As Florida’s population continues to age, there will be an increased need for new hospitals, medical centers and assisted living facilities to provide the care that older Americans need. But with the demand for these new facilities also comes the need for qualified, certified contractors who have the healthcare experience required to build these types of projects efficiently and cost-effectively.

Since 2005, C.A.M. Group LLC has been helping healthcare clients such as hospitals and diagnostic centers to meet these goals. “One of the things that’s unique about us is that we don’t just build by print; we use our staff’s 100-plus years of construction experience to help hospitals design buildings that are maintenance-free and patient-friendly,” explained Alan McGregor, CEO of the C.A.M. Group. “Otherwise, they’re just wasting money.

“People get what they pay for, and sometimes, hospitals learn this the hard way by going with a company that may be cheaper, but less qualified,” he added.

McGregor, whose father owned a lumber and construction company, spent the last 25 years working as a general superintendent for major construction companies before he and his wife, Ana, decided to start their own company. “I felt there was a better way to do business,” said McGregor. “Our standards are simple: we stand on our conviction that building projects safely and better pays off, that shortcuts lead to lost clients, and that setting the highest standard drives the best results.”

Since its inception, C.A.M. Group has worked for clients including Aventura Hospital and Medical Center, Northwest Medical Center, HEALTHSOUTH, Miami Endoscopy Center and West Gables Rehabilitation Hospital. They also provide services for clients in Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee and Texas. In addition to providing pre-construction, general contracting, construction management and consulting services, the C.A.M. Group also provides healthcare maintenance services to its medical clients.

“Healthcare maintenance is a very specialized field involving the care of electrical, mechanical, and plumbing systems as well as general maintenance,” said McGregor. “If you don’t know how to work in a hospital, you could actually hurt patients. Without the right knowledge in areas such as infection control, you can do more harm than good.”

C.A.M. Group’s ability to create projects that are AHCA (Florida Agency for Health Care Administration) compliant, as well as their knowledge of NFPA (National Fire Protection Association), NEC (National Electrical Code), and JCAHO (Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organization) requirements gives clients an advantage when building or renovating a healthcare facility. As a woman-owned, small business minority-certified company, the C.A.M. group also meets the guidelines required to become involved in federal healthcare projects, such as Veteran’s Administration hospitals.

And with so many healthcare facilities going up every year in Florida, McGregor sees continued success for his steadily growing company. “There are so many hospitals going up in this area, including two in Boca, one in Halifax, and a $300 million ground-up project in Tampa that I don’t expect work in this field to slow down anytime soon,” he said. “We also don’t have enough assisted living facilities in Florida to meet the needs of the aging Baby Boomer population.”

Despite this boom, McGregor says that the C.A.M. Group is being strategic about its growth. “Growth has to be managed, because you don’t want to outgrow your resources and lose business,” he explained. “We’re not here to go after the dollar at the expense of our clients.

“A lot of companies who work in Florida don’t actually live here, so they may not be as concerned about keeping customers happy,” he added. “I live here, and plan on staying here, so it’s important to me to keep my current clients happy even as we gain more. The customer is more than a paycheck; they are a living reference of our values at work.”



Ann B. Lee Vice-President

Ann Lee has served on the Board of HospiceCare of Southeast Florida from 2004 to the present. She has served two terms as Vice President from 2006 to present, and has been re-elected as Vice President for another year. As Vice President, Ann sits on the Executive Committee and the Personnel/Finance Committee.

Ann has held the position of president with Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and the 2nd Vice President on Kappa Kappa Omega Chapter. She currently serves as 2nd Vice President for The Charmettes, Inc. in Broward County and serves as a Board of Director for the Northwest Democratic Club.

HospiceCare of Southeast Florida feels privileged to have Ann Lee as a leader in helping them serve the community.

Frankie Drayton Thomas Secretary

Frankie Drayton Thomas has served as a member of the Board of HospiceCare of Southeast Florida from 1995 to the present. She has served two terms as Vice President and one term as President of the Board from June 2001 to May 2002. Frankie has served as Secretary of the Board for the past 5 years. As a member of the Executive Committee, Frankie also serves on the Personnel/Finance Committee. Frankie was the first Afro-American woman to be president of a hospice Board in the nation.

Frankie is a graduate of the Howard University and studied at the New York School of Social Work. She received her MA in Public Administration from Florida International University. She is a native Floridian; born, reared and received early education in West Palm Beach, Florida. She has been employed as a social worker both in Florida and Washington State and functioned also as a supervisor of social workers in administrative capacities. Frankie retired as Community Resource Director with the Office of Public Private Partnerships, Health and Rehabilitative Services, and District Ten in Fort Lauderdale. Other professional experience includes being an adult education teacher with the Broward County Schools.

Frankie’s involvement in the community is extensive. She organized the Broward County Urban League Guild; one of the original organizers of the Broward County Black Political Women’s Caucus; organized the Youth Drama Group at Mr. Olive Baptist Church and currently serves as the social action chairman, Delta Sigma Theta, nominating committee Girl Scouts Council Board of Directors; 2nd Vice-President Gwen Cherry Chapter Political Women’s Caucus; membership advisory council Mt. Olive Baptist Church; social action chairman of Black Social Workers; and one of the founding member of the Black Social Workers.

HospiceCare of Southeast Florida is fortunate to have a community leader on their board and salute Frankie for her level of commitment and caring.

Jose Pagan Treasurer

Jose Pagan has served as a director on the Board of HospiceCare of Southeast Florida from June 1996 to the present. He has served a two year term as president and four years as treasurer and chair of the personnel/finance.

Jose is a graduate of the City University of New York, Bernard M. Baruch College of Business. He was born, raised and educated in New York City and moved to Florida in June 1975 when he joined the accounting firm of Price Waterhouse. Mr. Pagan has been responsible for conducting audits and the financial reporting of Fortune 500 companies, international corporations, not-for-profit businesses and state and local governments. In 1981, Mr. Pagan left public accounting to become the Finance Director for Miami-Dade government. In 1987, he began work as a municipal securities investment banker and is currently with UBS Securities LLC.

He currently serves as the director on the board of the Young at Art Children’s Museum of Broward County. Mr. Pagan also serves as the treasurer to the Board of Directors and is a member of the Capital Campaign Committee.

From June 2001 through June 2003, Jose served as a trustee on the City of Lauderdale general employees pension board. During the 1990’s he also served as a member of the YMCA of Greater Miami and Dade County and as a board member of the Magnet Educational Choice Association.

HospiceCare of Southeast Florida states Jose is a true asset to their board and appreciates his level of commitment and caring.

Emilio Benitez

Emilio Benitez has served as a member of the Board of HospiceCare of Southeast Florida from 1999 to the present.

Emilio currently serves as Commissioner of the Florida State Community of Hospice Affairs and the Secretary/Treasurer for the Broward Juvenile Justice Board. Attorney – practiced law for 16 years; past President Broward Hispanic Bar; past Chairman of Florida Bar Grievance Committee; Secretary of the Broward Juvenile Justice Board; member of Broward Multi-Agency Gang Task Force; Commissioner – State Commission on Hispanic Affairs; former property developer on Hollywood Beach and currently sits on the finance committee for the Children’s Services Council in Broward County.

HospiceCare of Southeast Florida appreciates Emilio’s commitment and leadership in reaching out to the community they serve.



As an interventional cardiologist at Mount Sinai Medical Center, Dr. Israel Galtes has a unique philosophy. He works to keep his patients out of the cardiac catheterization lab. Board certified in Internal Medicine, Dr. Galtes trained extensively and is also certified in all major fields of modern cardiology including Cardiovascular Diseases, Echocardiography, Nuclear Cardiology and Interventional Cardiology. With this broad background, he employs a holistic approach to cardiac care.

His patient-focused, state-of-the-art office practice at the Cardiovascular Wellness Center, located on Mount Sinai’s Main Campus, utilizes the newest technology combined with an extensive cardiac risk assessment profile to prevent, diagnose and treat cardiac illness. Whether the patient is a 30-year-old with a family history of heart disease in need of primary prevention; or a patient who has experienced a heart attack and requires secondary prevention, the goal is the same – to significantly reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease or recurrence of vascular events.

Dr. Galtes engages educated patient-partners in a customized preventive treatment plan, based on the compilation and thorough evaluation of family history, past personal conditions, laboratory tests and imaging results. For those already diagnosed with a cardiac condition, outstanding follow up care, close monitoring and therapy is provided to regain cardiac health. Dr. Galtes works closely with his patients to achieve life extending and lifesaving outcomes that improve their quality of life. As a faculty member at Mount Sinai, Dr. Galtes’ patients also have access to the hospital’s cutting edge technology, cardiac research and clinical trials not available to the general public.



Dr. Marc Agronin, the director of mental health services at the Miami Jewish Home and Hospital, has been named the recipient of the Clinician of the Year Award of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry. Dr. Agronin is also an associate professor of Psychiatry at the University of Miami–Miller School of Medicine.

Dr. Agronin is recognized as a leading expert in the field of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia care. He has had numerous articles published in all the major publications in his field, and his book, Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias: A Practical Guide, is an accessible yet definitive work on the subject. He is equally noted for his extraordinary compassion and empathy for patients and their families.

Sandy Miot, the Miami Jewish Home’s CEO, said, “What really distinguishes Dr. Agronin as a geriatric psychiatrist is not only his vast knowledge within his chosen field, but his boundless humanity when it comes to caring for his elderly patients and their caregivers. Dr. Agronin has a unique understanding of and empathy for what it means to grow old and have to deal with life’s losses. He also has tremendous empathy for the families of Alzheimer’s patients, and he is as expert in helping them to understand and cope as he is in caring for the patients themselves. He is truly an exemplary geriatric psychiatrist and a remarkable man.”

Dr. Agronin said of being named Clinician of the Year, “This is really a special honor for me because it comes from my professional peers. In my mind, the Miami Jewish Home really deserves the award since it has provided me with the environment and the support to maintain a very unique geriatric psychiatry practice – one that you probably won’t find at many long-term care institutions around the country.”

The Miami Jewish Home’s chief operating officer, Fred Stock, commented, “Dr. Agronin is most deserving of the Clinician of the Year Award. For the past 9 years the residents of the Miami Jewish Home have benefited from his expertise and compassion. In addition to maintaining a large clinical practice, he has been at the forefront of developing innovative programs in dementia and behavioral health for our elders. Dr. Agronin will continue to expand the knowledge of geriatric psychiatry and we are proud to have him on our staff.”



Thirty-seven years ago two volunteers started Broward Children’s Center, but only now has the Pompano Beach-based nonprofit turned its attention to a formal volunteer program with revolutionary results.

The new program targets volunteers whose priorities and skills match the needs of 1000 infants, children, and young adults with disabilities the Center serves. Volunteers provide administrative support to the Center’s 11 programs as well as help with fundraising and spreading the word about the agency. Most importantly, volunteers spend time with the residents doing anything from reading and playing board games to helping with recreational outings.

“We did a lot of soul searching when we began this initiative and asked the question, is the work we are asking community members to do clearly related to our mission?” said Center Volunteer coordinator, Rachel Bryan.

Nicole Nevirs, volunteer, assists Center resident Vergique, 13, during a holiday visit from the Pompano Beach Firefighters.

The answer to that question required center staff to examine the goals they wished to achieve and how they could best help volunteers to achieve those goals.

“What we discovered was that we needed a clear path for prospective and existing volunteers to get the answers and support they need to really make a difference,” Bryan said. “A big part of this was making sure we were responsive to volunteer needs and that they were recognized as important stakeholders in our mission.”

The new approach has seen volunteer numbers skyrocket and is helping several Center programs better serve community children with disabilities.

“We’re finding the new volunteer program is providing us with a great team of committed and talented community members who really contribute to improving the quality of care we can provide,” said Center operations officer, Jacqui Mogavero.

Bryan said that this staff and client satisfaction was mirrored by volunteers working within the new program.

“We have volunteers put in a really hard day and walk away genuinely euphoric in the knowledge that they are not just aiding the children it is our mission to serve, but are helping to lead these efforts.”