New CEO tapped to lead Heart of Florida Health Center

Originally published in the Ocala Star Banner
Read the full article at Ocala.com

The Heart of Florida Health Center will have a new chief executive officer after Jan. 3. The agency’s board is hiring Jamie Ulmer to head the organization, which provides medical and dental care predominately to the poor.

Ulmer, who is currently the chief operating officer at Rural Health Services, Inc., in Aiken, South Carolina, will take the post left vacant by former CEO Rich Mutarelli.

While in Aiken, Ulmer restructured Rural Health’s business development and community outreach departments as well as the organization’s behavioral health and psychiatry tele-health program and expanded services to include a new dental program, according to a press release from Heart of Florida.

“The healthcare field has been a lifelong passion that has culminated in this wonderful opportunity,” Ulmer said in the press release. “It is an honor to serve at the pleasure of this great board of directors, as our highest priorities are to take care of our employees, ultimately accomplishing high quality healthcare to the residents of Marion County. My wife Bethany and I are ecstatic about the move and becoming members of this great community.”

Heart of Florida served about 48,000 medical patients this fiscal year and nearly 10,000 dental patients.

Heart of Florida is a federally qualified health center, meaning it is qualified to receive Medicaid, Medicare and other federal help for opening new facilities in areas that have a demonstrated need. About 36 percent of clients are uninsured.

Heart of Florida board chairman Thomas Buss said Ulmer was the CEO of choice to move the organization forward.

“We are humbled by our outstanding team in maintaining HFHC‘s mission as we have searched nationally, and with great excitement found a high-quality new commander in chief that will lead this great organization into the next chapter of its future success for our patients and our community,” Buss said in the press release.