Panamanian-American Melida Akiti, Corporate Transformation Executive at Broward Health, has been named one of Modern Healthcare’s Leading Women for 2025.
This prestigious recognition honors women executives from across the healthcare industry for their significant contributions to improving care delivery, advancing health equity, and shaping healthcare policy.
Akiti, who has a long-standing commitment to enhancing access to care and addressing critical health needs, expressed her gratitude upon receiving the honor. “Enhancing access to care and improving health outcomes, especially tackling pressing primary and maternal healthcare needs, is my passion,” she said. “This is an incredible honor, and I’m humbled to be recognized along with this incredible class of leading women in healthcare.”
In her current role, Melida Akiti works closely with executive management, overseeing strategic planning and partnerships for Broward HealthPoint, ACO/Population Health, Weston Urgent Care, and the Children’s Diagnostic & Treatment Center. Her leadership and vision have been pivotal in advancing Broward Health’s mission to improve healthcare access for underserved populations.
Mary Ellen Podmolik, editor-in-chief of Modern Healthcare, emphasized the significance of the 2025 honorees, noting, “The roles held by the honorees on our 2025 list of Leading Women and Rising Stars vary greatly, but they all have one thing in common — a commitment to helping their organizations reach the clinical, operational and financial goals. Their leadership and achievements are propelling the industry forward, both in terms of improving the patient experience and serving as mentors for other women in healthcare.”
Akiti, a longtime healthcare executive in South Florida, has played a pivotal role in launching Better Together, a collaboration between Broward Health and Memorial Healthcare System. The initiative aims to address health disparities and create sustainable healthcare solutions for communities affected by health deserts. Akiti’s vision includes establishing brick-and-mortar, mobile, and virtual healthcare delivery models for primary and maternal services.
Reflecting on the impact of this initiative, Akiti said, “Orchestrating a collaboration between these two public healthcare systems that will ensure that people in every corner of the county have access to care feels like a culmination of my life mission to help vulnerable communities. We are waging a war against some of the most common barriers to good health, focusing on treating hypertension and diabetes, addressing poor maternal care, and combating food insecurities to improve health outcomes. I know we are going to make a difference.”
A native of Panama, Melida Akiti has lived in South Florida for over three decades and holds a Master of Social Work from Barry University, along with an M.A. in Psychology from Saint Mary University. Her deep-rooted belief in serving others has been the cornerstone of her career, as she advocates for the voiceless and the underserved, striving to ensure that all individuals have access to the fundamental right to health.
Shane Strum, President & CEO of Broward Health, praised Akiti for her unwavering dedication to the community. “Melida has been a longtime healthcare champion for our community,” said Strum. “She is a fierce advocate for our underserved and with stealth precision identifies ways to eradicate barriers to healthcare, as evidenced by her creation of a new maternity center for Lauderdale Lakes, a community plagued by lack of OBGYN services. Within months, thousands of women who previously had to travel 30-plus minutes for an obstetrics visit had received care close to home. And certainly, her leadership of Better Together is having an immeasurable impact on the overall health of our community, so we couldn’t be more pleased that her lifelong efforts were recognized by Modern Healthcare.”
Akiti and the other honorees will be celebrated at the Leading Women Conference & Awards Luncheon on June 5, 2025, at City Hall Events in Chicago.
