Baptist Health Foundation launches campaign to invest in our healthcare future | Opinion

With our population growing, it’s exciting to be in South Florida. But along with this rapid growth — as well as an aging Baby Boomer population — comes the need to continue to develop our healthcare infrastructure to meet the needs of our community, including chronic disease management and specialty care.

Illnesses like heart disease, cancer, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s are particularly prevalent in our older population, and we need to make sure we have the resources to prevent, diagnose and treat them.

One of our biggest considerations should be to continue to grow and develop our healthcare workforce. According to the Florida Hospital Association and Safety Net Hospital Alliance of Florida, it is expected that by 2035, Florida will need 323,000 registered nurses — but projections suggest that only 286,000 will be actively working, indicating a staffing gap.

That is why the Baptist Health Foundation is committed to building investment in healthcare for our community. The foundation, which is the philanthropic arm of the not-for-profit Baptist Health, has recently launched Power Extraordinary: The Campaign for BaptistHealth.

This historic campaign seeks to raise $600 million in philanthropy as an investment in the future of medicine in South Florida.

Recognized as one of the best healthcare providers in America and the most award-winning healthcare system in South Florida according to the 2024-25 U.S. News & World Report rankings, Baptist Health is supporting our communities by transforming healthcare in the region.

The Power Extraordinary initiative will allow the organization to pursue a reimagined approach to patient care, a new era in research and clinical trials, a hub for the best minds in medicine and a globally recognized center for innovation. Funds raised through the campaign will help enhance patient care in Miami-Dade, Monroe, Broward and Palm Beach counties; recruit and retain top physicians and nurses through endowments, scholarships and educational programs; and drive breakthroughs in research and innovation at Baptist Health’s cancer, heart and vascular, brain and spine and orthopedic institutes.

To date, the campaign has enabled several exciting philanthropic investments. One is a $50 million gift — the largest in Baptist Health’s history — from Kenneth C. Griffin of Citadel and Griffin Catalyst for the development of the new Kenneth C. Griffin Center at Baptist Health Miami Neuroscience Institute, which will expand research and treatment of brain and spine disorders.

Another is a donation from philanthropists Al and Jane Nahmad. Their gift will support Baptist Health’s new Al and Jane Nahmad Women’s Cancer Center, which will offer female patients a comprehensive array of services and renowned specialists.

Donors have also supported 10 endowed chairs, which are advancing research in clinical neuroscience, stroke care, pain and rehabilitative medicine, radiation oncology, skin cancer, cardiology, orthopedics and more. In addition, as clinical and academic affiliates, Baptist Health and Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine are building on their longstanding relationship through a powerful partnership to elevate care, research and education.

Plans are underway to build a new medical center at FIU’s Modesto Maidique Campus improving access to care. Baptist Hospital, on its way to becoming a statutory teaching hospital, will expand its joint accredited residency and fellowship programs with FIU, retaining locally trained physicians.

Many Baptist Health physicians serve as chairs and faculty members at FIU’s College of Medicine. These physicians and researchers will continue to drive advances in medicine and new technologies.

These are ambitious goals that can’t be accomplished without community support. They require bold donors who are willing to step up and raise the bar to provide the world-class healthcare South Florida deserves, right here in our own backyard.

Investments like these make sense from an economic perspective — helping to fuel the local economy — but also from a compassionate one because no one should have to travel far to receive lifesaving care.

We have the power to transform healthcare for generations to come. I invite our local philanthropic community to join us and help build a stronger and healthier future for all.

Michael L. Katz is chair of the Baptist Health Foundation board of directors. To learn about Power Extraordinary: The Campaign for Baptist Health, visit PowerBaptistHealth.net

This story was originally published January 16, 2025 at 6:05 PM.