CHI Celebrates 50 Years of Service in South Florida By Recognizing Patients and Donors
CHI patients are surprised as they open their gifts at the 50th-anniversary birthday celebration to release butterflies.
On May 12th, excitement buzzed at the Doris Ison Health Center. As the Happy Birthday song played, CHI staff prepared for a day they would never forget: CHI’s 50th anniversary. In celebration of 50 years of service to the South Florida community, CHI held its Patient Loyalty Awards in the morning, which honored 15 families who have been patients for generations; 25, 30 and 50 years.

“It is a very emotional day for all of us when we look back at the five decades, a legacy of excellence in caring for the South Florida community and to think how far we have come, and the privilege you have given us to care for you and your families, some from birth well into old age,” said Tiffani Helberg, Vice President for Communications.
Message From the CEO
A year of celebrations continues! CHI officially turned 50 years old on May 12th, and I want to give a special thanks to those who joined us for our birthday festivities. We couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate 50 years of service than with our patients and donors. If you missed our Patient Loyalty Awards or 50th Birthday and Donor Recognition event, please visit our YouTube channel to watch them at your convenience.

Of course, the celebrations don’t end here. In honor of Men’s Health Month this June, we are hosting a webinar called “Cooking & Conversation with Marine Larry Wilson.” Marine veteran Larry Wilson will speak along with CHI doctors and a group of men about physical, mental, and spiritual health, the importance of getting annual check-ups, and the challenges he experienced during his time in Afghanistan.
CHI Shows Appreciation for Foster Parents with a Drive-Through Celebration
CHI's Specialized Therapeutic Foster Care Team
On May 4th, therapeutic foster mom Maureen Lewis was welcomed by honks, cheers, and applause as she drove into the Doris Ison Health Center with her two foster children. After a difficult year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, she smiled at the familiar faces waving back at her.

In honor of Foster Parent Appreciation Month, the staff at Community Health of South Florida, Inc. (CHI) gathered in the parking lot with a tent full of self-care gifts for Lewis and the other 27 families served by the Specialized Therapeutic Foster Care Program. Typically an in-person luncheon, this year’s Foster Parent Appreciation event was held via a drive-through format to express gratitude and appreciation for CHI’s therapeutic foster parents, while complying with CDC guidelines.

“Some days are rough, and that day I felt appreciated so much,” Lewis said. “The cheering and clapping were very special for me. It showed me that I’m not working alone. CHI put a lot of effort into making sure that we understood that we are appreciated.”
CHI Receives a $52,000 Grant to Help End the HIV Pandemic in South Florida
(Left to right) C.A.R.E.S team members Tabitha Hunter, Charles Garcia and Joann Montalvo stand together ready to serve the South Florida community.
Florida remains among the top five states with the highest rates of HIV diagnoses, according to Becker’s Hospital Review. In South Florida, individuals are faced with stigmas that stem in part from cultural diversity. Many Hispanics, Haitians, and African-Americans have certain biases toward HIV, which pose a challenge to individuals who may be seeking testing or treatment. 

“Individuals with HIV have, what we call, a social death before they have a physical death,” said Tabitha Hunter, the C.A.R.E.S. (Comprehensive AIDS Resources and Education Services) Manager at CHI. “The social death causes them to go into hiding or become secretive about their diagnosis. Therefore, they don’t tell their partners, and people get infected because they know if they tell someone, everyone is going to look at them the wrong way.”
CHI has already broken ground on the first comprehensive Children's Crisis Center in southern Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties. The state-of-art will center will help to alleviate the struggles of children with psychological issues in South Florida. The in-patient 24-hour facility will be designed to treat children with mental illness regardless of their ability to pay.

Show children will mental illness that they're #NotAlone. Help us build the Children's Crisis Center!

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