The Miami Beach Community Health Center (MBCHC) recently threw a baby shower for 56 expectant moms. While eating and looking over gift bags, the moms were able to hear important information in preparation for their new arrivals. The baby shower is one way the health center is able to reach out to expectant moms and bring them into the center for pre-natal and infant care.

MBCHC Healthy Start Coordinator, Maribella Benavidez (left), smiles with an expectant mom who won a big gift basket. Fifty six moms along with their family or friends came to enjoy the event.

Miami Beach Community Health Center pediatrician, Dr. Lannie Voung talked about newborn care, feeding issues, and immunizations. Nutritionist, Kara Burnstine, spoke of the importance of good nutrition for both mom and baby. Then the moms were able to break into smaller groups to discuss issues from post-partum depression and breast feeding, to parenting skills.

A table full of gift baskets included infant essentials like clothing, diapers, soaps and creams.

The health center throws this type of baby shower four times each year. It is always well attended. Beatriz Cruz, Director of the Prenatal Department at the Miami Beach Community Health Center, says “These moms are in their third trimester, and for many of them this is the first and only shower they will have before the baby is born. Many of them don’t have family around to help them prepare, and we are proud to be able to host this event.”



Mark Schumacher, well known local television anchor and reporter, has joined the North Broward District as Director of Foundation & Marketing for the Children’s Hospital.

Schumacher worked at television stations in Amarillo, Dallas, New York and San Francisco before coming to South Florida in 1995 as an anchor and reporter for Miami’s WPLG-TV Channel 10. Since 1999, he has been lead anchor for the Channel 10 Morning News.

His personal involvement in health care began in 1996 when his 5 1/2 year-old son was diagnosed with cancer.

“That news was devastating, but it also caused me to rededicate my life to doing what I can for issues that effect kids and their health,” Schumacher said.

Schumacher is closely involved with the American Cancer Society (ACS) unit in Broward. He is a board member and has served as committee chairman for the society’s statewide Volunteer Leadership Kickoff annual recruitment and planning conference. He has also planned and directed fundraising and awareness events for Family Centered Care, Kids in Distress, Children’s Harbor, Child Net and Make a Wish and served as master of ceremonies for events of the North Broward Hospital District, American Heart Association, Cystic Fibrosis Association, Henderson Mental Health, American Lung Association and Children with Autism.



Nancy Batista-Rodriguez has been named director of the Medical Arts Surgery Centers at Baptist and South Miami. Batista-Rodriguez, who began her career in healthcare at a Miami eye surgery center, previously served as manager of Medical Arts Surgery Center at South Miami.

Batista-Rodriguez is a member of the National Association of Occupational Health Professionals, the Women’s Chamber of Commerce of Miami-Dade County and the United Way’s Young Leaders.



Douglas A. Zaren, CHE, has been named the new chief executive officer and administrator for Memorial Regional Hospital South, formerly known as Hollywood Medical Center.

Zaren previously worked as chief operating officer at Florida Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale. Prior to that, he was the associate administrator at Gulf Coast Medical Center in Biloxi, MS. Part of his career has been spent in the military, where he worked as medical intelligence planner for the U.S. Marine Corps Forces, and as assistant administrator for the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology in Washington, D.C. In the early 90s, he worked in the Naval Hospital in Yokosuka, Japan and the Naval Hospital Pensacola, Florida.



United HomeCare Services recently announced that George Foyo, Market President, South Florida, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida has been selected to receive the 2007 Claude Pepper Memorial Award for Corporate Service and Miami-Dade County Board of County Commissioners Chairman Bruno A. Barreiro has been selected to receive the 2007 Claude Pepper Memorial Award for Public Service.

George Foyo has been Market President since January 2006 and has been instrumental in the introduction of more than 30 new health products, many of them low-cost.

Chairman Bruno A. Barreiro, Commissioner for District 5, has a long-standing commitment to elderly and disabled resident causes.