Governor Ron DeSantis Appoints Eight to the Board of Nursing

Posted in Latest News on June 1, 2021.

For Immediate Release: May 28, 2021

Contact: Governor’s Press Office, (850) 717-9282, media@eog.myflorida.com

Governor Ron DeSantis Appoints Eight to the Board of Nursing

Tallahassee, Fla. — Today, Governor Ron DeSantis announced the appointment of Mary Elizabeth “Libby” Flippo, Jose Delfin Castillo, Fidelia Roster, Jody Rain, Heather Baumwald, Robert Macdonald, Deborah Becker and Christine Mueller to the Board of Nursing. 

Mary Elizabeth “Libby” Flippo

Flippo, of Palm City, is the Chief Nurse Officer for Tenet Health System’s Palm Beach Health Network. Previously, she was Senior Vice President of Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer at Martin Health System. Flippo is a member of the Florida Hospital Association, American College of Healthcare Executives and the Florida Hospital Nurse Executive Council. She earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing from the University of Alabama in Birmingham, master’s degree in nursing leadership in healthcare systems from the University of Alabama in Huntsville and her master of business administration from Florida Atlantic University. 

Jose Delfin Castillo

Castillo, of Naples, is a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist at TEAMHealth and Premier Endoscopy Center. Previously, he was a CRNA at Collier Anesthesia. Castillo is a member of the Florida Nurses Association, Florida Association of Nurse Anesthetists and the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists. He earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing from West Visayas State University, bachelor’s degree in secondary education from Colegio de la Purisima Concepcion, master’s degree in nurse anesthesia from Wolford College and doctor of philosophy from Keiser University. 

Fidelia Roster

Roster, of Palm Coast, is Vice President and Chief Care Continuum Officer at Halifax Health. Previously, she held the positions of Vice President and Chief Surgical Services Officer, Chief Nursing Officer and Director of Nursing at Halifax Health. Roster is a member of the Florida Organization of Nurse Executives, American Association of Critical Care Nurses and the American Association of Operating Room Nurses. She earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing from St. Mary of the Plain College and her master’s degree in nursing from the University of Phoenix. 

Jody Rain

Rain, of Parrish, is Director of the Emergency Department at Manatee Memorial Hospital. She is a member of the Florida Nurses Association, Florida Organization of Nurse Executives and the American Nurses Association. Rain earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing from the State College of Florida and her master’s degree in healthcare administration from Western Governors University.

Heather Baumwald

Baumwald, of Fort Lauderdale, is Regional Sales Manager at Suneva Medical. Previously, she held sales positions with Zoll Medical, Johnson and Johnson, Phillips Healthcare and Medtronic. Baumwald earned her bachelor’s degree in business and communications from Florida State University. 

Robert Macdonald

Macdonald, of Seminole, is Executive Director of the Florida Prescription Drug Monitoring Program Foundation and the former Director of the Florida Dental Association. He earned his bachelor’s degree in secondary education from the University of Tennessee and his master’s degree in health administration and policy from the University of Cincinnati. 

Deborah Becker

Becker, of The Villages, is a member of the nursing faculty at the College of Central Florida. Previously, she was a nursing instructor at Ivy Technical College. Becker is a member of the American Nurses Association, National League of Nursing, International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and the Society for Simulation in Healthcare. She earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing from Indiana University and her master’s degree in nursing education from Indiana State University. 

Christine Mueller 

Mueller, of Sunrise, is the Nursing Program Director for Keiser University. Previously, she was the Nursing Clinical Manager at Memorial Regional Hospital. Mueller served in and received an honorable discharge from the United States Army and is a member of the American Association of Critical Care Nursing, Organization for Associate Degree Nursing and the National League for Nursing. She earned her associate’s degree in nursing from Broward College, bachelor’s degree in nursing from Barry University, master’s degree in nursing from Florida Atlantic University and doctor of nursing practice from Keiser University. 

These appointments are subject to confirmation by the Florida Senate. 



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