Osceola Regional Medical Center, an HCA Healthcare North Florida Division – Orlando Market hospital, has announced the appointment of Ernest Block, MD, to the position of Trauma Medical Director.
A Central Florida resident for 25 years, Block has been a member of the medical staff at Osceola Regional Medical Center since 2016 and a full-time trauma surgeon at the hospital since 2019. Previously, he served as Trauma Medical Director at four other trauma centers across the state, including acting as Florida’s State Trauma Medical Director under Florida Surgeon General, Dr. John Armstrong, until 2018. Additionally, he was president of the Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma and currently serves as a commander in the United States Navy Reserves under the U.S. Marine Corps.
“Dr. Block has been an important part of the trauma team at Osceola Regional Medical Center for several years, and we’re thrilled that he has transitioned into this leadership role,” said Davide Carbone, Chief Executive Officer at Osceola Regional Medical Center. “His firsthand knowledge of how our hospital works, in addition to his military background and extensive experience in the Trauma Medical Director role, make him uniquely equipped to lead our Level II Trauma Center.”
“Throughout my career, I have been privileged to provide life-saving trauma care to patients when they need it most,” said Ernest Block, MD, Trauma Medical Director at Osceola Regional Medical Center. “I’m honored to continue my work with the Osceola Regional Medical Center team in this new capacity, and look forward to overseeing the highest standards of practice while promoting resident and staff education and trauma research.”
Dr. Block holds a bachelor’s degree from Cornell University, a medical doctorate from the University of Miami School of Medicine and an MBA from the University of Tennessee. He completed his general surgery residency at Albert Einstein Medical Center, as well as fellowship programs in surgical critical care and trauma at Jackson Memorial Hospital.
To learn more about Osceola Regional Medical Center and its leadership team, visit OsceolaRegional.com.
Osceola Regional Medical Center is a Joint Commission-accredited 404-bed tertiary hospital and a designated Level II Trauma Center. The hospital is a teaching hospital in collaboration with UCF College of Medicine and offers the highest level of heart and stroke care in Osceola County at the Heart and Vascular Institute and the Comprehensive Stroke Center, respectively. Other only-in-the-county services include: Pediatric Inpatient, Pediatric Intensive Care and the highest level of Neonatal Intensive Care (NICU Level III) in affiliation with Nemours Children’s Health System; Pediatric ER; Acute Inpatient Physical Rehabilitation; and Inpatient Behavioral Health. Osceola Regional Medical Center also provides robotic surgery in General Surgery, Spine, Orthopedic, Gynecological, Urology and Oncology. 24/7 emergency services include Accredited Chest Pain Center with Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI), and two free-standing emergency rooms: Hunter’s Creek ER (South Orlando) and Millenia ER. In addition to the maternity program at the Baby Suites and nursery with Nemours, the hospital has outpatient services such as the Osceola Imaging and Breast Center, Wound Healing and Hyperbaric Center, Kissimmee Physical Therapy Center, Kissimmee Surgery Center and counseling center.
