Dear Friends:
The start of a new year is the ideal time to take stock of the lessons we learned during the year behind us and look toward the future with anticipation for what lies ahead.
The COVID-19 pandemic challenged Jackson Health System to meet the demands of treating a highly infectious respiratory illness, and our frontline caregivers worked around the clock providing lifesaving patient care. As one of the nation's first healthcare systems to begin distributing the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, we will continue to have a critical role in helping our community combat the virus.
The pandemic also forced us to live and work in a virtual environment. On December 2, the Guardian Angels embraced this challenge and hosted a virtual fundraiser that raised more than $300,000 to support COVID-19 relief at Holtz Children's Hospital.
The Jackson Health Foundation will continue to host virtual events, including grand opening celebrations for our Critical Care Pavilion at Jackson Memorial Hospital and our Jackson West Medical Campus. This year also marks the 30th anniversary of the Jackson Health Foundation – another milestone that we may likely celebrate in a virtual environment. At the forefront of each endeavor will be our intention to raise funds for our frontline caregivers, patient care, and meet our world-class healthcare system's growing needs.
Thank you for your generosity throughout 2020 and in the years ahead. We wish you a happy and safe New Year.
Sincerely,
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Charmaine Gatlin
Co-President & Chief Operating Officer
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Flavia Llizo
Co-President & Chief Development Officer
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Guardian Angels Virtual Event Raises $300K to Benefit Holtz Children's Hospital |
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Beth Behr, child life specialist, and Flavia Llizo, Foundation co-president and chief development officer. |
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Heartfelt thanks to everyone who helped raise more than $300,000 during the Guardian Angels virtual fundraiser on Wednesday, December 2. Your contributions will assist Holtz Children’s Hospital in addressing its most urgent needs in the battle against COVID-19.
The fundraiser included more than 180 entries for a chance to win 24 amazing prizes generously donated by individuals and organizations throughout our community.
Special thanks to Guardian Angels President Silvia Rios Fortun, Event Chair Andria Ares Holtz, and members of the event committee, including Vivian Adrian, Angela Andrade,
Ana de la Fe, Fana Holtz, Ines Lorenzo-Gomez, Mari Grimalt, Debbie Robins,
Marilyn Samlut and Gloria Sesana. Deepest gratitude, as well, to our honorary co-chairs,
Mr. and Mrs. Ron Kupferman.
We couldn’t have done it without our event sponsors, including Presenting Sponsor
Dade County Federal Credit Union; Silver Sponsor Tova Leidesdorf; Bronze Sponsors
Florida Power & Light, Ryder, Adrian Builders, Michael Blanco, Rosita Boruchin,
Lila Menowitz, José Milton Foundation, Perdomo Cigars, Samlut & Company,
the Center for Haitian Studies, City National Bank, Jack and Gigi Luczynski,
and Albert Fried; and Media Sponsor The Miami Herald.
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Holiday Toy Drop-Offs Make The Season Brighter For Patients At Holtz Children’s Hospital |
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SebastianStrong Foundation |
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Latin American Association of Insurance Agencies |
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Sol Taplin Charitable Foundation |
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COVID-19 precautions pre-empted Santa’s visit with patients at Holtz Children’s Hospital, but that didn’t stop Jolly Old St. Nicholas from delivering smiles to their faces – with lots of help from our community. The good cheer began on November 19, with a contribution from Paulo Mello, and continued through Christmas Day, concluding with a donation from Seminole Lodge #291.
One of the highlights includes a donation of gaming systems, STEM kits, and musical instruments from the SebastianStrong Foundation. The donation, valued at more than $13,000, will support Child Life Services, Music Therapy, and the pediatric oncology floor at Holtz Children’s Hospital. Oscar and Rose Ortiz established the Foundation in memory of their son Sebastian, who lost a brave 14-month battle against cancer in 2016 at age 16. The Ortiz’s and their 17-year-old son, Lucas, delivered the gifts on December 21.
In addition, Santa accompanied members of the Latin American Association of Insurance Agencies (LAAIA) when the group delivered toys and an $8,000 gift to Holtz Children’s. LAAIA is a longstanding supporter of Holtz Children’s and Child Life Services, and this gift continues the group’s tradition of service.
Heartfelt thanks to the many other individuals, businesses, and organizations, such as the Sol Taplin Charitable Foundation, Turner Construction, and more that helped bring smiles to the faces of children at Holtz Children’s Hospital during the holiday season. We truly appreciate everyone for their kindness and generosity.
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Autism-Friendly Pediatric Urgent Care |
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Autism-friendly items, shown above, help relieve stress. |
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Dimly lit exam rooms help to keep patients calm. |
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UHealth Jackson Urgent Care and Holtz Children’s Hospital are committed to giving everyone in our community the care they need — and that includes those with autism and related disabilities. We know seeking medical treatment can be stressful and anxiety-inducing. For individuals with autism and related disabilities, the thought of seeing a doctor in an unfamiliar medical setting can be overwhelming.
UHealth Jackson Urgent Care centers have partnered with University of Miami-Nova Southeastern University Center for Autism and Related Disabilities (UM-NSU CARD) to achieve their autism-friendly designation — the first urgent care network in Florida to do so. This designation means that our staff at all five of our locations have been specially trained and all of our centers have a specially-designated, sensory-friendly exam room to give patients the opportunity to experience health care in a safe and controlled environment.
To learn more about our autism-friendly pediatric services, click here.
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Become a Guardian Angel and Support Holtz Children's Hospital Today
Holtz Children’s Hospital is one of the largest children’s hospitals in the southeast United States known worldwide for its team of pediatric specialists experienced in treating children with a variety of needs — from routine care to lifesaving procedures. As a Guardian Angel, your support is extremely important. Your gift ensures that Holtz Children’s Hospital will be able to advance emerging research, provide healthcare professionals with state-of-the-art facilities, and continue to provide accessible healthcare services that are critically important to the quality of life and the health of the children in our community.
The Guardian Angels raised more than $300,000 in 2019 to purchase ventilators for the neonatal and pediatric intensive care units at Holtz Children's. The contribution helped the hospital meet the challenges of COVID-19 in 2020, providing lifesaving support to patients unable to breathe independently. Learn more about becoming a Guardian Angel and supporting the children served at Holtz Children's Hospital.
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Jackson Health Foundation | www.SupportJHF.org
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