Latest news with #UHealth
Miami Herald
5 days ago
- Health
- Miami Herald
What patients can expect from the new leader of a South Florida hospital system
The University of Miami Health System has a new leader. Dr. Dipen Parekh, a surgeon who led the hospital system through the COVID-19 pandemic, will now serve as UHealth's chief executive officer and UM's executive vice president for Health Affairs. As UHealth CEO, Parekh will oversee the more than 17,500 employees who work across the hospital system at more than 100 facilities, including Bascom Palmer Institute, the nation's top hospital for opthalmology, and Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, the only National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center in South Florida. The urologic oncologist wants UM to 'push the frontiers of research.' That goal may be challenging at a time when more than 1,000 research grants in the country have been terminated by the federal government, according to a database created by two scientists documenting the terminations and as reported by STAT News. Parekh also sees more AI in the future of healthcare in South Florida. 'The demand for our services is increasing every day, and our responsibility is to meet that demand without compromising the excellence that defines UHealth,' Parekh told the Miami Herald Wednesday in an email. 'To do so, we must continue to improve how patients access our care—whether that's through new locations, more efficient systems, or advanced technologies. Artificial intelligence will play a key role in this effort. 'AI holds tremendous promise in helping us make smarter decisions, improve outcomes, and enhance the experience for both patients and providers.' UM's Board of Trustees unanimously agreed this week to promote Parekh, UHealth's chief operating officer and a longtime urology chair at UM's medical school, to CEO. The surgeon will takes over the top job from Joseph Echevarria, who since 2024 has juggled the jobs of UM and UHealth president and UHealth CEO. Echevarria will remain president. Parekh considers expansion to be one of the health system's greatest challenges — and opportunities — and has played a key role in UHealth's recent push into North Miami-Dade and Doral, one of South Florida's hottest growing medical hubs. Like other health systems, UHealth is trying to bring care closer to patients, a strategy to not only improve access to care, but to also attract and retain patients and employees. 'Dipen has played a pivotal role each step of the way as the University of Miami Health System has grown into one of the top academic medical centers in the country,' Echevarria said in a statement. 'He understands the mission —from the operating room to the classroom to the boardroom — and he embodies the excellence we strive to deliver for our patients, students, and community.' Who is UHealth's new CEO? UHealth is now the second hospital system in South Florida to be currently led by a physician. The veteran surgeon, one of UM's highest paid employees, has performed more than 6,000 robotic urologic cancer surgeries and has published more than 200 peer-reviewed publications, including a 'groundbreaking trial, published in The Lancelet in 2018, which established the efficacy of robotic-assisted surgery for bladder cancer,' according to the university. Parekh joined UM's medical school in 2012 as the chair of urology and is also the founding director of the Desai Seithi Urology Institute. He became chief clinical officer, his first system-wide administrative role, in 2017, before becoming chief operating officer in 2020, when COVID struck and hospitals became overwhelmed with sick patients. Besides being tasked with overseeing UHealth's day-to-day operations, Parekh in 2021 was also made executive dean for clinical affairs at UM's Miller School of Medicine. Becker's Hospital Review named him among the top 60 academic health system COO's to know in 2024. The private university declined to reveal is new salary. For years, UHealth has been the only academic health system in South Florida although that will change once Baptist Health South Florida finalizes the process of becoming the future teaching hospital of Florida International University. FIU has tapped Nicklaus Children's Health System to be its pediatric teaching hospital. UHealth's teaching hospital is Jackson Memorial, part of Miami-Dade's public hospital network. At UM's medical school and health system, researchers have long tackled infectious diseases, cancer treatments and therapies, Alzheimer's, dementia, genetic diseases and many other conditions. The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis is working with Elon Musk's startup company Neuralink to test whether its brain chip can give people who are paralyzed the ability to use mind to wirelessly control computers, smartphones and other electronic devices. 'Our role as an academic health system is not just to care for patients, but to lead in innovation, discovery, and training the next generation of healthcare leaders,' said Parekh, who plans to keep caring for patients while serving as CEO. 'That's what sets us apart — and that's what we'll continue to build on.'
Miami Herald
20-05-2025
- Health
- Miami Herald
Hospital hubs and tattoo anesthesia: How Miami healthcare is changing
Health Care Hospital hubs and tattoo anesthesia: How Miami healthcare is changing Miami healthcare is shifting rapidly, with hospital systems like UHealth expanding to new hubs in places like Doral to bring care closer to patients. The opening of advanced facilities, such as Nicklaus Children's new surgical tower with robotics and virtual reality tools, shows a focus on cutting-edge treatments. New services are rethinking patient comfort, too. Sedation Ink, for example, offers tattoo anesthesia, letting clients complete large tattoos in one session with the help of medical oversight. These changes aim to reduce patient stress, improve access, and create more options for Miami residents seeking both healthcare and wellness innovations. Nurses train to use the equipment of the operating room in the new Kenneth C. Griffin surgical tower at Nicklaus Children's Hospital on Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024, in Miami, Fla. The operating rooms of the new building are 800 square feet and among the biggest in the country. NO. 1: 'HOSPITAL WITHIN A HOSPITAL.' NICKLAUS CHILDREN'S OPENS NEW SURGERY HUB WITH SPECIAL TECH Here's what we know | Published November 7, 2024 | Read Full Story by Michelle Marchante Hammock Beach Golf Resort & Spa is a stunning escape for wellness lovers. NO. 2: THIS YEAR, RESET YOUR MIND AND BODY AT THESE SERENE FLORIDA WELLNESS DESTINATIONS Dreaming of pure relaxation? Discover Florida's top retreats for spa days, Turkish baths and serene escapes that will leave you glowing inside and out. | Published January 7, 2025 | Read Full Story by Angela Caraway-Carlton Sedation Ink artists work on a back tattoo for client Dom Groenveld as he is anesthetized at a surgical office on Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, in Miami, Fla. Sedation Ink offers tattooing under anesthesia, allowing clients to complete extensive body art in a single session. By Photo by Matias J. Ocner NO. 3: DO YOU NEED ANESTHESIA TO GET A TATTOO? SEE HOW A MIAMI STUDIO MIXES MEDICINE AND INK What to know about the studio sedation. | Published February 26, 2025 | Read Full Story by Michelle Marchante An external view of the new UHealth Doral Medical Center during its grand opening event on Thursday, November 21, 2024. By Alexia Fodere NO. 4: A GROWING MEDICAL HUB IS CHANGING HEALTHCARE IN MIAMI. WHAT'S DRIVING THE NEW PUSH? 'Every major system is expanding. The whole area is hot now.' | Published March 24, 2025 | Read Full Story by Michelle Marchante The summary above was drafted with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in our News division. All stories listed were reported, written and edited by McClatchy journalists.
Miami Herald
20-04-2025
- Health
- Miami Herald
Healthcare is changing for South Florida families. Take a look at what's new
Health Care Healthcare is changing for South Florida families. Take a look at what's new Healthcare in South Florida is undergoing change, emphasizing pediatric care expansion, community outreach and innovative treatments. Collaborative efforts like the affiliation between Nicklaus Children's Health System and Broward Health aim to enhance regional access to specialized pediatric services, addressing gaps in care. Advances in medical technology, such as Nicklaus Children's new surgical tower, showcase a drive to revolutionize treatment capabilities for complex conditions. Additionally, initiatives like community-based research into diseases such as Alzheimer's highlight the importance of inclusivity in medical studies, aiming to uncover solutions tailored to diverse populations. Check out these recent stories about the changes. The summary above was drafted with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in our News division. All stories below were reported, written and edited by McClatchy journalists. Nurses train to use the equipment of the operating room in the new Kenneth C. Griffin surgical tower at Nicklaus Children's Hospital on Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024, in Miami, Fla. The operating rooms of the new building are 800 square feet and among the biggest in the country. By Sophia Bolivar NO. 1: 'HOSPITAL WITHIN A HOSPITAL.' NICKLAUS CHILDREN'S OPENS NEW SURGERY HUB WITH SPECIAL TECH Here's what we know | Published November 7, 2024 | Read Full Story by Michelle Marchante The Children's Trust offers help to parents facing excessive stress. NO. 2: U.S. SURGEON GENERAL ISSUES ADVISORY ON PARENTAL STRESS; CHILDREN'S TRUST CAN HELP U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy says today's parents have more to deal with than ever. | Published November 25, 2024 | Read Full Story by Bevone Ritchie Florida has experienced an outbreak of measles, including among children in Broward County. NO. 3: NICKLAUS CHILDREN'S AND BROWARD HEALTH TEAM UP FOR CARE. WHAT IT MEANS FOR PATIENTS The initiative will give Broward Health pediatric patients access to certain Nicklaus specialists. | Published November 30, 2024 | Read Full Story by Michelle Marchante A caretaker, center, offers cafecito to Asustina Valdes Cabrera, left, while she is tested by UHealth medical researcher Dr. Katrina Celis, right, as part of an Alzheimer study during a community outreach event for the John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics where UM researchers performed tests, enrolled new participants and took blood samples to a new Biorespository opening at UHealth's campus, at Hora Feliz Adult Day Care on Thursday, January 16, 2025, in Hialeah, Fla. By D.A. Varela NO. 4: HOW A UM LAB IS UNLOCKING THE SECRETS OF THE BRAIN. IT STARTS WITH A PERSONAL MESSAGE What to know about the visits. | Published January 24, 2025 | Read Full Story by Michelle Marchante This report was produced with the help of AI tools, which summarized previous stories reported and written by McClatchy journalists. It was edited by journalists in our News division.
