Miami, FL – This month, the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce’s Healthcare & Bioscience Committee honored the 2010 Health Care Heroes whose acts of heroism represent a display of dedication to excellence in their area of expertise beyond the scope of their profession. Athena C. Pefkarou, M.D., Associate Director, Division of Hematology-Oncology, Miami Children’s Hospital, Director, Sickle Cell Comprehensive Care Center and UOTS Cancer Camp was the recipient of the 2010 Health Care Heroes Award in the Health Care Professional category.
 

“Dr. Pefkarou is a dedicated crusader against pediatric cancer and is the founder and volunteer director of Camp UOTS – which celebrates its 20th anniversary this summer,” said M. Narendra Kini, M.D., MHA, President and CEO, Miami Children's Hospital. “Through her steadfast commitment to the camp, Dr. Pefkarou has demonstrated her leadership, dedication and passion for the well being of children, offering them life-enhancing experiences as they confront illness.”

About Miami Children’s Hospital
Founded in 1950 by Variety Clubs International, Miami Children's Hospital is South Florida’s only licensed specialty hospital exclusively for children, with more than 650 attending physicians and over 130 pediatric sub-specialists. The 289-bed hospital is renowned for excellence in all aspects of pediatric medicine with several specialty programs ranked among the best in the nation in 2008 and 2009 by U.S.News & World Report. The hospital is also home to the largest pediatric teaching program in the southeastern United States and has been designated an American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Magnet facility, the nursing profession’s most prestigious institutional honor.

About the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce
The Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce is an association of businesses and professions organized to create economic progress in Miami-Dade County. To carry out its mission, the Chamber serves as the voice of business enterprise and involves the private sector in community leadership. For more than 100 years, the Chamber is widely recognized and respected for its extraordinary record of economic development and community improvement. The Greater Miami Chamber is an activist chamber. Its program of work is organized in five areas: Advocacy, Domestic Business Development, International Business Development, Leadership Programs and Marketing & Member Services. The Chamber has an award-winning website, www.MiamiChamber.com; holds the license to the Miami Free Trade Zone, Inc.; and is widely recognized as one of the Top 10 Executive Speaking Forums in America.