College of Medicine

June 2015

Randy Bertolette, M.D., the gentle and dry-witted pediatrician who has led the FSU College of Medicine’s regional campus in Fort Pierce since its creation, is stepping down as campus dean after eight years. Juliette Lomax-Homier, M.D., one of his clerkship directors, is assuming that role.

The transition should be smooth. Like Bertolette, Lomax-Homier has been part of the Fort Pierce campus from the start. When Bertolette became dean in 2007, he hired her as the OB-GYN clerkship director, overseeing the students' clinical training in obstetrics and gynecology. Early this year, when he confirmed his plans to step down, she became co-campus dean. The job becomes hers full time as of June 22. Bertolette, who will be largely retired, will serve as a part-time course director for Doctoring 3 beginning July 3.

“He is the model regional dean, a respected member of the medical community who helped build our reputation of excellence in that area,” said College of Medicine Dean John P. Fogarty. “He recruited the original clerkship directors along with the original faculty for that campus, developed the critical clinical relationships with our partners in that area, and helped support the first graduating class from there in 2009.”

Before he joined the College of Medicine, Bertolette had been in private practice in Vero Beach; vice chief of staff at Indian River Memorial Hospital; senior staff pediatrician for the Florida Child Protection Team; president of the Indian River County Medical Society; and a member of the Florida Medical Association board.

College of Medicine students spend their first two years at Florida State’s main campus in Tallahassee, then spend Years 3 and 4 at a regional campus, acquiring clinical training from community physicians. In addition to Fort Pierce, the medical school has regional campuses in Daytona Beach, Orlando, Pensacola, Sarasota and Tallahassee. At any given time, the Fort Pierce campus has roughly 20 third-year and 20 fourth-year students.

Students, alumni, faculty and other community members have had ample praise for Bertolette as word of his pending retirement has spread. Some of their comments were collected in a scrapbook presented to him. Words such as “kind,” “gentle,” “supportive,” “humorous” and “welcoming” showed up frequently.

“You always had an open door and dropped whatever you were doing when I came by with a question or simply to say hello,” 2015 graduate Ryan Berger wrote. “Your name also came up commonly with patients up and down the Treasure Coast. When I mentioned I was an FSU student, patients were quick to note that you were their physician or helped deliver their children. They always spoke fondly of you.”

Bertolette, in turn, spoke fondly of the students, faculty and staff members who had helped give the Fort Pierce campus such a firm foundation.

“The community-based plan is the best way to learn medicine, especially if the student is planning on practicing primary care,” he said. “I have enjoyed working with all of the people who strive daily to make the College of Medicine the best medical school in the country. And I know that the incoming Class of 2017 will be in the capable hands of Dr. Lomax-Homier.”

Fogarty calls Lomax-Homier “a superb role model and educator who has served as both OB-GYN clerkship director from the beginning and as our OB-GYN education director for the past year. Her leadership and calm presence in these roles has made her selection as campus dean very easy. She has continued a busy clinical practice in all this time and is a highly respected member of the medical community.”

Lomax-Homier expressed her gratitude for this new opportunity.

“When I came to Fort Pierce to complete a National Public Health Service Corps obligation just out of residency, I could have never dreamed that the same community would one day host a regional campus of a medical school,” she said. “It is my honor to represent the FSU College of Medicine in the community where I have served for 29 years. I only hope that I can fill the shoes of Dr. Bertolette.”

Fort Pierce and Daytona Beach are the newest of the six campuses.

“Fort Pierce was one of our second generation of regional medical campuses as we moved to full enrollment in 2007,” Fogarty said. “Our partnership with Indian River State College there is also very positive, as we have provided support for many of the premedical programs. It has pulled together a diverse group of community partners around a superb educational program, and we are seen by each of the hospitals there as strong partners and colleagues.”

In all, 107 of the College of Medicine’s 910 alumni have trained at the Fort Pierce campus.