{"id":237509,"date":"2026-04-19T02:30:13","date_gmt":"2026-04-19T02:30:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/237509\/"},"modified":"2026-04-19T02:30:13","modified_gmt":"2026-04-19T02:30:13","slug":"miamis-jackson-health-raises-record-100-million-for-new-er","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/237509\/","title":{"rendered":"Miami\u2019s Jackson Health raises record $100 million for new ER"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"From<\/p>\n

From left to right: Stuart Miller, CEO at Lennar; David Zambrana, incoming Jackson Health System chief executive officer; Carlos Migoya, outgoing Jackson Health System chief executive officer; and Flavia Llizo, chief executive officer of Jackson Health Foundation, gather for a photo during a preview event of a new emergency room at Jackson Memorial Hospital on Thursday, April 16, 2026, in Miami.<\/p>\n

Photo by Matias J. Ocner<\/p>\n

mocner@miamiherald.com<\/p>\n

Miami-Dade\u2019s public hospital system raised a historic $100 million donation from South Florida philanthropists to help fund its long-awaited, soon-to-open emergency room<\/a>, one of the largest in the nation.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis ER is a gamechanger for emergency medicine in our community,\u201d David Zambrana, Jackson\u2019s president and chief operating officer and soon-to-be CEO, told the Miami Herald, describing it as the \u201cnext era of care\u201d for the community as demand increases.<\/p>\n

On Thursday night, a crowd of donors and South Florida leaders were given a sneak peek of the ER. Located on the Miami campus of Jackson Memorial Hospital, it is three times the size of the current ER, and spans two city blocks, at 178,000 square feet.<\/p>\n

Jackson\u2019s ER was already one of the busiest in the nation. Now with the newly expanded ER, Jackson is estimated to see about 110,000 to 120,000 patients in the year after the new facility opens next week.<\/p>\n

\"David David Zambrana, incoming Jackson Health System chief executive officer, talks with guests during a preview event of a new emergency room at Jackson Memorial Hospital on Thursday, April 16, 2026, in Miami. Photo by Matias J. Ocner mocner@miamiherald.com <\/p>\n

The facility is meant to be a one-stop shop for emergency care, with private patient rooms, a \u201cfast track\u201d area for patients who are expected to be discharged within two hours, and pharmacy, X-ray, MRI and other diagnostic tests available to treat patients and either discharge them or admit them more quickly.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been working on this for the last six years,\u201d retiring CEO Carlos Migoya told the Herald, explaining that the state-of-the-art ER will feature the latest tech to help doctors provide fast and high-quality care to \u201ceveryone, from a broken arm all the way to a stroke or a heart attack.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe emergency room is the front door to Jackson Memorial, so the best experience has to happen here,\u201d said Migoya.<\/p>\n

\"Carlos Carlos Migoya, Jackson Health System\u2019s outgoing chief executive officer, takes a photo with Mojdeh Khaghan, a member of the Public Health Trust, the governing body of Jackson Health System, during a preview event of a new emergency room at Jackson Memorial Hospital on Thursday, April 16, 2026, in Miami. Photo by Matias J. Ocner mocner@miamiherald.com The donors<\/p>\n

Stuart Miller, chair and CEO of the Lennar Corporation, Benjam\u00edn Le\u00f3n Jr. of Leon Medical Centers, philanthropists Trish and Dan Bell, and Royal Caribbean Group are just some of the many donors who banded together to help raise the record $100 million donation for the $400 million ER. The rest of the funds for the ER come from bonds, capital investments and contributions.<\/p>\n

\"Stuart Stuart Miller, CEO at Lennar, attends a preview event of a new emergency room at Jackson Memorial Hospital on Thursday, April 16, 2026, in Miami. Photo by Matias J. Ocner mocner@miamiherald.com <\/p>\n

Migoya said the Jackson Health Foundation had never received a gift of more than $10 million, so the thought that it could potentially reach $100 million \u201cdid not just feel amibitious, it felt impossible.\u201d<\/p>\n

Le\u00f3n, who donated $10 million to the ER, told the crowd Thursday night that \u201cto have an emergency room of this magnitude, that I have just seen, in our community is truly a gift \u2014 one that will serve anyone who walks through its doors, day or night, for generations to come.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Benjamin Benjam\u00edn Le\u00f3n, Jr., founder of Leon Medical Centers, arrives to a preview event of a new emergency room at Jackson Memorial Hospital on Thursday, April 16, 2026, in Miami. Photo by Matias J. Ocner mocner@miamiherald.com <\/p>\n

The founding partners that have pledged donations to the new facility include the Lennar Foundation, the Miller Foundation, Benjam\u00edn Le\u00f3n Jr. Charitable Foundation, Related Group, Royal Caribbean Group Foundation, the Kadre family, Jos\u00e9 Milton Foundation, the Batchelor Foundation, Trish and Dan Bell, the Codina family, the Gorson family, Harold Marzouka Jr. and the Fran\u00e7oise Marzouka Family Trust. Additional philanthropists have also pledged their support, including the Guiribitey family, David Pyle and Chaim Katzman, to name a few.<\/p>\n

When will the new Jackson ER open?<\/p>\n

The first phase of the expanded ER, which will care for adult patients at 1026 NW 19th St., is set to open Thursday, April 23. Parents can continue to bring their kids to the existing ER, through the 17th Street entrance, while the hospital works on the second phase of the project, to renovate the pediatric wing of the facility.<\/p>\n

Once the entire ER project is completed in 2027, the facility will have more than 200 patient rooms, including 57 observation rooms, 30 UHealth Jackson Children\u2019s Care pediatric rooms and six resuscitation rooms, as well as designated treatment areas for mental health patients and an autism-friendly room in the pediatric wing.<\/p>\n

\"Carlos Carlos Migoya, outgoing Jackson Health System chief executive officer, left, gives Benjam\u00edn Le\u00f3n Jr., founder of Leon Medical Centers, a tour of a new emergency room at Jackson Memorial Hospital on Thursday, April 16, 2026, in Miami. Photo by Matias J. Ocner mocner@miamiherald.com <\/p>\n

\u201cThis is what we\u2019re all about. This is who we are as a community,\u201d Miller, the chair of the University of Miami Health System\u2019s board of directors, said as he thanked donors. Miller, whom Migoya described as the \u201cvisionary\u201d for the record fundraising, gave $35 million to the project through his Lennar and Miller foundations.<\/p>\n

Thursday\u2019s event also served as the kickoff for \u201cOne Day for Jackson,\u201d the annual giving campaign of the Jackson Health Foundation, the health system\u2019s fundraising arm. Flavia Llizo, the foundation\u2019s CEO, told the Herald the campaign was well on its way to surpass last year\u2019s $1 million record by the end of the month to help support services across Miami-Dade\u2019s public hospital network.<\/p>\n

The event was, in Migoya\u2019s words, full of the \u201cwho\u2019s who\u201d of Miami. Some of the people spotted in the crowd included Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, Miami Mayor Eileen Higgins, Miami-Dade County Supervisor of Elections Alina Garcia and members of The Public Health Trust, Jackson\u2019s governing body.<\/p>\n

On Thursday, the Miami-headquartered Royal Caribbean cruise line also announced a $5 million donation to Jackson\u2019s fundraising arm to help create a new emergency medicine residency program as the first act of its newly launched Royal Carribbean Group Foundation, according to Dana Ritzcovan, executive vice president, chief people and administrative officer.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is particularly near and dear to us because it is in our backyard,\u201d Ritzcovan told the Herald.<\/p>\n

Here are a few more photos from the event:<\/p>\n

\"Sen. Sen. Alexis Calatayud, R-Miami, a member of the Public Health Trust, the governing body of Jackson Health System, tries out a virtual reality headset that is used as part of nurse training during a tour of a new emergency room at Jackson Memorial Hospital on Thursday, April 16, 2026, in Miami. Photo by Matias J. Ocner mocner@miamiherald.com \"Carlos Carlos Migoya, outgoing Jackson Health System chief executive officer, hugs Sen. Alexis Calatayud, R-Miami, during a preview event of a new emergency room at Jackson Memorial Hospital on Thursday, April 16, 2026, in Miami. Photo by Matias J. Ocner mocner@miamiherald.com \"Carlos Carlos Migoya, outgoing Jackson Health System chief executive officer, walks on stage during a preview event of a new emergency room at Jackson Memorial Hospital on Thursday, April 16, 2026, in Miami. Photo by Matias J. Ocner mocner@miamiherald.com \"Miami-Dade Miami-Dade County Supervisor of Elections Alina Garcia, attends a preview event of a new emergency room at Jackson Memorial Hospital on Thursday, April 16, 2026, in Miami. Photo by Matias J. Ocner mocner@miamiherald.com \"Miami-Dade Miami-Dade County Commissioner Juan Carlos Bermudez attends a preview event of a new emergency room at Jackson Memorial Hospital on Thursday, April 16, 2026, in Miami. Photo by Matias J. Ocner mocner@miamiherald.com \"Miami-Dade Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, right, in red, presents outgoing Jackson Health System chief executive officer Carlos Migoya, center, with a recognition during a preview event of a new emergency room at Jackson Memorial Hospital on Thursday, April 16, 2026, in Miami. Photo by Matias J. Ocner mocner@miamiherald.com \"City City of Miami Mayor Eileen Higgins talks with Dr. Chris Ghaemmaghami, Jackson Health\u2019s executive vice president, chief physician executive and chief clinical officer while taking a tour of a new emergency room at Jackson Memorial Hospital on Thursday, April 16, 2026, in Miami. Photo by Matias J. Ocner mocner@miamiherald.com \"Madeline Madeline Pumariega, president of Miami Dade College, attends a preview event of a new emergency room at Jackson Memorial Hospital on Thursday, April 16, 2026, in Miami. Photo by Matias J. Ocner mocner@miamiherald.com \"Oscar Oscar Betancourt, far right, chief operating officer at Jackson Memorial Hospital, gives Darlene M. Boytell-P\u00e9rez and her husband, Jorge P\u00e9rez, chairman and chief executive officer of The Related Group, a tour of a new emergency room at Jackson Memorial Hospital on Thursday, April 16, 2026, in Miami. Photo by Matias J. Ocner mocner@miamiherald.com \"Sen. Sen. Alexis Calatayud, R-Miami, (right) a member of The Public Health Trust, the governing body of Jackson Health System, talks with Jahli Galloway (left), a clinical educator for Jackson Health, as she takes a tour of a new emergency room at Jackson Memorial Hospital on Thursday, April 16, 2026, in Miami. Photo by Matias J. Ocner mocner@miamiherald.com \"From From left to right: Albert Milo Jr., president of Related Urban Development Group; Madeline Pumariega, president of Miami Dade College; David Zambrana, incoming Jackson Health System chief executive officer; Carlos Migoya, outgoing Jackson Health System chief executive officer; and Jorge P\u00e9rez, chairman and chief executive officer of The Related Group, gather for a photo during a preview event of a new emergency room at Jackson Memorial Hospital on Thursday, April 16, 2026, in Miami. Photo by Matias J. Ocner mocner@miamiherald.com \"Miami Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and Carlos Migoya, outgoing Jackson Health System chief executive officer, cut a ribbon during a preview event of a new emergency room at Jackson Memorial Hospital on Thursday, April 16, 2026, in Miami. Photo by Matias J. Ocner mocner@miamiherald.com \"David David Zambrana, center, Jackson Health System\u2019s president and chief operating officer and incoming CEO, attends a preview event of a new emergency room at Jackson Memorial Hospital on Thursday, April 16, 2026, in Miami. Photo by Matias J. Ocner mocner@miamiherald.com \"Miami Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, Carlos Migoya, outgoing Jackson Health System chief executive officer, and Flavia Llizo, chief executive officer of Jackson Health Foundation, attend a preview event of a new emergency room at Jackson Memorial Hospital on Thursday, April 16, 2026, in Miami. Photo by Matias J. Ocner mocner@miamiherald.com <\/p>\n


\n \"Profile
\n <\/a><\/p>\n

Michelle Marchante<\/a><\/p>\n

Miami Herald<\/p>\n

Michelle Marchante covers the pulse of healthcare in South Florida and also the City of Coral Gables. Before that, she covered the COVID-19 pandemic, hurricanes, crime, education, entertainment and other topics in South Florida for the Herald as a breaking news reporter. She recently won first place in the health reporting category in the 2025 Sunshine State Awards for her coverage of Steward Health\u2019s bankruptcy. An investigative series about the abrupt closure of a Miami heart transplant program led Michelle and her colleagues to be recognized as finalists in two 2024 Florida Sunshine State Award categories. She also won second place in the 73rd annual Green Eyeshade Awards for her consumer-focused healthcare stories and was part of the team of reporters who won a 2022 Pulitzer Prize for the Miami Herald\u2019s breaking news coverage of the Surfside building collapse. Michelle graduated with honors from Florida International University and was a 2025 National Press Foundation Covering Workplace Mental Health fellow and a 2020-2021 Poynter-Koch Media & Journalism fellow.\u00a0
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