Humanitarian of the Year

PALM COAST, Fla., December 4, 2018 – On Nov. 7, the AdventHealth Palm Coast Foundation honored the Humanitarian of the Year, Dr. Stephen Bickel during a banquet at the Hammock Dunes Club.

This recognition is awarded annually by the AdventHealth Palm Coast Foundation to recognize those who have made a substantial contribution to the community, both in personal time and energy, as well as financial support.

“It is an honor to receive this recognition from the AdventHealth Palm Coast Foundation,” said Bickel. “I truly enjoy the association with them and our common goal of taking care of those that live in our community.”

Bickel has been a Palm Coast County resident since 2011, where he first started caring for patients at the Palm Coast County Free Clinic.

He is also Palm Coast County’s local medical consultant of AdventHealth’s Community Care program, an initiative that helps uninsured and underinsured patients manage multiple chronic illness and live healthier despite multiple barriers.

As medical director of the Florida Department of Health in Palm Coast County and the Florida Department of Health in Volusia County, he has been instrumental in a variety of initiatives, including overseeing a high-quality HIV program and a chronic Hepatitis C program. Bickel and his colleagues in Palm Coast are currently developing a certified diabetes education program that will launch in early 2019.

Furthermore, Bickel helped develop and create Palm Coast Cares, an organization that focuses on developing a social safety net infrastructure in the community and is a founding member and Gold Member of the AdventHealth Palm Coast Foundation’s 20/20 Society.

“This award is very important to our Foundation,” said John Subers, AdventHealth Palm Coast Foundation director. “We honor someone who not only supports AdventHealth Palm Coast, but also gives of themselves to the community. It is obvious that Dr. Bickel does so much for the healthcare in our community.”

Previous AdventHealth Palm Coast Foundation Humanitarians of the Year include: AdventHealth Palm Coast Auxiliary and the AdventHealth HospiceCare Volunteers (2017); Dennis and Laurie Alter (2016); Peter and Sue Freytag (2015); Tony and Dottie Papandrea (2014); Charles M. Helms (2013); Kathy McKenna (2012); Annie W. Woodard (2011); Elmer C. Stainbrook (2010); and Jerald K. Tranzow (2009).

About AdventHealth Palm Coast
AdventHealth’s parent company, Adventist Health System, has announced that it will soon change its name to AdventHealth. Based in Altamonte Springs, AdventHealth is one of the nation’s largest faith-based health care systems with nearly 50 hospital campuses in nine states and more than 80,000 employees. As of Jan. 2, 2019, AdventHealth Palm Coast will adopt the AdventHealth name and logo. This name change is not the result of a merger, acquisition or change in ownership, but part of our efforts to help consumers easily identify AdventHealth’s care locations and services. We remain steadfastly committed to delivering whole-person care for the mind, body and spirit and our mission to extend the healing ministry of Christ remains the same.

Located in Palm Coast, AdventHealth Palm Coast has 99-beds and is one of the six AdventHealth’s in Palm Coast, Lake and Volusia counties that composes the AdventHealth Central Florida Division - North Region.