Pictured left to right: Board Member Bertha Condes, Board President Vivianne Jean Francois, Yolette Bonnet, Board Member Miron Ebanks
The site honors Yolette Bonnet, founder and first CEO of FoundCare
CLICK HERE FOR EVENT PHOTOS
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – FoundCare’s greatest supporters raised a glass to the first lady of FoundCare, Yolette Bonnet, as the organization recently dedicated its Okeechobee Blvd location in her name. The Yolette Bonnet Center, located at 5867 Okeechobee Blvd in West Palm Beach, stands as the culmination of Ms. Bonnet’s vision, hard work and perseverance following a lifelong promise to her late mother to provide quality healthcare to underserved community members. The full-service FQHC boasts 10,000-square-feet and offers a one-stop shop for individuals and families seeking quality healthcare services, regardless of their ability to pay.
“After losing my mother to a massive stroke, a condition that could have been avoided with proper healthcare access, I decided that I wanted to be very intentional with my life,” said Bonnet. “I wanted to translate the pain of losing my mother into something positive for others. FoundCare has unequivocally been about giving care, health, comfort, love and light to hard-working individuals like my mother, who deserve every right to live a long healthy life, for themselves and for their families.”
Under Ms. Bonnet’s leadership and prior to her retirement in February 2022, FoundCare conducted over 156,000 patient visits yearly and established a comprehensive service roster throughout seven locations in Palm Beach County.
“In the time I spent working with Yolette, I learned so much about perseverance, persistence and the importance of having the fortitude to continue on no matter what,” said FoundCare’s Chief Executive Officer Christopher Irizarry. “During her 20-year tenure at FoundCare, Yolette had so many opportunities to quit and she never did. FoundCare truly stands as a testament to Yolette’s devotion to our community and the promise she made to her mother.”
Major donors such as John Scarpa also echoed FoundCare’s significance for uninsured and underserved community members. The founder, former president and chief operating officer of American Cellular Network Corporation and co-founder of UNITEL Wireless Communications Systems spoke about FoundCare’s fundamental moral compass.
“We must all recognize that the most important thing you can do is care for other people,” said Scarpa. “Aside from everything else in this world, caring for individuals, caring for those less fortunate, caring for those with significant medical issues and just caring in general for everyone in our lives is important. I am very proud of Yolette and what she has done for FoundCare and the community.”
FoundCare’s mission is to provide quality healthcare and social services for all individuals and families. FoundCare accepts most insurance plans, Medicaid, Medicare and self-pay on a sliding fee scale based on household size and income. No one is turned away due to inability to pay. For more information about the Yolette Bonnet Center, FoundCare’s locations and service offerings, please call 561-HEALTHY (561-432-5849).
