Jose Penas, PA

Jose Penas, a physician assistant, has been practicing family medicine at Community Health of South Florida Inc. since 2012. Originally from Cuba, he emigrated to the United States in 1980 with his family. He attended Miami Dade College and transferred to Florida International University where he received his bachelor’s degree in chemistry in 1992.

Penas went on to pursue graduate studies in molecular biology. But in 1995, the death of a close family member made him reconsider what he wanted to do with his life. That was the turning point that helped him decide to become a physician assistant.

He attended Nova Southeastern University and graduated from its physician assistant program in 1999. Since then he has been practicing medicine in the combined fields of urgent care, occupational medicine, family medicine and outpatient internal medicine.

In his free time, Penas enjoys reading, exercising and caring for tropical fish.

Gerald Pierre, MD

Dr. Gerald Pierre, who joined CHI in 2005, is a provider in CHI’s Women’s Services.  He is also a faculty member in the OB/GYN Practice Program in the Brodes H. Hartley Jr. Teaching Health Center at CHI. Having previously taught at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine’s OB/GYN Department, where he received the 1985 Teacher of the Year award, Dr. Pierre is looking forward to returning to teaching.

After completing a bachelor’s degree in biology from Bard College in upstate New York, Dr. Pierre earned his medical degree from Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tenn. He later went on to Executive MBA Studies at the University of Central Florida.  Dr. Pierre completed an internship in obstetrics/gynecology at Hubbard Hospital before going on to his residency, also in obstetrics/gynecology, at Vanderbilt University, both in Nashville. Following his residency, he was the clinical director and director of OB/GYN at Community Health Services Inc. in Hartford, Conn. He then worked in private practice in Bloomfield, Conn.

Dr. Pierre is board certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology. He is also a fellow of the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the National Health Services Corps.  Actively involved in the community, he previously served as a board member and treasurer of the Nap Ford Community Charter School. He is fluent in English, French and Creole and has a working knowledge of Spanish.

Maria A. Pierro

Maria A. Pierro, with CHI since 2008, is a dental hygienist at CHI’s Doris Ison Health Center. She earned her dental hygienist degree in Miami Dade College in 1995 as a board-certified Florida Dental Hygienist. She maintains her American Heart Association CPR certification in order to administer local anesthesia. She enjoys working with a diverse patient population.

Her hobbies include playing with her two grandchildren, gardening and traveling.

Edgard Nuñez, MD

Dr. Edgard Nuñez is the Deputy Chief Medical Officer at Community Health of South Florida Inc. He has been a family medicine provider at CHI since 2002. Dr. Nuñez is responsible for oversight of satellite service providers as well as provider recruitment and retention.

Born in Managua, Nicaragua, his motivations to become a physician stem from his early childhood experiences when he admired the passion for medicine from his family doctor in his hometown of Corinto, Nicaragua. Dr. Nuñez earned his doctorate of medicine and surgery degree from the Universidad Autonoma of Honduras in 1983. A few years later, Dr. Nuñez immigrated to the United States where he continued his journey as a physician. He completed his residency in family medicine at the Texas Tech University Health of Science Center. Dr. Nuñez is a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians, American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonography, Florida Academy of Family Physicians and Nicaraguan American Medical Association. Fluent in Spanish and English, he is often a CHI spokesman for international and national news coverage on community health care and the migrant and Hispanic population.

An enthusiastic fan of boxing, basketball, soccer and baseball, Dr. Nuñez also enjoys theater and cinema.

Alejandra Miranda, D.D.S.

Dr. Alejandra Miranda was born and raised in a traditional household in Leon, Nicaragua. She earned her dental degree from the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Nicaragua in 1981. In 1986, she moved to Florida with high ambitions of revalidating her license and was able to do so in 1992. Dr. Miranda worked as a general dentist until the fall of 1994 when she decided to open a private practice that she ran until the spring of 2014. To follow her beliefs in giving back to the community by helping as many underprivileged people as possible, Dr. Miranda was inspired to look for a job in a community health center. She joined Community Health of South Florida Inc. (CHI) because of its state-of-the-art equipment, relationship-based and focus on patient care comes first philosophy. She also firmly believes in CHI’s model of comprehensive care that is tailored to fit into the lives and budgets of her patients.

Dr. Miranda is a member of the Lindsey Hopkins Community Smiles Outreach Program, Latin American Dental Study Club and Nicaraguan American Dental Association. Committed to providing the best care possible for her patients, Dr. Miranda completes more than 40 hours of continuing education per year.

Dr. Miranda is in CHI’s Marathon office in the Keys on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. She speaks Spanish and English fluently. Her passion and hobbies include spending time with her three children and two grandchildren.

Celia Mion, LMHC

Celia Mion is CHI’s Director of Behavioral Health. She is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in CHI’s Behavioral Health Department at the Doris Ison Health Center. She has been with CHI for 15 years and as well as being QA/QI for the Behavioral Health Department she also managed the HealthySteps Program funded by the Children’s Trust.

Right out of graduate school, she became a registered intern providing therapy to children. After becoming licensed, she received a specialization in infant mental health and started a program formerly known as the Infant Mental Health Program at CHI.

In 2010, CHI was awarded a grant for $300,000 to start the CHI LINKS program (currently known as HealthySteps). Mion managed that program until 2013. She then applied for another grant through the Children’s Trust and CHI was awarded $975,000 to start the Service Partnership program that provides care coordination to needy families and children struggling in school. A second grant for HealthySteps was applied for and awarded in 2018.

She has received three merit awards, the CEO Award of Excellence for commitment to the Journey to Excellence movement, the Making a Difference Award, and the first runner-up for Employee of the Year in Behavioral Health.

“I have loved every minute of growing personally and professionally with CHI,” she said. “There are so many great, hardworking people that care about the community they live and work in. I am very proud of CHI and the growth we have seen and look forward to all the possibilities to come.”

Mion keeps busy with her daughter, who she said, “keeps me pretty entertained.”

Millied López de Victoria, DMD

Dr. Millied López de Victoria has been the dental supervisor for CHI’s West Perrine Health Center since 2007.

Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, she graduated from The University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus School of Dentistry in 2001. She moved to North Carolina in 2002 and worked as the associate dental director for the Tri-County Community Health Council, Inc.

Around that time, she also worked as an adjunct assistant professor for The University of North Carolina School of Dentistry at Chapel Hill. She actively participated in collaborating with the East Coast Migrant Health Start Project and with Give Kids a Smile.

She is fluent in Spanish and English.

Senaida Loaces

Senaida Loaces works at Doris Ison Heath Center and the Martin Luther King Jr. Clinica Campesina Annex in Homestead as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor providing individual, couples, family and group therapy to a diverse population. She is also a qualified clinical supervisor with more than 15 years of professional experience working in the field of mental health and addiction.

She graduated from Carlos Albizu University with a master’s degree in mental health counseling in 1999 and later became a Certified Addiction Counselor in the State of Florida.

Some of the emotional disorders that Loaces specializes in treating include: major depression, anxiety, oppositional defiant disorder, attention deficit disorder and hyperactivity, along with daily stressors that a client is unable to resolve without professional help.

Fluent in English and Spanish, she is experienced working with clients from diverse backgrounds and communities utilizing treatment modalities such as behavioral, cognitive, motivational and psych-educational techniques to help clients restore effective coping skills to manage daily and life stressors. Her therapeutic belief is that each client is unique and requires an individualized treatment approach.

In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, interior decorating, and music.

Martha Katz, MD

Dr. Martha Katz has been a practicing pediatrician with Community Health of South Florida Inc. since 1991. Having worked at CHI’s Martin Luther King Jr. Clinica Campesina, she recently moved to CHI’s newest location in West Kendall.

She was born and raised in Managua, Nicaragua. After graduating from high school, she became interested in medicine and became a physician.

Dr. Katz followed her dreams and moved to Leon, Nicaragua, to start a medical career. After completing a medical degree at the Autonomous University of Nicaragua in 1981, she immediately went into a residency program.

Marriage gave her a loyal husband and two beautiful children who grew up and followed their mother’s footsteps into the medical field. Her son is an internal medicine doctor and her daughter is studying physical therapy and EMS.

Due to the political situation in her country and looking for freedom and a better future for her family, they moved to Miami in 1983.

Dr. Katz enjoys serving her community as part of the CHI team.

“I have enjoyed all the challenges and have great satisfaction in the quality of service I provide for both my patients and employer,” she said with pride.

Magali Selem, MD, FAAP

Dr. Magali Selem has been a pediatrician at CHI’s Doris Ison Health Center since 1999.

A native of Guantanamo, Cuba, she received her undergraduate degree from the University of Miami. Dr. Selem earned her medical degree in pediatrics from the Universidad Central del Este in the Dominican Republic.

She then completed her pediatric residency at the University of Kansas and at Miami Children’s Hospital. Dr. Selem is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

She enjoys playing the piano, walking for exercise and traveling.