Hospital Will Continue $170 million in Renovations and Advancements throughout 2021 to Enhance Offerings and Patient Experience
 
April 21, 2021 – HCA Healthcare’s Kendall Regional Medical Center, a 447-bed tertiary-care teaching facility, continues to renovate and expand its main campus, located at 11750 Bird Road. Since 2018, the total investment has been approximately $100 million with an additional $70 million slated for 2021-2022.
 
For over 45 years, Kendall Regional Medical Center has been committed to delivering quality care to the Kendall community. Today, the hospital has grown into a major tertiary-care teaching and research facility in South Florida with a robust physician residency program, and a full range of healthcare specialties. 
 
“As one of the largest hospitals in Miami, we are excited to continue building our footprint in the community to accommodate the incredible growth in recent years,” said Brandon Haushalter, CEO of Kendall Regional Medical Center. “Upon completion, this renovation will offer our community new, modernized spaces that will elevate the patient experience from start to finish.” 
 
2020 Enhancements
In 2020, Kendall Regional opened its new West Patient Tower, adding 83 beds equipped with state-of-the-art technology. Designated units include a new Burn & Trauma Intensive Care Unit (ICU), a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), a post-partum area for new mothers, and a new unit for patients recovering from surgical procedures. With these new openings, the hospital now has 78 ICU beds.
 
Kendall Regional’s burn program, verified by the American Burn Association, treats patients of all ages for burns of varying degrees and types, including first-, second- and third-degree burns and electrical burns. It is the largest Burn Center in South Florida.
 
Lastly, the opening of a much-needed 9-floor parking garage on the west side of campus has added even more free parking for patients, visitors and staff. 
 
2021 Plans
Kendall Regional Medical Center has recently opened an additional five Level III NICU beds in its Labor & Delivery Department as well as a new integrated Interventional Radiology (IR) suite. Other enhancements slated for this year include an expanded cafeteria, featuring an outdoor courtyard for patients, visitors and staff (expected summer 2021), and a second MRI suite (expected August 2021).
 
Lastly, the facility will be investing $25 million in the East Tower to modernize patient rooms and nursing areas, which is slated to start in mid-2021.
 
Kendall Regional Medical Center has been honored nationally with many prestigious awards and accolades, including being named a 250 Best Hospital in America by Healthgrades for three consecutive years, most recently in 2021. In addition, Kendall Regional was recognized by Healthgrades for excellence in gastrointestinal care, general surgery, prostate surgery, joint replacement, orthopedic surgery and stroke care. 
 
Kendall Regional continues to expand its offerings to the community beyond the main hospital with its two affiliated freestanding Emergency Departments (EDs). Located in Doral, Florida, and The Palms at Town & Country in Kendall, Florida, the freestanding EDs opened in the last three years and offer a full range of services.
 
For more information about Kendall Regional, visit www.kendallmed.com. 
 
 
 
About Kendall Regional Medical Center
Kendall Regional Medical Center, an award-winning 447-bed hospital, is recognized for providing a wide array of services to the residents of South Florida, as well as visitors from around the world. The hospital has been named a 250 Best Hospital in America by Healthgrades for three consecutive years, including 2021. Kendall Regional offers 24-hour comprehensive medical, surgical and diagnostic services, including trauma and burn care, pediatrics and maternity services, an orthopedic and spine institute, along with patient and community services. The hospital is a major tertiary-care teaching facility, with more than 1,000 physicians and specialists and 2,000 employees. Kendall Regional Medical Center also has two freestanding Emergency Departments—Doral Emergency Room and Town & Country Emergency Room. The main campus of Kendall Regional Medical Center is located at 11750 Bird Road, Miami, FL 33175. For information, visit www.kendallmed.com or call 305-223-3000.
 
 


 Florida Blue teams with Lyft and other transportation groups to help eliminate barriers to vaccinations 

April 22, 2021 – Florida Blue, the state’s Blue Cross Blue Shield plan, is teaming with Lyft and other transportation companies to offer its members access to rides to and from vaccination appointments as part of its services to support vaccination events across the state. 
 
The transportation services are available to members with Medicare Advantage, individual and family health plans, such as Affordable Care Act (ACA) plans, and fully insured employer-provided plans. The state’s largest insurer has teamed up with Lyft to provide access to rides for people with individual, family and employer health plans, offering ride credits of up to $25 each way, and transportation companies Kaizen Health and ModivCare (formerly LogistiCare) for its Medicare Advantage members. 
 
“Throughout the pandemic, Florida Blue has rolled out new tools and assistance programs to help our members and their communities get essential care and services,” said Pat Geraghty, GuideWell and Florida Blue president and CEO. “Accessibility should not be an obstacle for getting vaccinated. We are working with our partners to take members to vaccination sites and to bring pop-up sites to communities in need.” 
 
Members needing transportation assistance should call the toll-free number on the back of their Florida Blue card or their local Florida Blue Center at 877-352-5830. The centers’ neighborhood nurses and community specialists can answer questions about the COVID-19 vaccine, including where they can get one.
 
For Florida Blue members receiving a two-dose vaccine, the insurer will assist with access to transportation for both doses. 
 
The transportation assistance is the latest effort undertaken by the Florida Blue to reduce barriers to vaccination to Floridians. Last month, the company announced its participation in the nationwide Community Connector program to vaccinate 2 million of the country’s most vulnerable seniors as quickly as possible through targeted, personal outreach and vaccination events in socially vulnerable areas. The insurer also has partnered with medical and pharmacy providers, non-profit organizations and local officials to vaccinate homebound seniors, people in rural communities and other disadvantaged Floridians. 
 
“All Floridians – regardless of their income level, neighborhood, ethnicity or employment status – should have access to the COVID-19 vaccine. It’s the safest way for us to return to celebrating with family and friends, hearing the roar of the crowd at sporting events and concerts, and returning our state to the travel and tourism destination it’s known for,” added Geraghty. 
 
 
 
About Florida Blue 
Florida Blue, Florida’s Blue Cross and Blue Shield company, has been providing health insurance to residents of Florida for more than 75 years. Driven by its mission of helping people and communities achieve better health, the company serves more than 5 million health care members across the state. In total, Florida Blue and its affiliated companies serve more than 28 million people in 45 states. Headquartered in Jacksonville, Fla., it is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.
 


April 21, 2021 –  For nearly five months, Jackson Health System has embraced one of the most ambitious public health projects in its history: vaccinating the community against COVID-19. Since administering its first shot on December 15, 2020, Jackson has been a leading provider of this potentially lifesaving vaccine in Miami-Dade County, vaccinating more than 167,000 people, and administering a total of 301,000 Pfizer doses.
 
Following an increase in access to shots throughout the county and a decrease in demand in appointments at Jackson’s three vaccination sites, Jackson will stop providing first shots to the public after April 30. Anyone who receives a first shot at Jackson is guaranteed a second dose, with those appointments continuing until May 21 at our three vaccine locations: Christine E. Lynn Rehabilitation Center, Jackson South Medical Center, and North Dade Health Center.
 
“In the first months, we were providing an overwhelming share of our community’s volume. Thankfully, coordination among federal, state, local, and private stakeholders has dramatically expanded access across Miami-Dade. As a result, we have seen a decrease in demand,” said Carlos A. Migoya, CEO of Jackson Health System. “Jackson is not finished with the pandemic. We are still dedicating substantial resources to treating COVID-positive patients in our hospitals, emergency departments, and clinics.”
 
Over the course of Jackson’s vaccine efforts, the health system remained committed to reaching people in minority and underserved communities through partnerships with houses of worships and non-profit groups. As a result, more than 52,000 people received the COVID-19 vaccine. In total, 15 percent of people who self-identify as Black and 54 percent of people who self-identify as Hispanic have received the vaccine at Jackson. 
 
Jackson Health System will continue to produce multilingual, multi-platform outreach assets featuring our doctors, nurses, and other experts educating our community about the importance of vaccination and how to stay safe as we move forward to herd immunity.  For more information on our COVID-19 community outreach education program, visit SafeAtJackson.org.
 
 
 


April 21 2021 –  On Friday, a clinic that has long served the Florida coastal community by providing free care to uninsured patients living with arthritis will be rededicated to recognize its founders and celebrate a new partnership with the national non-profit organization, CreakyJoints, who recently stepped in to solidify its administrative and financial stability after it lost its longtime sponsor.

 
 The dedication and grand reopening of the John Whelton Arthur Virshup CreakyJoints Florida Arthritis Clinics will be on Friday, April 23. 
 
In attendance and making remarks will be:
•U.S. Representative Lois Frankel (F-21) 
•Michael C. Schweitz, MD, a longtime volunteer rheumatologist with the John Whelton Arthur Virshup CreakyJoints South Florida Arthritis Clinic, past president of the Coalition of State Rheumatology Organizations (CSRO), and past president of the Florida Society of Rheumatology
•Shawn Baca, MD, another long-time volunteer rheumatologist who is also past president of the Palm Beach County Medical Society, a member of the Florida AMA delegation, and in private practice
•Dr. Alina Alonso, director, Florida Department of Health in Palm Beach County
 
Representative in attendance from CreakyJoints will include Louis Tharp, executive director and cofounder, Seth Ginsberg, president and cofounder, and W. Benjamin Nowell, PhD., Director, Patient-Centered Research
 
The clinic is being renamed after the doctors who founded the clinic: John Whelton, MD and Arthur Virshup, MD.
 
Additional Background: 
•In 1975, a free clinic was established at Good Samaritan Hospital in West Palm Beach to provide free care for uninsured and needy patients with rheumatologic diseases. For decades, it was maintained locally through a generous bequest by local resident Mary Greissler, who donated money in her will for a building managed by the Arthritis Foundation.
•Since then it has grown. Once a month, rheumatologists volunteer their time to care for patients at their private offices in Boca Raton, Boynton Beach, Stuart, and West Palm Beach, Florida. These patients receive consistent and high-quality care identical to patients seen in private practice and have access to laboratory and imaging services subsidized by local supporters.
•When last year the Arthritis Foundation declined to continue their support of the clinic, CreakyJoints, a digital arthritis community and part of the Global Healthy Living Foundation, stepped in to provide financial and administrative support to sustain operations. CreakyJoints saved the clinic, allowing for uninterrupted provision of vital health services to the most in-need patients. 

 To learn more about the John Welton Arthur Virshup CreakyJoints Florida Arthritis Clinics visit www.CreakyJoints.org/free-clinic



April 20, 2021 – More than 1.2 million people in the United States have HIV (human immunodeficiency virus), according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In Lee County, the Florida Department of Health estimates around 2,300 community members are living with HIV, and that number continues to grow.
 
Lee Health is offering a free self-management program in partnership with McGregor Community Services. The six-week workshop is focused on education and awareness. 
 
 “There is a need for this kind of a program in our community, and at Lee Health, we want to meet that need,” said Sharon Krispinsky, RN, Chronic Health Program Coordinator with Lee Health. “That’s why we’re offering a free workshop designed to teach a variety of tools to actively self-manage this condition. The workshop is for those living with HIV and their loved ones.”
HIV is a virus that attacks the body’s immune system, and if not treated, can lead to AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). While there is no cure for HIV, with proper medical care, it can be controlled and managed. People with HIV who get effective treatment can live long, healthy lives. 
 
The McGregor Clinic is one of the largest providers of HIV care in Southwest Florida. McGregor Community Services is a division of the clinic that offers different services to the community through their free HIV rapid testing, education, mobile unit outreach and community mobilization. Their team members have volunteered to teach the self-management workshop.
 
Through the program, which was originally developed by Stanford University, participants will learn how to:
•Live with a chronic condition
•More easily manage your medications
•Understand the benefits of exercise
•Make smarter decisions related to healthy eating
•Work more effectively with health professionals
•Understand ways to manage difficult emotions
•Improve your sleep through different methods and tools
 
“The techniques taught in this class are proven to help those with HIV successfully manage their condition,” said Amy Zamot, Prevention Director at The McGregor Clinic. “Those with HIV and their loved ones who attend the workshop will meet and gain support from others, which is so important in self-management of the virus.”
 
Virtual and in-person sessions are offered throughout the year. Participants of the program will be in small, confidential groups, and the classes will be lively and interactive. The next virtual workshop starts May 19th and runs through June 23rd.
For more information or to register, please call 239-343-9264.