By Drew Bigby In my first week as CEO of Lower Keys Medical Center, it has been a privilege to meet the men and women who deliver care and services at more than 134,000 patient encounters annually in our hospital, DePoo campus and medical offices. May is an important month to recognize healthcare workers across the U.S. as we celebrate National Nurses’ Week May 6-12, National Hospital Week May 11-17 and National Emergency Medical Services Week May 18-24. These observances give us all an opportunity to c... ... Read More

Visualization platform aids in minimally-invasive procedures As part of a continuing investment in technology, Lower Keys Medical Center has enhanced its surgical capabilities with an upgraded surgical visualization platform. The camera tower allows surgeons performing minimally-invasive surgeries to more clearly see the procedure area. As the surgeon guides the instruments, the camera brightens and magnifies the movements. A versatile design makes the technology useful in a variety of procedures, inclu... ... Read More

Lower Keys Medical Center has completed renovations to the nuclear medicine room and upgraded the nuclear medicine camera and equipment. The new technology offers faster scan time, reduced dosage of tracers, enhanced detection of small lesions and higher image quality from a premium camera. Nuclear medicine diagnostics examine structure and metabolic function of body organs such as the kidneys, gallbladder, thyroid, parathyroid glands and stomach and can be used to identify bone infections, blood clots,... ... Read More

Lower Keys Medical Center employees participated in the third annual Jars of Love Peanut Butter Drive through the month of March, collecting 175 jars of peanut butter for the SOS Foundation Stock Island Food Pantry. In Monroe County, the average cost of a meal is $5.29, compared to $3.99 as a national average. The SOS Foundation’s mission is to foster a healthier community by increasing equitable food access through food distribution, food recovery, and nutrition education. They distributed more than 1.... ... Read More

In recognition of National Doctors’ Day (March 30), Lower Keys Medical Center made charitable contributions to three local organizations to honor the medical staff. For the eighth annual presentation, hospital medical staff members selected organizations that have a significant impact on social determinants of health. The recipients for 2025 are MARC House, Samuel’s House, and Habitat for Humanity of Key West and Lower Florida Keys. The Monroe Association for ReMARCable Citizens provides wrap around lif... ... Read More

The College of the Florida Keys (CFK) Foundation received $100,000 from Lower Keys Medical Center (LKMC) for nursing scholarships. The donation matches $100,000 provided by the State of Florida’s Linking Industry to Nursing Education (LINE) Fund to support nursing instructors. Established by the Florida Legislature in 2022, the LINE grant program incentivizes collaboration between nursing education programs and health care partners to combat the growing nursing shortage in the state. LKMC, adjacently lo... ... Read More

Lower Keys Medical Center welcomes Leandro Perez, M.D., and Julian Javier, M.D., board-certified interventional cardiologists. They join Cesar Jara, M.D., in the Lower Keys Medical Center cardiac catheterization lab, providing 24/7 STEMI coverage and performing procedures to diagnose and treat cardiac conditions, including heart attacks. Dr. Perez received his medical degree at Madre and Maestra Pontifical Catholic University in Santiago, Dominican Republic, and completed his internal medicine residency... ... Read More

Lower Keys Medical Center has named Felix “Drew” Bigby as its new chief executive officer, effective April 28. Bigby is a 29-year Navy veteran with more than 35 years of experience in healthcare administration, including the successful management of major health systems and community hospitals in the U.S. and abroad. Most recently, Bigby served as chief administrative officer of Providence-Swedish Health Services in Seattle, where he managed day-to-day operational activities at four locations, including... ... Read More

Keys Medical Group Gastroenterology welcomes Grace Maliberan, MSN, APRN, FNP-C. Maliberan is a board certified family nurse practitioner with over 18 years of nursing experience in adult hemodialysis/apheresis, vascular access and endoscopy. Maliberan is a graduate of St. Thomas University in Miami Gardens, Florida. Maliberan believes in providing a holistic approach and delivering patient care with compassion and emotional support. She joins Orlando Lopez-Roman, M.D., who is board-certified in gastroen... ... Read More

On February 26, 2025, Lower Keys Medical Center celebrated nine team members at the Annual Employee Awards dinner and recognized employees with milestone years of service. Dito Garmendia, clinic supervisor, was named Employee of the Year for Keys Medical Group. Colleagues noted Dito’s flexibility, willingness to help, and his ability to stand up to challenges. Eddie Bushey, behavioral health RN, received the Employee of the Year award for Lower Keys Medical Center’s Depoo campus. Coworkers recognized Ed... ... Read More