This One Comes From the Heart!

To quote the great sage Yogi Berra, “We have deep depth” this month! In this issue, we have the dual pleasure of presenting the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce Health Care Heroes Finalists as well as our first Annual Salute to Nurses.

We live in an age when we’ve learned to question our heroes. Corporate and political leaders are questioned on their ethics. Sports stars are looked at skeptically, as we question how many of their achievements were the result, at least in part, to the use of illegal substances.

But for those who question if heroes still exist, I suggest you take the time to read the stories of the Health Care Heroes® Nominees and Finalists profiled in these pages. From Gerard A. Kaiser, M.D., recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award, to Jorge Perez-Perez, M.D., who provides free healthcare in a small, church-based clinic in Little Havana, to Eugene A. Majka, MS, ARNP, a Barry University School of Nursing instructor who infuses his teaching with a mission to improve the healthcare of his community, each finalist impresses us with his or her accomplishments in their chosen area; together, their commitment to the South Florida healthcare community is nothing short of awe-inspiring.

Of course, when you talk about heroes, especially the “everyday” variety, the very definition of that phrase is embodied in nurses. Trying to salute the nurses who serve our community in one issue is, largely, an exercise in futility. We know going in that there is no way we can express our appreciation to every individual nurse who deserves it. But I believe a sincere and humble effort, however flawed, is better than none.

This one comes from the heart. My own experience with nurses was limited until I faced a bout with prostate cancer a few years ago. That’s a battle nobody welcomes but, thanks to the caring and compassionate support I received from a number of nurses, I got through it. These angels of mercy came in all shapes and sizes; they exhibited a range of methods and mannerisms (some, quite frankly, more welcome than others), but they all had one thing in common: they cared about me and the challenge I faced. I honestly don’t know if I would have survived so well without their support, and I am eternally grateful.

Apparently, many of you share the respect and admiration I have for nurses. The response to our Q&A about nurses and their positions in our community elicited an avalanche of emails, some examples of which we have included in this Salute. Please take the time to read them because they come from the heart.

Speaking of heart, it’s been said that a mother is the heart of the family. There’s no way we could publish an issue dedicated to heroes in May and not mention Mother’s Day. (Not unless I enjoy sleeping on a couch for the foreseeable future!) Seriously though, our family is blessed now to enjoy three generations of moms: beginning with my wonderful mother-in-law, Vivian (who also happens to be a former nurse) and extending to my daughter-in-law, Kristen, who recently became a mom for the first time. They’re all truly the crème de la crème.

But this is a bittersweet holiday for me too, as it probably is for many of you who no longer have a mom to call on Mother’s Day. My mom, Shirley, passed away two years ago, and not a day goes by that her presence isn’t missed by our family.

And then there’s my personal Rock of Gibraltar, Carol. She’s my better half and my best friend. I could go on but Carol always says, “Less is more.” (And yes, I’m off to buy that Mother’s Day gift right now!)

Congratulations to our Health Care Heroes® Nominees and Finalists, to our nurses, and to all the moms out there who enrich our lives every day. You really are special.

Charles Felix, Publisher