Support Miami’s Overtown as it reinvents itself through tech and medical innovation | Opinion
Overtown is a historically rich and culturally vibrant African American neighborhood in Miami, and it is reinventing itself once again, thanks to the Overtown Youth Center (OYC) founded by former Miami Heat star player Alonzo Mourning and his ex-wife, Tracy.
The center is breathing new life into the neighborhood and as proof a new Technology Arts Media Innovation (TAMI) building is coming to Overtown, an excellent example of this new trend.
This TAMI building is a proposed development in Miami’s Overtown neighborhood. The tech startups that have chosen Overtown are helping to rebuild its reputation as a promising destination for innovation.
By blending its cultural heritage with a forward-looking vision for technology, Overtown has the potential to become a unique and impactful tech hub in Miami. Strategic investment, community engagement and inclusive practices will be key to its success.
But it all began with Overtown Youth Center, whose motto is: Inspire/Empower/Enrich/Expose. Its programs are focused on education, enrichment and exposure, family services, financial stability and health and wellness.
Tina Brown, OYC’s CEO, and her board, are bringing more technology and business to the neighborhood, exemplified by a new initiative to empower health and wellness, their new OnMed CareStation, an innovative telehealth solution that functions as a high-tech medical kiosk, enabling people to access everyday healthcare services remotely and instantly at a secure environment for virtual visits with healthcare providers on a life-size screen.
Here’s an overview of the key features and functions of the OnMed CareStation:
OnMed CareStations allows users to have real-time video consultations with licensed medical professionals in Florida. The CareStation includes a complete diagnostic suite of tools that allow the clinician to monitor vital signs. Included in the CareStation are a temperature sensor, blood pressure cuff, pulse oximeter and weight scale.
The healthcare provider also has controls over remote devices like a high-definition camera and stethoscope to listen to the heart and lungs of a patient. The clinician can provide a complete treatment plan and an e-prescription sent to the patient’s preferred pharmacy. Records from visits can be shared with other health systems.
Finally, the CareStation complies with all HIPAA standards for patient data protection and is designed to be a private, soundproof and safe space during medical interactions. OnMed CareStations are wheelchair-accessible and are multilingual. At the end of every visit, the CareStation interior and its instruments are sterilized via a UV-light program.
Other CareStations can be set up in underserved areas anywhere; they provide access to healthcare in regions where medical facilities are scarce or distant.
OYC in Miami is the perfect site for an OnMed CareStation, delivering access to quality healthcare, quick diagnosis and treatment options, minimal wait times and no need to schedule appointments or travel to a clinic. While the CareStation does not handle complex or emergency medical cases, in situations of patient instability, the OnMed provider is prepared to help the patient start supportive maneuvers while directing local EMS teams to the location.
It reduces overhead costs for healthcare providers and lower costs for patients compared to traditional clinic visits and functions at no cost to users at the OYC OnMed CareSation.
The success of the OnMed CareStation depends on public awareness and by-directional collaborations with established Miami health systems.
The OnMed CareStation exemplifies the potential of telehealth to address healthcare access challenges, blending technology with healthcare innovation to meet the needs of diverse populations, as it does for Overtown.
Access to screenings and preventive care remains one of the most critical yet challenging aspects of medicine for underserved communities. The bottom line is that a new wave of technology and innovation in the community, health and economic development through technology and entrepreneurship are promoted within the community.
Pascal J. Goldschmidt is founding CEO of UM Health System, University of Miami. He is dean emeritus and professor of medicine emeritus at the UM Miller School of Medicine. Erin Kobetz is a professor of medicine and public health leader at the UM Miller School of Medicine.
CORRECTION: Tracy Mourning is the ex-wife of former Miami Heat star Alonzo Mourning.
This story was originally published February 13, 2025 at 4:47 PM.