August 11, 2021 – Tykes & Teens, a leading provider of the highest quality, evidence-based mental health services and programs for children and adolescents for 25 years, has appointed Cheryl Christie, MS, as Chief Operating Officer.

“We couldn’t be more excited to welcome Cheryl to the Tykes Team!” said Tykes & Teens CEO Eric Garza, MHA, LCSW. “Cheryl’s nonprofit leadership experience combined with her clinical background will be instrumental in continuing our mission of prioritizing children’s mental health and our vision of building resilient communities that value mental health.”

“I’m thrilled to be part of a team that supports children and provides access to quality mental health services which positively impact the lives of children and families in a significant way, as well as communities as a whole,” said Tykes & Teens COO Cheryl Christie.

Before joining Tykes & Teens, Cheryl served as the Executive Director at the United Service Organizations (USO) in Fort Drum since 2018. She began her nonprofit work as the Director of Operations at Mount Carmel Veterans Center from 2016 until 2018. She also previously served as a therapist at a psychiatric hospital, and she operated her own practice in Colorado from 2014 until 2018. Cheryl earned her Bachelor’s in Psychology from Ashford University in 2009 and her Masters in Clinical Psychology and Counseling Psychology from Capella University in 2013. A mom of four, Cheryl is passionate about Tykes & Teens’ mission and supporting children and families. Outside of work you’ll find Cheryl spending time with her four kids, dogs and enjoying the Florida sun.

Tykes & Teens Chief Operating Officer Cheryl Christie, MS

For more information on Tykes & Teens’ programs and services focused on prioritizing children’s mental health, visit www.tykesandteens.org or call 772-220-3439.

To learn more about how you can support children’s mental health in our community, visit www.tykesandteens.org/give-help/ or donate now.

About Tykes & Teens

Tykes & Teens has been a leading mental health provider for children and adolescent evidence-based programs and services for 25 years. Our passion and commitment are to empowering children and strengthening families by ensuring that all children have access to high quality counseling and mental health services, regardless of financial status. Our mission is prioritizing children’s mental health in our families, schools and communities through a wide range of prevention, education, and treatment programs and services. We also advocate for increased awareness of mental health to remove the stigma and shame often associated with seeking mental health treatment. Since our inception, we have provided affordable quality mental health services for more than 60,000 children in need across the Treasure Coast from more than 50 service locations, including outpatient offices in Palm City, Jensen Beach, Hobe Sound, Port St. Lucie, and Vero Beach, on-site services in all Martin County schools, and in schools in Okeechobee and Indian River counties, as well as collaboration with numerous community partners, in addition to virtual telehealth services. We have continued to offer our services and programs throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, including virtual telehealth care. We accept most insurance, private payments, and we are a Medicaid-approved provider. We have successfully administered a sliding fee scale for those in need when necessary for more than 20 years. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit agency, we also provide $750,000 in unreimbursed services to the communities we serve each year. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.



August 11, 2021 — A University of Miami Miller School of Medicine biochemistry researcher has found that a nanoparticle drug delivery system can reduce HIV/AIDS viral reservoirs in the brain that normally contribute to neurological problems.

“While HIV can be managed as a chronic condition, current drugs cannot cross the blood-brain barrier,” said Shanta Dhar, Ph.D., associate professor of biochemistry and molecular biology, and assistant director of technology and innovation at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. “Therefore, the ability of nanoparticles to deliver antiretroviral drugs to the brain is a significant breakthrough that could potentially improve the treatment of brain cancers and other diseases.”

For the past decade, Dr. Dhar has been studying a polymer chain nanoparticle as a vehicle for intracellular drug delivery. Her latest laboratory study, “Brain-Accumulating Nanoparticles for Assisting Astrocytes to Reduce Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Drug Abuse-Induced Neuroinflammation and Oxidative Stress,” was published recently in the American Chemical Society journal, ACS Nano.

Miller School co-authors were Bapurao Surnar, Ph.D; Anuj S. Shah; Minseon Park,  Ph.D; Akil A. Kalathil; Mohammad Z. Kamra, Ph.D.; and Michal Toborek, M.D., Ph.D. The research team included Nagesh Kolishetti, Ph.D., as a corresponding author; his student, Royden Ramirez Jaime; and Madhavan Nair, Ph.D.; all from the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Florida International University.

Drs. Dhar and Kolishetti said, “Using an experimental model, we were able to use biodegradable brain-targeted polymeric nanoparticles to reduce the HIV/AIDS viral burden. We also included antioxidant and anti-inflammatory neuroprotectants to address stress and inflammation in the brain cells.”

Dr. Dhar noted that nanoparticle drug delivery offers a new strategy for treating HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders, such as HIV dementia, which can be magnified by recreational drug use in HIV-positive individuals. She added, “Looking ahead, this therapeutic strategy, which we have demonstrated in our laboratory, has great potential for improving treatment of a wide range of brain diseases.”

Publication link: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsnano.0c09553



August 11, 2021 ― Operational strategist and physician, Mark Davis, M.D., M.S., has been appointed chief operating officer at Miami Cancer Institute, part of Baptist Health South Florida. Dr. Davis comes from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, where he was vice president of Brigham Health International, leading academic collaborations between Brigham and multiple international parties, and executive director of Business Development and Strategic Initiatives, working on health system and hospital design, education, research and operations both nationally and internationally. He served most recently as senior advisor of Strategic Initiatives and Partnership and also an associate professor of emergency medicine at Harvard Medical School.

Dr. Davis has more than 20 years of experience as a national and global health leader and emergency medicine physician. In collaboration with the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, he helped establish a multi-billion-dollar advanced cancer hospital in China. He has served as a visiting scientist at NASA Johnson Space Center, an international ambassador to Romania and Israel through the American College of Emergency Physicians, and a member of the World Health Organization’s Essential Trauma Care Program Steering Committee. He has also advanced telehealth platforms internationally and among Native American underserved populations.

At Miami Cancer Institute, part of Baptist Health South Florida, Dr. Davis will be responsible for operational excellence and patient-centered care, playing a key role in developing long-term strategy in the areas of clinical care and technical advances, as well as navigating the complex financial environment faced by healthcare organizations today.

“Since its opening in 2017, the Institute has grown to become one of the largest cancer programs in the state in terms of patient volume,” said Michael J. Zinner, M.D., CEO and executive medical director. “Dr. Davis has a deep commitment to clinical quality, patient safety and efficiency in the delivery of healthcare. We are excited to have someone with his expertise on board as we continue our phenomenal growth, offering new services and expanding our research programs, opening additional locations in South Florida and internationally, and developing and acquiring the latest technologies.”

Dr. Davis received his medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, where he was recognized with the Medical Scholar award in 1990. He also has a master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education. He completed an internship and residency in emergency medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles Medical Center.

His numerous honors include the Humanitarian Award from the Hippocrates Society, Brigham and Women’s Hospital; the Best Faculty Clinician Award, Harvard Affiliated Emergency Medicine Residency Program, Brigham and Women’s Hospital; and an International Emergency Medicine Fellowship Award from the Ronald Reagan Institute of International Emergency Medicine, George Washington University School of Medicine.

Dr. Davis serves on the editorial boards of many professional journals and has served as reviewer for such publications as the Physician Leadership Journal, Annals of Emergency Medicine, American Journal of Emergency Medicine, European Journal of Emergency Medicine and Biomed Central.

Dr. Davis and his wife, Lauren Harshman Davis, M.D., a medical oncologist who works in the biotechnology industry, have two sons, enjoy the outdoors, traveling and walking their dogs.

About Miami Cancer Institute

Miami Cancer Institute brings to South Florida access to personalized clinical treatments and comprehensive support services delivered with unparalleled compassion. No other cancer program in the region has the combination of cancer-fighting expertise and advanced technology—including the first proton therapy center in South Florida, Latin America and the Caribbean, and one of the only radiation oncology programs in the world with each of the newest radiation therapies in one place—to diagnose and deliver precise cancer treatments that achieve the best outcomes and improve the lives of cancer patients. The Institute offers an impressive roster of established community oncologists and renowned experts, clinical researchers and genomic scientists recruited from the nation’s top cancer centers. Selected as Florida’s only member of the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer (MSK) Alliance, Miami Cancer Institute is part of a meaningful clinical collaboration that affords patients in South Florida access to innovative treatments and ensures that the standards of care developed by their multidisciplinary disease management teams match those at MSK.

Miami Cancer Institute is part of Baptist Health South Florida, the largest healthcare organization in the region, with 11 hospitals, more than 23,000 employees, 4,000 physicians and 100 outpatient centers, urgent care facilities and physician practices spanning across Miami-Dade, Monroe, Broward and Palm Beach counties. Baptist Health has internationally renowned centers of excellence in cancer, cardiovascular care, orthopedics and sports medicine, and neurosciences. In addition, it includes Baptist Health Medical Group; Baptist Health Quality Network; and Baptist Health Care On Demand, a virtual health platform. A not-for-profit organization supported by philanthropy and committed to its faith-based charitable mission of medical excellence, Baptist Health has been recognized by Fortune as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in America and by Ethisphere as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies. For more information, visit BaptistHealth.net/Newsroom and connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.



August 10, 2021 – The Florida Hospital Association, the state’s leading voice for hospitals and health systems, provided the following update today on COVID-19 in the state. Statewide data is derived from the federal Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

HHS Statewide COVID-19 Update:

Current Confirmed COVID-19 Hospitalizations: 14,787

Percent of Previous Peak (7/23/20): 145%

Inpatient Bed Utilization (all patients): 84.9%

Inpatient ICU Bed Utilization (adults): 89.7%

Percent of Total Hospital Inpatients with Confirmed COVID (all patients): 32.5%

At this time, we are not reporting data on new COVID-19 cases from the CDC pending resolution of discrepancies identified by the Florida Department of Health.

Source: COVID-19 Reported Patient Impact and Hospital Capacity by State

FHA Hospital Update:

The following information is being released by the Florida Hospital Association from a survey of hospitals completed Monday August 9, 2021. This survey reflects responses from hospitals representing 87% of Florida’s acute care hospital beds.

  • COVID-19 patients in ICU: 20% (steady from 8/5)
  • COVID-19 patients on ventilator: 14% (steady from 8/5)
  • COVID-19 patients transferred from nursing homes/long-term care: 2.6% (steady from 8/5)
  • Hospitals expecting critical staffing shortage in next 7 days: 68% (increase of 8% from 8/5)
  • Hospitals expanding into non-care areas in next 7 days: 26% (steady from 8/5)

“As our hospitals provide complex care to ever increasing numbers of COVID patients and with unusually high numbers of very ill non-COVID patients, our front line health care heroes are finding themselves stretched thin and physical and mental exhaustion is taking its toll. This new delta variant is extremely infectious and leading to 25 and 35 year olds hospitalized for COVID,” said Mary C. Mayhew, President and CEO, Florida Hospital Association. “Getting vaccinated can save your life. Don’t risk it. Get the vaccine.”

The Florida Hospital Association will continue communicating with all Florida hospitals and state officials and provide additional updates as events warrant.

About the Florida Hospital Association Founded in 1927, the Florida Hospital Association is the leading voice for health care in the State of Florida. Through representation and advocacy, education and informational services, the Florida Hospital Association supports the mission of more than 200 hospitals and health care systems to provide the highest quality of care to the patients we serve. Led by President and CEO Mary Mayhew, the Florida Hospital Association has offices in Tallahassee and Orlando and is governed by a Board of Trustees and officers elected by the member institutions. For more information, visit www.fha.org. 



Jackson West has Open to the Community in August 2021

August 10, 2021 – Jackson West Medical Center – the first state-of-the-art medical campus in City of Doral – celebrated its grand opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on July 27, 2021.

Jackson West will combine consumer-centered inpatient and outpatient facilities with the latest surgical and medical programs. The new medical center, designed by the architectural firm Perkins + Will, sits on a 27-acre property just west of the Palmetto Expressway on Northwest 25th Street.

The medical campus features José Milton Memorial Hospital – a 100-bed all private acute care hospital – adult and pediatric emergency room, state-of-the-art surgical facilities, diagnostic and imaging services, maternity care services, and specialty physician clinics. The total cost of the project is $336.4 million.

In 2015, Jackson purchased the property as part of the Jackson Miracle-Building Bond Program. In 2016, the Jackson Health Foundation received a $10 million donation from the José Milton Foundation in honor of Mr. José Milton, a well-known Miami businessman who became passionate about Jackson after experiencing firsthand its high-quality level of care, available to all.

Summary:
• 100 private inpatient suites
• 24/7 adult and pediatric emergency department with a separate entrance for children
• Best-in-class labor and delivery rooms with spectacular views
• State-of-the-art operating rooms, equipped with the da Vinci Xi robot, the latest in minimally invasive technology
• A 22,000 square foot medical pavilion, featuring physician offices for both adults and children

The new medical campus allows Jackson Health System to expand its world-class medical care into some of the county’s fastest-growing residential and commercial communities. Residents in these neighborhoods, including Doral, Westchester, Sweetwater, Hialeah and Miami Lakes – all of whom help fund Jackson’s mission – will have access to Jackson’s services closer to where they live, work, and play.

In attendance at the opeing were:
Carlos A. Migoya, CEO, Jackson Health System
Flavia Llizo, Co-President & Chief Development Officer, Jackson Health Foundation
Eddie Borrego, CEO, Jackson West Medical Center
Cecil Milton, Honorary Benefactor
Ana Veiga Milton, Chair, Jackson Health Foundation Board
Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava
Chairman Jose Pepe Diaz, Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners
City of Doral Mayor JC Bermudez

Jackson West Medical Center
2801 N.W. 79th Avenue
Doral, FL 33122

Jackson West Medical Center is Right off the 826 Palmetto Expressway. Enter directly off of Northwest 25th Street or Northwest 79th Avenue.