garrido, a student at Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine.
Standing beside her poster, she explained a complex case involving a dental abscess leading to a bloodstream infection and complicated by a chronic autoimmune blood disorder.
“Idiopathic thrombocytopenia purpura occurs when your body is fighting its own platelets. In this case, due to the patient’s autoimmune condition, the platelets are too low, and so the patient is at risk of bleeding,” she said.
Because of the patient’s extremely high risk of bleeding, the patient avoided routine dental care.
“The patient developed an abscess in her tooth, and this resulted in a bloodstream infection,” she explained, describing how it eventually spread to the heart, causing infectious endocarditis, and infecting the pacemaker leads and the Medi port catheter where the patient gets infusions.
When asked to summarize the takeaway, she put it plainly. “Oral health is extremely important.
Due to the patient’s high risk of bleeding, dental care was avoided. This emphasizes the importance of working as a team, having the Hematologist, Primary Care Physician, and the Dentist work together in concert to facilitate the safest care for the patient.”
For Garrido, the experience meant more than presenting a case. “I’m incredibly excited. It’s my very first poster presentation,” she said.
“I hope to gain tips on my communication and presentation skills, and also, it is just great camaraderie from my colleagues and the doctors here at Health First.”
By the end of the evening, certificates were awarded in each category for excellence. These recognitions will support students as they move forward in their academic careers. Still, the awards felt like just one part of the story.
What mattered more was what had been built.
This event created a space where students connected with physicians through academic inquiry and where institutions could work together.
It showed how education and healthcare can intersect in a way that strengthens both right here in Brevard County.
Plans for next year are already underway. The goal is not only to continue the event but to expand it, bringing in more participants and deepening the collaboration that has already begun.
The first event had ended, but its impact had not. At Health First, something new has started to take shape. Not just a program, but a culture. One built on curiosity, collaboration, and a shared commitment to improving care for the community.
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