By Vanessa Orr
Emilie Martinez’s journey with KIDZ Medical Services – which provides specialized neonatal, pediatric, and obstetrical healthcare throughout South Florida – has come full circle. Born three months premature, Martinez was treated by Dr. Magaly Diaz-Barbosa and other KIDZ staff; 24 years later, Martinez is part of the KIDZ team herself.
“I weighed less than 1.5 pounds at birth and was treated in the NICU for several months,” explained Martinez, who now works at KIDZ as an IT professional. “My parents used to tell stories about Dr. Diaz and what a wonderful doctor she was. And whenever we visited the hospital campus when I was younger, we’d be sure to go say hi to her.”
Dr. Magaly Diaz-Barbosa
Another KIDZ connection involved her mother, Idelsys, who worked at South Miami Hospital when KIDZ President and CEO Wayne Brackin was hospital CEO. Brackin and the HR director at the time, Sue Kuryla, went to see Martinez when she was discharged home and kept up with her progress over time. Martinez flourished under the clinical team’s care and as she grew, she also flourished as a student.
Martinez initially worked in health tech after college at Vanderbilt, but when she moved back to Miami, she thought about KIDZ. She was hired initially as a project manager, and it wasn’t until she started attending meetings that she realized she was participating in meetings with the neonatologist who once cared for her in the NICU. “It was kind of surreal to be in the same meeting with her and to have that full-circle moment,” she said.
This April, Martinez marks her second year working at KIDZ, where she now serves as the senior manager of technology and analytics. In her role, she oversees the IT department and IT transformation as well as three other staff members.
“I started at KIDZ as a project manager, working on various key initiatives. And as I learned more about the organization and we implemented more IT infrastructure, I was able to grow into the role I’m currently in,” she said. “What’s interesting about the KIDZ organization is that the sky’s the limit, so to speak, especially when it comes to innovation and in terms of what you’re able to do.”
Martinez’ biggest project to date has been transitioning five different EMR systems into a singular system, which she has been working on for the past two years. With this transition, patients now have access to a patient portal where they can exchange messages with the practice, review health information, pay bills, request appointments, research health topics, complete and update medical forms and more.
“What I like most about my job is the innovation; no two days are ever the same. It’s ever-changing and ever evolving,” Martinez said. “At the heart of everything we do, it’s about ultimately helping patients. All of the improvements we’re making on the IT side of things will yield patient benefits.
“In my short time being here, I’ve seen so much positive change,” she added. “In all of the different projects we’ve done in terms of EMR, different cyber security tweaks and upgrades on equipment, we’ve ultimately been able to make processes and transitions easier. We’re giving providers the tools they need to make it simpler to see patients.”
Martinez also appreciates that despite KIDZ being quite large from an operational standpoint —the pediatric multispecialty practice employs nearly 200 physicians, approximately 70 allied health professionals, and dozens of team members across five counties – it still retains a small company feel.
“Everyone knows everyone; we’re a family in a way,” she said. “I find it so interesting how everything played out. They were able to help me when I was infant and now I’m able to use my skills to give back to the same organization, and ultimately the patients we serve.”
