WEST PALM BEACH — Dr. LaTanya L. McNeal, executive dean for Palm Beach State College’s Belle Glade campus, was recently appointed to the Lakeside Health Advisory Board, the Health Care District of Palm Beach County’s hospital advisory board. The board advises the Health Care District Board of Commissioners on issues related to the overall health and wellness of Glades residents, visitors and underserved members of the community. Dr. McNeal fills the seat vacated by Maria M. Vallejo, Ph.D. who retired in March as vice president for growth & expansion and provost for the Palm Beach State College’s Belle Glade and Loxahatchee campuses.

“I am honored to serve on the Lakeside Health Advisory Board to help support Lakeside Medical Center as the heart of health care in the Glades,” said Dr. McNeal. “This teaching hospital is a vital component of the health care safety net and I look forward to working with the board to help meet the health care needs of our community.”

Dr. LaTanya L. McNeal

Dr. McNeal is an educator with 23 years of experience in secondary and post-secondary education. Prior to her recent promotion to executive dean, she served as assistant dean of student services. Dr. McNeal is the chair of the Glades area Advisory Board for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County, serves as an AdvanceED External Review school accreditation team member for the state of Florida and is a member of the Lake Okeechobee Regional Economic Alliance (LORE). She also serves on the Glades Career Readiness Roundtable (GCRR), the Dolly Hand Cultural Arts Center advisory board and the Pahokee Rotary.

“We are pleased to welcome Dr. McNeal as a member of the Lakeside Health Advisory Board,” said Darcy J. Davis, Health Care District CEO. “Her leadership in the rural, western communities will be an asset to our hospital and the patients we serve.”

Dr. McNeal obtained her bachelor’s in biomedical sciences and master’s in educational leadership from the University of North Florida. In 2018, she obtained her doctoral degree in higher education and organizational leadership from Nova Southeastern University.
“We are thrilled to have Dr. McNeal join the Lakeside Health Advisory Board,” said Janet D. Moreland, ARNP, MSN, LHRM, executive director. “She brings an extensive background in education and a wealth of experience and service in the Glades community.”

The members of the Lakeside Health Advisory Board also include Rev. Robert Rease, chairman; Alina M. Alonso, MD, vice chair and director of the Florida Department of Health for Palm Beach County; Mary Weeks, RN, secretary, Julia Hale, Inger Harvey, Eddie Rhodes and Carolyn W. Jones.

Lakeside Medical Center is a 70-bed, acute care, teaching hospital accredited by The Joint Commission and was named a top A-rated hospital in the nation for patient safety in fall of 2018 by The Leapfrog Group. In 2011, the hospital became one of Florida’s few rural, teaching hospitals offering a Family Medicine Residency Program.