[vc_row css_animation=”” row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”full_width” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern”][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”21265″ img_size=”750×450″ add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center” qode_css_animation=””][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css_animation=”” row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”full_width” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern”][vc_column][vc_separator type=”transparent” up=”15px” down=”15px”][vc_column_text]Accompanied by community leaders, Community Health of South Florida, Inc. (CHI) leaders celebrated a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its new mobile medical van. The goal is to continue to drive community health forward by providing greater access to care in the South Florida community. 

The state-of-the-art van is helping CHI provide greater access on wheels with primary care, pediatrics, and behavioral health services. The 40-foot mobile van goes to four of CHI’s nearby public housing centers and local homeless camps. 

“We have always gone above and beyond to reach everyone and fulfill the great Doris Ison’s vision for equality in care,” said Brodes H. Hartley Jr., CEO of CHI. “We are excited to expand the services we provide to our community beyond the walls of our health centers.”

Thanks to support from Direct Relief and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), CHI is now able to serve those who need it the most.

“In just the first few weeks of service, the mobile medical van has reached people who have not been to the doctor in years,” said Eunice Hines, Director for Migrant and Outreach Services. “Some were diagnosed and treated for chronic illnesses.”

The new mobile medical van complements the mobile dental trailer that CHI previously rolled out in 2017. The mobile dental trailer allows dental teams to do cleanings and other basic preventative services, along with restoration and minor oral surgeries. It also has digital x-rays, the latest dental equipment, Wi-Fi, and an education TV system.

“As we move forward in 2020, we continue to advocate for excellence in care,” said Hines. “I am proud to say that CHI is closing a gap by ensuring that everyone, regardless of race or income, has access to high-quality, compassionate health care.”

CHI continues to grow its services and programs to meet the increased needs of the community.  

To watch the ribbon-cutting ceremony, visit CHI’s Facebook page for the full livestream.[/vc_column_text][vc_separator type=”transparent” up=”15px” down=”15px”][vc_column_text]Call (305) 252-4820 to make an appointment with the mobile medical van at the following locations.

Mondays: Perrine Gardens, 10161 Circle Plaza

Tuesdays: Arthur Mays Villas, 11341 SW 216th Street

Wednesdays: Pine Island, 26862 SW 127th Avenue

Thursdays: Homestead Gardens, 1562 SW 4th Street

Fridays: Homeless Encampments[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

[vc_row css_animation=”” row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”full_width” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern”][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”21121″ img_size=”800×600″ add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center” qode_css_animation=””][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css_animation=”” row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”full_width” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern”][vc_column][vc_separator type=”transparent” up=”15px” down=”15px”][vc_column_text]With children’s suicide rates up and related mental health issues on the rise, Community Health of South Florida (CHI) moved forward with a virtual groundbreaking for its Children’s Crisis Center, the first of its kind to serve children in crisis in southern Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties.

On hand for the virtual ceremony was Brodes H. Hartley, Jr., president and CEO of CHI, who was joined by Miami-Dade Schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho, Child Advocate David Lawrence, and foster mom, Miss Alina.

“The need for a children’s crisis center is more important than ever,” said Hartley, Jr. “We continue to see children suffering from behavioral health issues, with the global pandemic making them even more susceptible to mental crisis and making us all the more committed to seeing this center built.”

When fully built, the structure will have 20 sleeping rooms, plus play rooms, therapy rooms and much more designed to care for kids suffering from severe mental illness. Located adjacent to CHI’s Doris Ison Health Center at 10300 SW 216 St., it will treat about 1000 children annually.

More than 80 children per month are brought to CHI’s adult crisis center, which is not fully equipped to address the youth’s needs. The onset of the pandemic has only highlighted the urgency where the number of visitations never dropped

The 11,400 square foot building will provide 24-hour, comprehensive mental health care for children up to 17 years of age, regardless of their ability to pay. The construction of the building is projected to take about 18 months with $3.3 million left to raise to be on track to open.

WATCH THE VIDEO AND DONATE AT:

chisouthfl.org/groundbreaking[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

[vc_row css_animation=”” row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”full_width” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern”][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”21116″ img_size=”250×300″ add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center” qode_css_animation=””][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css_animation=”” row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”full_width” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern”][vc_column][vc_separator type=”transparent”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css_animation=”” row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”full_width” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern”][vc_column][vc_column_text]I hope this message finds you safe and in good health. We are living through tough times. COVID-19 is spreading through South Florida and on top of that, we have civil unrest linked to the ongoing battle for equality. Our founder, Doris Ison, was a change agent and a visionary. She wanted to be sure that everyone, regardless of economic background or race, had access to high-quality healthcare. Today we continue to fulfill her vision.

I want to commend our team, the heroes on the front lines, who come to work every day despite the circumstances, to care for our patients. We set the tone in South Florida by being the first to offer drive-through COVID-19 testing in Miami-Dade and Monroe County. It’s a service that we continue to do for free to you. Our teams are also working around the clock to clean and disinfect to ensure our health centers are clean and safe for you. We are pleased to see that many of you are returning to the health centers for care. Some who wish to see the doctor from home have been taking advantage of our telehealth services. It’s easy and convenient, and helps you maintain your health throughout this pandemic. I am so proud to have held our virtual groundbreaking for our children’s crisis center as well as virtual graduation and white coat ceremonies for our graduating residents and incoming class of residents. In August, we will celebrate National Health Center Week. During that time, we highlight the valuable work that community health centers like Community Health of South Florida, Inc. (CHI) do for some of the most vulnerable populations. It’s a time when we will visit the homeless, those living in public housing, and our migrant community, and give them special care packs. We also have contests and educational resources for children. You can read all about our National Health Center week plans at chisouthfl.org/Nationalhealthcenterweek.

I am also excited to tell you about our new mobile medical van. We just purchased it thanks to support from Direct Relief and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). The van is state of the art and will help us provide greater access on wheels with primary care, pediatrics, and behavioral health services. The mobile van will go to four of our nearby public housing centers and also local homeless camps. We have always gone above and beyond to reach everyone and fulfill the great Doris Ison’s vision for equality in care.

Yours truly,

 

 

 

Brodes H. Hartley, Jr.

President/CEO[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

It’s a team effort for Glen Rice and friends as they golf to raise money for a children’s crisis center.

Nearly every day, the Crisis Center at Community Health of South Florida, Inc. (CHI) sees a child brought in by his or her parents or school police because of a mental health breakdown. Usually the child is at risk of harming themselves or others. It’s a particularly difficult situation because the adult Crisis Unit at CHI is not equipped to see kids. So, it might be hours before that child is transferred to a children’s crisis facility with an open bed.

If the thought of bringing your child to an adult crisis center is frightening to you, it is that and more for the parents of nearly a thousand children put in this position every year. With their child’s emotional health spinning out of control, many of these parents are grasping for a turning point, a place that can make a meaningful urgent change in their child’s behavioral health when all seems hopeless. This moment in time can be the difference that sets them on a healing path for life or further compounds a severe problem.

It might seem like a stretch to say that golf could be the solution. But when dozens of golfers and celebrities tee off at the Biltmore golf course on April 3, 2020, they will be swinging away for this very cause. The annual CHI Glen Rice Celebrity Golf Tournament will help fund the building of the first children’s crisis center in southern Miami-Dade County.

“These children can’t wait any longer,” said Brodes H. Hartley, Jr., President and CEO. “We have to join forces and ensure they have access to quality, comprehensive, compassionate intensive behavioral healthcare.”

The tournament will include teams from local businesses as well as individual golfers. It’s a fundraiser that promises to be a day to remember. The lush, Bermuda grass fairways of the Biltmore championship course with laser leveled tees will offer 18 holes of golf with lunch and an entertaining awards dinner at the end of the day.

In the past, celebs such as Glen Rice, Scottie Pippen, Mercury Morris and others have enjoyed supporting the CHI tournament as they know it’s always a relaxed, fun day with an important goal in mind, to save the minds of young fragile children.

“I am so proud to be a part of this fundraiser,” said Glen Rice. “I do it because I know that CHI does enable kids to heal their hearts and minds. This is something that affects all of us. Together we need to make a change.”

If you’d like to meet Rice and community leaders who want to golf for the children, register at chisouthfl.org/golf or call (305) 252-4853.

One of my greatest inspirations has always been Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He was a man of service and advocated for all people. He gave of himself to speak out for those in need. In the 1960’s, he was quoted as saying “Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health is the most shocking and the most inhumane because it often results in physical death.” Today, his words still ring true. But the options for access to care have changed. Today I’m proud to say that organizations like Community Health of South Florida, Inc. (CHI) are closing that gap to care and ensuring that everyone – regardless of race or income level has access to high quality, compassionate healthcare.

In February, we celebrated leaders such as Dr. King, by doing a Black History Month speakers bureau series on ending health disparities among African Americans. Our doctors spoke at four churches and our outreach team conducted free health screenings to help educate the community about key issues such as hypertension, diabetes, smoking, high-cholesterol, depression and HIV/AIDs. If you missed those events you can still catch one of our doctors speaking at Bethel Church on March 15th during the 9am service. The address is 14440 Lincoln Blvd., Miami, FL 33176.

As we roll into 2020, our vision is to continue advocating for equality in healthcare. We have ordered a new custom mobile medical unit to provide primary care and behavioral health access to the homeless and the hard to reach communities. The new unit will take our services to people outside of our health center walls. This will be our second mobile unit. Our mobile dental trailer treats about 3,000 adults and children a year at schools, daycare centers and communities throughout South Florida.

The recent ribbon cutting for our newly renovated Marathon Health Center was a welcome addition to the Middle Keys community. Plus, we are planning on opening centers in Key West’s Bahama Village and in Key Largo. This continued growth is part of our commitment to ensure everyone has access to healthcare.

Greetings,

 

 

 

Brodes H. Hartley, Jr.

President/CEO