Dear Friends,

We are excited to share the wonderful things we have been up to and the many exciting activities we have coming up. 

First, we recently held our annual recognition dinner celebrating our Golden Angels at Joe’s Stone Crab. We thank all of our Golden Angels for providing their time and service to enhancing Jackson Health System’s world-class services. 

As Jackson continues expanding its pediatric services, we have envisioned a one-stop-shop for most children’s outpatient needs at Holtz – our Pediatric Outpatient Pavilion at Jackson Memorial Medical Center. The proposed plan includes transforming an existing building on the Jackson Memorial Medical Center campus into a family-friendly, easy-to-access site that houses outpatient services for children that have historically been scattered across the sprawling medical campus. We look forward to sharing more with you in the near future about the exciting upcoming project.

Finally, don’t miss our incredible pediatric miracle story about 11-year-old Samir Rahman. The physicians and care teams at Holtz Children’s Hospital deliver exceptional care, time and time again.

We can’t wait for you to dive into the rest of our newsletter!

All the best,

Golden Angels Recognition Dinner at

Joe’s Stone Crab

The past several years have been unprecedented on the global stage as the world battled the COVID-19 pandemic. But with the help of the Golden Angels Society, Jackson has come through it. The Golden Angels Recognition dinner celebrated our gratitude for every member of our Golden Angels who continue to support Jackson Health Foundation’s mission. 

The amazing success and growth of Jackson Health System are undeniable, and the Golden Angel Society members have played an important role in providing philanthropic support to build and renovate facilities like the Christine E. Lynn Rehabilitation Center for The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis at UHealth/Jackson Memorial and José Milton Hospital at Jackson West Medical Center, and Holtz Children's Hospital. Jackson continues to build a solid future that will ensure that everyone in our community, regardless of their ability to pay, receives one standard of high-quality medical care. This is no easy feat, and as the community’s safety net hospital system, we rely on the support of generous donors. 

Robert Brandt and Albanisa Almeida-Guedes – Golden Angels, Dr. Larry Pierre, Center for Haitian Studies, Health and Human Services – Platinum Angel, Thor Bruce and Mirella LaSalle – Golden Angel, Marshell McAllister and James A. Champion – Platinum Angel and Jackson Health Foundation Board Member

Mayi de la Vega – New Golden Angel, Gladys Campos and Fausto Diaz Jr., Maria and Lucas Trujillo – New Golden Angels, Fausto and Remedios Diaz-Oliver – Platinum Angels, Rigo Lesteiro – Golden Angel, Silvia Rios Fortun – Golden Seraphim and Jackson Health Foundation Board Member, and Ines Lorenzo-Gomez – New Golden Angel

Jeannie Etter - Silver Seraphim, Zaedy Pozo – Golden Angel, David Coulson, Jackson Health Foundation Board Member, and Silver Seraphim, Don Steigman, president of Jackson Health System, Estee Mandel-Steigman, Trish and Dan Bell - Platinum Seraphims, Carlos Migoya, CEO, Jackson Health System, and Matthew Gorson – New Golden Angel and Jackson Health Foundation Board Member

Carlos Migoya, Alicia Portella – New Golden Angel, Vivian Adrian – Platinum Angel, representing Adria Adrian-Almeida – New Golden Angel, and David Coulson

Trish and Dan Bell with Flavia Llizo, Co-President & Chief Development Officer of Jackson Health Foundation

JoAnn Carden-Glass and Ronald Glass – New Golden Angels

During the course of the evening, the Foundation presented individual awards to our Golden Angels, along with a special Rainmaker Award, which recognized an outstanding individual whose influence and energy has made an enormous impact. 

The following Golden Angels were recognized at the ceremony:

Platinum Seraphim

• Goldman Charitable Trust
• Hearst Foundations
• Michael and Iris Smith
• Trish and Dan Bell
• Miguel B. Fernandez Family Foundation

Golden Seraphim

• Lourdes F. Peters and Charles C. Peters

Silver Seraphim

• City National Bank
• Mr. David Coulson and Ms. Jeannie Etter

Platinum Angel

• Anonymous
• Center for Haitian Studies, Health and Human Services 
• Fields Galley Private Foundation
• Heather on Earth Music Foundation
• Key Biscayne Community Foundation
• Rooms to Go

Golden Angels

• Adria Adrian Almeida
• Anonymous
• Joel Appel
• Linda Balboa Sr.
• Mr. Ronni Chowdry
• Joyce Kory & Joel Chyrcy
• Coastland Construction, Inc.
• Michael Comras
• Alberto Cordoba
• Kenneth and Kathy Deckler
• Mario and Mariana Fernandez
• Marta Regina Fischer Fernandez & Ernesto Fernandez Holmann
• Florida National University
• Anthony R. Abraham Foundation
• BJ’s Charitable Foundation
• JoAnn Carden-Glass and Ronald Glass
• Anda Andrei and Bill Ghitis

          in loving memory of our dear

          Alan Ghitis

• Litto and Ines Gomez and Family
• The Ribadeneira Gomez Family
• Matthew and Eva Gorson
• Mr. and Mrs. S. Green
• Barbara Herzberg
• Cassandra R. Herzberg
• Geoffrey R. Hoguet and Ana Luisa Ponti Ferrari
• Humana Medical Plans
• JLG Family Holding, LLC

• Jordan and Susan Kahn
• Dr. Tony Chaya and Laura Komar
• Richard and Amelia Kronrad
• David and Marcy Kronrad
• Cristian and Gianni LaCapra
• Gus* and Lilliam Machado
• Eric and Anat Maller
• Jacqueline MacLeod and Brian Lippey
• Carlos and Jessie Mendal
• Isaac and Suzanne Mendal
• Brian and Jana Neff
• Keith Pomeroy and Sonia Carrero Pomeroy
• Alicia and Reinaldo Portella
• Diana and Juan Puig and Family
• The Puren Family
• Mr. David Pyle
• Diego Ribadeneira & Family
• Deborah and Scott Robins
• Mr. and Mrs. Marc Rothfeldt
• Janna & Marc Ronert
• Jodie Stern-Sklar
• Alisa Savitz
• Lucas and Maria Trujillo
• Doron Valero
• Mayi de la Vega
• Maggie and Jorge Villacampa
• Weisfeld Family Foundation
• Maurice Wiener
• The Cynthia E. Wong Revocable

      Living Trust

*Deceased

And finally, the Rainmaker Award was presented to Ray Ellen and Allen Yarkin, who have been a catalyst in making a difference to the projects and programs of the Jackson Health System. Thank you once again to all of our angels and honorees! We look forward to another year making miracles happen together.

Nurses Week and Hospital Week at

Jackson Health System

During National Hospital Week, Jackson celebrated the nurses, doctors, practitioners, and support staff who assist in the delivery of quality care to our patients each day. Their commitment saves lives and makes our community healthier. For that, we are so grateful! 

Jackson Health Foundation sponsored photo booths, giveaways, and prizes at the Nurses of the Year Awards Ceremony and also provided afternoon tea held at each Jackson location. Celebrations took place at every Jackson Hospital and through all the shifts in appreciation of the life-changing work nurses do every day at Jackson.

Jackson also recognized our nurses in honor of Nurses Week. Our caring, compassionate, and hardworking nurses have touched the lives of so many families. For both observances, we honored our caregivers and support staff with activities that focused on self-care, including chair massages, yoga, meditation, and more.

Sol Taplin Charitable Foundation

Patient Access Fund

The Sol Taplin Charitable Foundation Patient Access Fund at Jackson Behavioral Health Hospital was created in 2021 through a generous donation from the Sol Taplin Charitable Foundation. Recognizing that undergoing treatment carries a financial burden beyond what is covered by insurance, this fund was established to support patients with ancillary costs such as transportation, clothing and food. By offering help to individuals, the fund allows them to focus on the healing process while minimizing obstacles to healthcare delivery.

Donor Spotlight

New Golden Angels

Alejandro and Karen Rodriguez

Alejandro (Alex) Rodriguez, president of Coastland Construction, and his wife Karen Rodriguez, director of design and development, exemplify the diversity that makes Miami such a vibrant international community. The son of Cuban immigrants, Alex is a second-generation builder whose introduction into the industry began while working summers at his father’s construction company. Born and raised in Barbados, Karen is influenced by the rich island community and Bajan culture. The couple has been supporting Holtz Children’s Hospital through Jackson Health Foundation for the past 14 years. 

Last month, Alex and Karen graciously decided to increase their philanthropic investment to Holtz Children’s by becoming Golden Angels. A five-year pledge demonstrates how strongly committed Alex and Karen are to helping children receive excellent medical care in a compassionate environment. 

“Every patient is someone’s child,” Karen said. “We support Holtz Children’s because we believe all children deserve the best health care.”

We thank them for supporting our mission to make miracles happen.

Donor Spotlight

Belen Jesuit Preparatory National Honor Society

To honor the memory of their late classmate, Anthony Parodi, the Belen Jesuit Preparatory School’s National Honor Society selected Holtz Children’s Hospital as the beneficiary of its fundraising efforts for the academic year. Honoring Anthony’s courage and strength, the group decided to focus its efforts on supporting pediatric patients facing medical struggles. Through a series of activities planned throughout the year, the National Honor Society embraced all Belen students and their families. 

In May, this impressive group of young men delivered a $10,000 donation to Holtz Children’s Hospital, along with toys collected throughout the year. In the words of Gabriel Marrero, student leader of the group “We are thrilled and excited to be doing this in honor of our brother. Anthony, through his life, was an example to each and every one of us of courage and strength. There are children struggling out there who have not experienced the full support of the Belen family, and that's exactly why we are going to fight for them.”

Thank you for your generosity, Wolverines!

Miracle Story: Samir Rahman

In March of 2021, 11-year-old Samir Rahman started complaining of sharp pains in the back of his head whenever his parents drove over speed bumps. His mother, Shanta Reza, initially dismissed her son’s concerns.

Over time, Samir’s pain went away. During last year’s Ramadan holiday, Reza and her family began fasting, a custom in their religion. One night, after fasting for more than 12 hours, Reza remembered Samir eating much more than he normally would. Feeling dizzy and hot, he laid down in bed, where he began to vomit profusely for the next three days.

“We weren’t sure why he was vomiting,” Reza said. “He threw up so much. Everything we tried to give him, he vomited – food, water, medicine. He couldn’t keep anything down.”

Reza and her husband became concerned and took Samir to his primary care physician. Unfortunately, his doctor could not find the cause of the problem.

Reza then took Samir to the pediatric emergency department at Jackson North Medical Center. Once there, he underwent a CT scan, which revealed he had a four-centimeter tumor at the base of his brain. Click here to keep reading Samir’s Miracle story.

Giving Makes a Difference

Your Dollars at Work

2020 – 2021 Impact Report