Originally Posted on May 21, 2017
District 38 SENATORIAL WALK FOR HEALTH – DAY 3
Douglas Gardens Hospital (Miami Jewish Health System)
On May 18, 2017, members of the Florida Senate District 38 Health Task Force visited Douglas Gardens Hospital, in continuation of the Honorable Daphne Campbell’s Senatorial Walk for Health, which commenced on May 16.
On 5/18/2017, arriving at Douglas Gardens Hospital’s (Miami Jewish Health System) compound at 8:00am, was undoubtedly an early start.
On arriving the hospital’s main lobby at 10:00am, Senate District 38 Health Task Force Vice-Chair Anna Pierre was already seated, waiting to meet the administrators who would lead the tour. Vice President of Government Relations Cliff Bauer, and Director of Clinical Services Marylen Lubinski, greeted Anna Pierre and myself. Within a few minutes of a meet and greet session, we were joined by Senate District 38 Citizen Advisory Board Member Dr. Yinka Tella. We commensurated the tour with a photo session.
At 10:30am, Vice President of Government Relations Cliff Bauer, and Director of Clinical Services Marylen Lubinski, led us to the conference room where they gave a detailed presentation of the small short-term acute care hospital departments, including the research center and its ongoing 25 clinical research studies. This research aspect of the presentation is particularly important due to Senate District 38 Health Task Force’s current research initiative guided by the health task force’s Director of Research and Recommendations Committee, FIU Professor Dr. Alejandro Arrieta. Research questionnaires designed by Dr. Arrieta was previously distributed at the hospital and was to be collected at the end of the tour.
At around 10:40am, the hospital’s Chief Medical Director Brian Kiedowski, joined the conference room presentation, followed by 1st Floridian Haitian/American Radio/TV host Dr. Flore Lindor Latortue. Dr. Kiedowski gave us all a brief presentation, outlining the hospital clinical services and patient health problem population. The group exchanged conversations with Senator Daphne Campbell. Senator Daphne Campbell ended her conversation with the theme, “One Team, One Voice, One Love.” A conference room photo session ensued.
At 12 noon, we concluded our conference room presentation and continued the hospital tour, led again by both Vice President of Government Relations Cliff Bauer, and Director of Clinical Services Marylen Lubinski. We were all led to the yard, where several electric hospital beds were being unloaded by hospital staff. Senate District 38 office collaborates with Micaelle Guirand Titus’ Non-Profit 501c3 Community Health Network Empowerment (CHEN), to receive medical supplies/equipment for District 38’s Global Medical Mission initiative (starting with Haiti), led by Health Task Force Director of Foreign Affairs Committee Dr J. Paul-Pierre Cadet. Another photo session was taken of the electric hospital beds, and our team walked back to the hospital’s main lobby where we had commenced the tour earlier in the morning. At the end of the tour, Jobs Task Force Vice Chair Fayola Delica joined the team. Senator Daphne Campbell was instrumental in her tireless efforts with several conversational exchanges, to ensure that the birth of District 38’s Global Medical Mission to help Haiti and other countries, was starting to take effect. I want to thank Dr. Flore who would not leave us until she knew that we were going to be able to secure storage and trucking of the items that would be going to Haiti; Dr. Yinka Tella, Fayola Delica, and Dr. J. Paul-Pierre Cadet, who were very supporive; the truck driver who drove up and down in preparation to secure official transport of items to the storage facility; and especially Anna Pierre, who refused to leave me by myself. By 4:30pm, arrangements were made with the hospital’s administrative staff regarding security of the items that would be left in the yard overnight, to enable a smooth transition the following morning. Anna and I, both departed from the hospital’s compound when the team’s goals and objectives for that day were met.
The primary purpose of the Senatorial Walk for Health at Douglas Gardens Hospital was to gather hospital needs assessment data for the ongoing Senate District 38 Health Task Force 38 Healthcare Provider Survey Research Initiative. The team stay focused, and the mission of “Senatorial Walk for Health”, was by all accounts, accomplished.
The 3-day intensive Senatorial Walk for Health was organized by Senate District 38 Health Task Force Chair Jennifer Leslie, Co-chair Dr. Katherine Ntekim, and Vice-Chair Marjori Paul, with the support of Dr Alejandro Arrieta (Director of Senate District 38 Health Task Force Research and Recommendations Committee), Desiree Sebastian, Dr. J Pierre-Paul Cadet (Director of Senate District 38 Health Task Force Foreign Affairs Committee), Yinka Obajimi, Dr. Jocelyn Turenne, Dorothy Leveille, Betty Charles, Esq., and President of the Senate District 38 Citizen Advisory Board Hudson Robillard.
