March 10, 2021 – Solis Mammography, the nation’s largest independent provider of breast health and diagnostic services, is pleased to announce that it has entered into a partnership with Miami Breast Institute, a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence in the Miami market. 
 
Miami Breast Institute opened in 2008 under the clinical leadership of two board-certified, fellowship-trained breast imaging specialists, Anamary Quiros Mesa, MD, and Elsy Carbot-Flores, MD. Both physicians are graduates of the University of Miami School of Medicine, with fellowships in breast imaging from Mt. Sinai Medical Center in Miami.
Miami Breast Institute’s reputation as a leading provider of comprehensive women’s radiology services with an incomparable tradition of patient satisfaction, makes it a natural fit with Solis Mammography’s philosophy of marrying technical innovation and clinical leadership with a high-touch, patient-centric experience.
 
“We have a mutual dedication to delivering an exceptional experience,” said Grant Davies, president and Chief Executive Officer of Solis Mammography. “As we look to expand into a vibrant and competitive market, our partnership with Miami Breast Institute gives us a firm foundation to build on as we share our singular mission of advancing women’s healthcare with patients and the clinical community.”
 
“We chose Solis Mammography as our breast health partner so we could improve operational efficiencies in order to serve more patients,” said Art Mesa, executive director and co-founder of Miami Breast Institute. “Solis gives us access to state-of-the-art imaging systems and advanced clinical technologies. They have a proven infrastructure that can help us grow across the region.”
 
Miami Breast Institute’s existing radiology team of skilled physicians and technologists will continue to serve patients, providing the focused expertise in high-quality breast imaging, from 3D mammography to breast MRI, that patients and referrers have come to count on.
Solis Mammography’s partnership with Miami Breast Institute expands its footprint into its 10th major market.
 
 
 
About Solis Mammography
Solis Mammography is a specialized healthcare provider that has been dedicated to helping women achieve and maintain breast health and peace of mind for more than 30 years and more than 5 million procedures. Headquartered in Addison, Texas, Solis operates more than 85 centers in ten major markets, including North Texas, Houston, Denver, Phoenix, Chicago, Philadelphia, Columbus, Nashville, Greensboro and Miami, and, through its affiliated brands Washington Radiology and Progressive Radiology, Washington D.C., Maryland and Virginia. The company operates both wholly owned centers and multiple successful joint venture partnerships with large hospital systems and prominent medical institutions.
                                                                                         
 


March. 10, 2021 – Healthcare Network has received a $50,000 grant from Delta Dental Community Care Foundation to provide continued preventive, restorative, surgical and emergency dental services to children and adults who otherwise could not afford it and would likely go without care. In addition to its three conventional dental locations, the grant will also help fund the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile® and the Health & Smiles Mobile units, which bring dental care directly to migrant families and communities.
 
In 2019, Healthcare Network provided essential dental services to 11,553 adults and 16,391 children. In the same year, the Care Mobile provided 2,975 sealants and screened 2,435 children at 13 Title 1 Schools – those with a high percentage of students from low-income families and the Health & Smiles Mobile provided care to 438 patients through 990 patient visits.
 
“Amid the pandemic, we are very grateful for the continued generosity of the Delta Dental Community Care Foundation,” said Dr. Emily Ptaszek, president and chief executive officer of Healthcare Network. “With support from the Foundation, we will be able to provide treatment and oral health education to patients who have recently lost their employment, are uninsured or underinsured and face multiple barriers to care.”
 
According to the CDC, populations disproportionately affected by COVID-19 are also at higher risk for oral diseases and experience oral health disparities at higher rates. Children at most risk are from lower socioeconomic families where barriers to care such as caregiver low health literacy, language proficiency, dental insurance and geographic access are prevalent.
 
“The Delta Dental Community Care Foundation is committed to supporting the most vulnerable members of our communities,” said Kenzie Ferguson, vice president of Foundation and corporate social responsibility for Delta Dental of California and its affiliates. “We take enormous pride in supporting the work of Healthcare Network to increase access to vital dental services to underserved children and adults in Collier County.”
 
For more information, visit www.HealthcareSWFL.org or to schedule an appointment, call 239-658-3000.
 
About Delta Dental Community Care Foundation
The Delta Dental Community Care Foundation partners with local communities to increase access to care, support dental education, and fund research that advances the oral health field. Since 2011, the Foundation has awarded more than $60 million across 15 states and the District of Columbia. The Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Delta Dental of California and its affiliated companies, including Delta Dental Insurance Company, Delta Dental of Pennsylvania and Delta Dental of New York, Inc.
 
About Healthcare Network
Healthcare Network is committed to ensuring quality healthcare is accessible to everyone in our community, regardless of income or insurance status. Founded in 1977 to serve migrant farmworkers and their families in Immokalee, Healthcare Network now provides care to approximately 50,000 patients annually in practices throughout Collier County including the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile® and the Health and Smiles Mobile units. Healthcare Network provides primary healthcare services including family care, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, senior care, and pharmacy as well as dental care and integrated behavioral health for both adults and children. The organization’s newest location, the Nichols Community Health Center, is a 51,000-square-foot primary care medical center in Golden Gate. For more information, visit www.HealthcareSWFL.org, or to schedule an appointment, please call 239-658-3000.
 
 


March 9, 2021 – In support of geleophysic dysplasia research, Ibrahim Al-Rashid, chairman of Limestone Asset Management, and his wife, Ryann, have donated $3 million to the University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine. The couple has made the charitable gift in honor of their young son, who is affected by geleophysic dysplasia, and others who have the condition.  
 
The donation will support the Al-Rashid Family Geleophysic Dysplasia Research Fund, in the Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation Department of Human Genetics at the Miller School. The fund will support a comprehensive research initiative for geleophysic dysplasia that translates functional studies and the identification of treatment targets into drug screening and gene-based therapies.
 
The Al-Rashid family has been longtime and loyal supporters of many initiatives at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. Ibrahim’s siblings, Fahad, Salman and Mohammad Al-Rashid are longtime UM supporters who will also be participating in this donation. Led by the philanthropy of their father, Dr. Nasser Al-Rashid, the Al-Rashid family has donated over $20 million to the University of Miami prior to Ibrahim and Ryann’s recent $3 million commitment.
 
“When my wife, Ryann, and I were told that our son had been diagnosed with geleophysic dysplasia, we didn’t know where to turn, as the internet didn’t contain much information or hope. Geleophysic dysplasia was orphaned like so many other rare diseases,” said Ibrahim Al-Rashid, a University of Miami graduate and Miami resident. “For us and other families suffering from this devastating diagnosis, that hopelessness stops today. We are here for the community and hope that the research being conducted at University of Miami develops treatments meaningful enough to alter the course of those afflicted with this disease. We truly appreciate the University of Miami’s expertise, willingness and enthusiasm in taking on this research project. We urge those who have been diagnosed to contact us in order to strengthen our knowledge of the natural history of geleophysic dysplasia. You are our resource as much as we are yours.”
 
“It’s difficult to put into words how much my son’s diagnosis paralyzed me with fear. I continue to seek hope in every avenue possible,” said Ryann Al-Rashid. “I know God has a plan for him that is bigger than anything I can imagine. My hope is this research can help our son and every single person with this rare condition.”
 
If you have been diagnosed with geleophysic dysplasia and would like to provide the Al-Rashid family and the University of Miami with more information on the natural history of this condition, please call 305-243-2381.
 
The fund will be administered by Mustafa Tekin, M.D., Chief of the Division of Clinical and Translational Genetics in the Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation Department of Human Genetics, at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. 
 
“The University of Miami is one of the top places to study rare diseases; it’s not by chance that we are working on this particular study,” notes Dr. Tekin. “Our team has the experience and expertise, and now thanks to Ibrahim and Ryann Al-Rashid, we can take this work to the next level and get it done.”
 
“We are very grateful to Ibrahim and Ryann Al-Rashid for this extraordinary gift to fund geleophysic dysplasia research,” said Henri R. Ford, M.D., M.H.A, dean and chief academic officer of the Miller School. “Their heart-felt contribution allows us to advance much needed research into this rare disease and develop the treatment options that can improve and save lives.”
 
Geleophysic dysplasia, a progressive condition resembling a lysosomal storage disorder, is characterized by short stature, short hands and feet, progressive joint limitation and contractures, distinctive facial features, progressive cardiac valvular disease, and thickened skin. Cardiac, respiratory, and lung involvement result in death before age 5 in approximately 33% of individuals with ADAMTSL2-related geleophysic dysplasia
 


March 10, 2021 – Alzheimer’s disease training requirements for long-term care staff and an Alzheimer’s awareness campaign for health care providers were among the 2021 state legislative priorities announced by the Alzheimer’s Association Tuesday, March 9, in Tallahassee. The announcement came at a purple lighting ceremony on the steps of Florida’s Historic Capitol to raise awareness of Alzheimer’s disease.
 
Other legislative asks for the organization included the continuation of the Ed and Ethel Moore Alzheimer’s Disease Research Program, support for home and community-based services and programs through the Alzheimer’s Disease Initiative program and the Community Care for the Elderly program, as well as a continuation in funding for the Alzheimer’s Association Brain Bus. 
 
“We are here to end Alzheimer’s together,” said Michelle Branham, vice president of public policy for the Florida region of the Alzheimer’s Association. “Each year, we join each other in this fight. … Each year, our voices get stronger, and stronger and stronger; and each year, more importantly, the legislators are listening purposefully and intentionally. 
“In the years that I’ve been here, I used to have to explain what Alzheimer’s disease was,” she added, “and now I don’t have to do that at all because, unfortunately, those legislators and our leaders have those personal stories too.”
 
The event, which was livestreamed via social media, included statements from several of those legislators, including Rep. Cord Byrd, R-Neptune Beach; Rep. Michelle Salzman, R-Pensacola; Rep. Scott Plakon, R-Longwood; and Sen. Audrey Gibson, D-Jacksonville.
 
Gibson, in her pre-recorded remarks, noted: “We’ve made some great strides in Florida raising awareness about Alzheimer’s disease and advancing policy related to keeping Alzheimer’s disease a priority in this state, and I’m honored to have been a part of that. I’ve worked on several bills, including our Brain Bus bill that takes a mobile unit into underserved communities to make sure that they are aware of the prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease, particularly in communities of color.”
Gibson also voiced her support for Alzheimer’s disease training standards for long-term care staff, which is the subject of a bill she recently introduced (Senate Bill 634). 
 
“This year, I filed a bill that will help to create standards for all who come in contact and work with our Alzheimer’s disease sufferers, so that we have the latest information on how we take care of those dealing with this debilitating disease,” she said.
 
Additionally, Florida Department of Elder Affairs Secretary Richard Prudom was on hand to show his support and reflect on the efforts of Gov. Ron DeSantis and his administration to prioritize and address Alzheimer’s-related issues, including the launch of Project VITAL (Virtual Inclusive Technology for All) last spring.
 
“I think we recognize that since the pandemic began, it has been a constant, precarious balancing act between the need for life to go on but also to protect us from the adverse effects of the virus,” Prudom said. “What we didn’t know a year ago was the vital significance of mental health and well-being, and I think self-isolation and social distancing due to COVID (have) had a significant effect, especially on people living with dementia and their care partners.”
 
A joint initiative of the Alzheimer’s Association and the state of Florida, Project VITAL uses virtual technology, such as tablets, to help relieve the adverse effects of social isolation experienced by Florida’s seniors both at home and in long-term care communities throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
 
In a pre-recorded statement of support, Florida’s First Lady Casey DeSantis also highlighted the success of the initiative, noting: “In addition to Florida’s proactive, seniors-first approach to vaccine distribution, our state remains at the forefront of mitigating the effects of isolation, including anxiety and depression, through this unique, statewide project. To that end, the governor and I look forward to seeing how Project VITAL continues to grow and assist other states as the rest of the nation work to adopt this program.”
 
Tuesday’s event marked the first of the Alzheimer’s Association’s 2021 state advocacy days, called the “Alzheimer’s Rally in Tally.” On Wednesday and Thursday, Alzheimer’s advocates from across the state will meet virtually with their legislators to share their perspectives on Florida’s approach to dementia education, support services, research and funding.
Alzheimer’s disease is the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States. More than 6 million Americans are currently battling the disease, according to the Alzheimer’s Association’s “2021 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures” report, and Florida has the second-highest prevalence of the disease in the country with more than 580,000 diagnosed individuals.
For all those facing Alzheimer’s and other dementias, the Alzheimer’s Association offers around-the-clock support. For more information, visit www.alz.org or contact the Alzheimer’s Association 24/7 Helpline at (800) 272-3900.
 
 
 
Alzheimer’s Association
The Alzheimer’s Association leads the way to end Alzheimer’s and all other dementia – by accelerating global research, driving risk reduction and early detection, and maximizing quality care and support. Our vision is a world without Alzheimer’s and all other dementia. Visit alz.org or call (800) 272-3900.


March 10, 2021 – Nicklaus Children’s Health System, parent organization of Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, has appointed three new members to its board of directors. Joining the panel are Alex Krys, Carlos Perez-Abreu and Miguel Sosa, all recognized business leaders who contribute significantly to the South Florida community.
 
“Nicklaus Children’s is pleased to welcome our newest board members, Alex Krys, Carlos Perez-Abreu and Miguel Sosa,” said Matthew A. Love, health system president and CEO. “Each of these new appointees is well recognized for their business acumen and community activism. As stewards of the region’s only health system exclusively for children, the Nicklaus Children’s leadership team looks forward to benefitting from the remarkable experience of these exceptional community leaders.” 
 
Alex Krys is currently a managing member of Juniper Capital Partners, LLC, and is active in all of Juniper’s investments.  He has a corporate background as CEO of multinational operations, combined with significant experience in the financial and operational restructuring of complex businesses and assets.  Most recently, Juniper through its affiliate, purchased the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, which is rebranding as a Virgin Hotel and the Trump Towers in Toronto, now rebranded as St. Regis.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
Carlos Perez-Abreu, CPA, is managing partner with PAAST, PL, a full service audit, accounting, tax and management consulting firm. He has more than 25 years of public accounting experience, providing tax, accounting, assurance, business consulting and more to clients in a variety of industries, including automobile dealerships, financial services, manufacturing and more. In his current role, he oversees day-to-day operations and policy as well as strategic objectives. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Miguel Sosa is the founding partner of Premia Global Advisors, LLC, a private wealth management and advisory firm with clients around the globe. Previously, Mr. Sosa worked at Merrill Lynch for more than 30 years, most recently in its private banking and investment group where he obtained a global institutional consulting designation. Mr. Sosa has also served in the U.S. Air Force, receiving two commendation medals during his service tenure. 
 
 
 
 
About Nicklaus Children’s Health System
Nicklaus Children’s Health System (NCHS) is the parent organization of Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, South Florida’s only licensed specialty hospital exclusively for children. The 309-bed nonprofit hospital, known as Miami Children’s Hospital from 1983 through 2014, was founded in 1950 by Variety Clubs International and is renowned for excellence in all aspects of pediatric medicine, with many programs routinely ranked among the nation’s best by U.S. News & World Report. The health system also includes Nicklaus Children’s Hospital Foundation, the organization’s 501c3 fundraising arm; a network of nonprofit outpatient and urgent care centers situated in Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach and Martin counties; a nonprofit physician practice subsidiary; and an ambulatory surgery center. NCHS is the region’s only healthcare system exclusively for children.