Jupiter Medical Center and University of Miami Miller School of Medicine Announce Healthcare Affiliation Agreement

Northern Palm Beach County Patients Gain Close-to-Home Access to Latest Treatments, Clinical Trials and Specialty Care

Among the affiliation's benefits are:

-- Expanded access to the latest research, treatments and clinical trials;

-- Greater availability of specialists actively involved in academic and clinical medicine, with accelerated second opinions;

-- Streamlined process for patients who may require additional care through the University of Miami Health System.

JMC and UM Miller School of Medicine officials said the agreement is an important milestone for both institutions that recognize the future of the dynamic, fast-growing North County area. "The face of health care in Palm Beach County is changing and both institutions are committed to being at the forefront of meeting the community's needs," said Paul Dell Uomo, JMC CEO. "We are proud that UM has chosen to partner with us. Given our determination to be recognized among the nation's top 100 hospitals, the importance of this agreement cannot be overestimated for Palm Beach County and Jupiter Medical Center."

"The University of Miami Miller School of Medicine is collaborating with physicians and hospital leaders in Palm Beach County to provide expert clinical care, academic outreach and superb medical training," said Pascal J. Goldschmidt, M.D., senior vice president for medical affairs and dean of the Miller School of Medicine.

William O'Neill, M.D., executive dean for clinical affairs at the Miller School of Medicine, noted that patients are well served by a community hospital of Jupiter Medical Center's caliber. "This affiliation assures that patients who may need advanced specialty care are interfaced with the leaders in these specialties," said Dr. O'Neill. He pointed to UM's cardiac medicine program as an example. Over the past 18 months, the program has grown from 18 to 40 physicians. Doctors drawn to the University of Miami from prestigious institutions including Harvard and Johns Hopkins are now at the Miller School working on stem cell and interventional cardiology research.

"Affiliation with a world-class teaching and research institution brings new dimensions to JMC and gives our already outstanding physicians many additional resources for diagnosing and treating patients," said Chester Maxson, M.D., chief of staff at Jupiter Medical Center. "We look forward to working with UM specialists to continually expand expertise to benefit our patients."

UM also is looking to Palm Beach County's future by cultivating the next generation of home-grown physicians through its regional medical school program with Florida Atlantic University and Boca Raton Community Hospital, and a residency training program associated with JFK Medical Center and the West Palm Beach VA. In addition, UM's mission to become an internationally renowned biomedical research powerhouse recently received a boost with Governor Crist awarding an $80 million economic development grant, approved by the Legislature, to the Miami Institute for Human Genomics at UM.

Dell Uomo and Steven Falcone, M.D., executive clinical dean of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine at Florida Atlantic University, said the new JMC-UM affiliation will provide additional benefits, including:

-- Continuing Medical Education/Visiting Faculty opportunities for JMC physicians, which will benefit their patients;

-- The possibility of student electives;

-- Specialty Grand Rounds for JMC physicians, further expanding expertise in state-of-the-art medical care;

-- Enhanced access to UM/Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center physicians;

-- Clinical consults and education opportunities through video-conferencing.

About Jupiter Medical Center

A not-for-profit 283-bed community medical center consisting of 163 private acute care hospital beds and 120 long-term care beds, Jupiter Medical Center provides a broad range of services, with specialty concentrations in orthopaedics, long-term care, minimally invasive vascular procedures, cancer care and advanced diagnostics. Jupiter Medical Center is currently in the midst of a major, multi-year growth plan which includes an Emergency Department expansion. The medical center has approximately 1,400 employees, 490 physicians and 700 volunteers. For more information about the services available at Jupiter Medical Center, please call (561) 747-2234 or visit www.jupitermed.com.

About the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine

The Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine was founded in 1952 as the first medical school in Florida. Miller School faculty conduct more than 2,000 research projects in basic science and clinical care in facilities totaling more than two million square feet of research space within the 100-acre UM/Jackson Memorial Medical Center campus. The University of Miami Health System (UHealth) is the clinical enterprise of the Miller School of Medicine. The health system provides life-saving care through a comprehensive network that includes three-university owned hospitals, three major affiliated institutions, more than two dozen outpatient health care facilities, 1,000 doctors and 8,000 associates.

Available For Interview:
For University of Miami Miller School of Medicine:
Steven Falcone, M.D., Executive Clinical Dean
305-243-4853
For Jupiter Medical Center:
Paul Dell Uomo, FACHE, CEO
561-747-2020
James Ketterhagen, M.D., Chief Medical Officer
561-747-2234 ext. 4148
Chester Maxson, M.D., Chief of Staff
561-744-2200