Nestor Plana is the founder, chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of Independent Living Systems (ILS) — the parent company of Florida Community Care and Florida Complete Care. With nearly 30 years of experience in healthcare and public/private development and management, the focus of Plana’s business interests has been delivering innovative healthcare services for at-risk populations with a primary focus on transitioning long-term care away from institutions and back into the community.
Plana previously served as a founding president and chief operating officer of Beacon Health Plan in south Florida, where he successfully implemented a long-term care waiver program under a contract with the Florida Department of Elder Affairs. He also was a senior executive with Mercy Hospital Systems, served on the Florida Long-Term Care Committee and held the chairmanship of United Home Health Care.
He was named Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year in 2016 within the Health and Life Sciences category in Florida. In 2011 the American Federation for Aging Research awarded him the Florida Award in Distinction for his vision and leadership in making research and healthy aging a priority in Florida. In the same year, he was named one of the region’s Top Performers in South Florida Magazine’s Movers and Shakers issue. Additionally, Health Evolution Partners awarded Plana the Health Care Innovator of the Year Award in 2010. He was named among the top 50 business leaders of Miami for 2022 by U.S. Business Report.