Mayo Clinic Has A $2 Billion Annual Impact On Jacksonville

 At South Jax Rotary, we had the opportunity to hear an update about the expansion and advances at Mayo Clinic in Florida from Caroline Russell. Caroline is the Associate Administrator for the Department of Surgery, Surgical Specialities and the Department of Transplant at the Jacksonville campus. Mayo Clinic opened in Jacksonville in 1986 with 35 doctors and a staff of 145. The hospital currently has a staff of 8,506 including 1,184 physicians and is still growing. While people know the reputation of Mayo Clinic and the outstanding healthcare it offers the North Florida community, Caroline reports that the Jacksonville operation has an estimated economic impact of approximately $2B per year. This is an astounding asset for the city as it affects area employment, the need for suppliers and generating medical tourism services in our city. It also provides a business incubator through its Innovation Exchange that gathers healthcare entrepreneurs, startups and industry experts together to bring breakthrough innovations to market. Mayo Clinic has many great professionals, like Caroline, who can share more about Mayo Clinic offerings and resources. For more information, visit MayoClinic.org. Caroline is on the right in this “Lunch with Les” photo. 

Baker Design Build Is One Of The Top Contractors In Northeast Florida

 At our Rotary luncheon the other day, I was able to talk to fellow club member Tamara Baker about her very successful business, Baker Design Build. She is the owner of a company that provides engineering, design and construction services to federal, municipal, transportation, commercial and private business clients. While her firm mainly handles contracts $5 million and under, she does take on a few projects each year in the $5 – 15 million range. I asked her what sets her apart from her competition and she explained that she has the in-house capability of handling entire projects from start to finish. But also many large local contractors use her services because of her design/build versatility and she is also a rare source as a qualified minority contractor. About 90% of her work is in Northeast Florida with 10% taking her around the Southeast. Expertise in the various design/build disciplines, dependability and a proven track record of over 19 years has resulted in Tamara heading one of the most successful contracting companies in Jacksonville. Check out her website at bdbjax.com or you can contact her at (904) 356-8520 or tbaker@bdbjax.com. Tamara is on the left in this “Lunch with Les” photo.