Graduate students wanting to gain an edge over the competition face a heavy decision: choosing where they will complete a crucial internship. For Madison Workman, a University of Florida graduate student, that choice came easy. He recently decided that the best place for his internship is the same hospital where he was born and cared for as one of three premature triplets – North Shore Medical Center, a Tenet Florida hospital.
Madison, Brandon and Corey, now 23 years old, are the second set of triplets delivered at North Shore since the hospital’s founding. To this day, a handful of employees at the hospital still remember the excitement of their birth. “I remember writing a press release about them when they were born and seeing them at the annual NICU reunion party when they were 1-year-old, said Barbara Plizga, senior marketing manager at North Shore Medical Center, “It’s surreal to see them all grown up and in suits!”
Their mother Sherry spent 40 days in the hospital prior to giving birth to her sons because of the high-risk nature of her pregnancy. Her sons were all healthy at birth, but for monitoring purposes, were admitted to North Shore’s Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), the highest level of care designated by the state, for one month. “I had complete confidence in Dr. Mark Firestone, OBGYN and the medical staff,” said Sherry. “I cannot say enough wonderful things about the hospital for what they did for my family and me. They made sure my babies were healthy enough to strive outside of the hospital.”
Recently, the trio visited the unit where they took their first breaths. “The tour of the NICU filled me so much appreciation for the interdisciplinary health care team in that unit,” said Madison. “While looking around at the babies in the unit, I felt a sense of pride and confidence that they would one day be successful in whatever path they choose because of the excellent care they are receiving as newborns. I am forever grateful to the North Shore NICU team for giving me a chance at life.”
All three Workman brothers are currently enrolled at the University of Florida pursuing different degrees. Madison is earning his master’s degree in hospital administration and hopes to run a hospital one day. As a member of the Tenet Leadership Academy, an internship program at Tenet, Madison is working with North Shore’s administrative team to increase the hospital’s business development and expand its services through special projects. “My experience at North Shore Medical Center has been nothing short of amazing. I never thought I would be interning at the hospital where I was born,” said Madison. “The hospital staff has been so welcoming and they inspire me to keep learning and making a difference in the lives of others. I am very grateful for every opportunity I have had thus far at North Shore.”
“I always knew that Madison was born a leader, he was the first one to come out,” said Sherry. “I look forward to seeing where Madison, Corey and Brandon will go in their careers.” Corey earned his Bachelor of Science in Finance from UF and is pursuing a career in the financial services industry. Brandon earned his Bachelor of Science in Health Science from UF where he is pursuing a master’s degree in physician assistant studies.
The future looks bright for theWorkman brothers. After making it through a stint in a NICU, they are ready to face their futures in the medical industry the best way they know: together.
