Miami hospital nonprofit under investigation for ‘possible misappropriation’ of funds
The nonprofit fundraising arm of Miami-Dade County’s public hospital system is under investigation for a “possible misappropriation” of funds, according to an audit.
The Jackson Health Foundation investigation is being conducted by an “independent forensic expert along with law enforcement to ensure a thorough and unbiased review,” according to the report.
The foundation is governed by a volunteer board of directors and helps raise money to support Jackson Health System, which serves as the county’s public safety net hospital and provides care to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay and whether they have insurance or are uninsured.
The foundation’s finances are separate from the finances of Jackson Health and its governing body and “do not directly impact the Trust’s accounting records,” according to the document.
The report states the problem was discovered by the foundation’s management “subsequent to year-end,” which means it was identified shortly after Jackson’s 2024 fiscal year ended in September. The document indicates that the issue spans into prior fiscal years and notes that similar issues have not been identified within the hospital system’s operations.
The problem was flagged in the annual financial report sent in January to the Public Health Trust, the volunteer board appointed by the county to oversee the public hospital system. The report looks at the financial position and performance of the hospital system.
The “full extent and financial impact of these issues have yet to be determined,” according to the report, which reviewed the fiscal years of 2023 and 2024. The South Florida Business Journal first reported on the investigation.
“Jackson Health System has since implemented additional financial controls and administrative oversight of the Foundation, which included the restructuring of its staff,” Jackson Health spokeswoman Lidia Amoretti-Morgado said in an emailed statement Wednesday to the Miami Herald. “We will not comment further, pending the ongoing investigation.”
Amoretti-Morgado declined to answer additional questions from the Herald on the investigation, stating it was upon the request of law enforcement to protect the investigation.
This article will be updated.
READ NEXT: Jackson Health worker traded jobs for cash, trip to Greece and football tix, cops say
This story was originally published January 29, 2025 at 12:24 PM.
