“Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida is proud of our long-standing partnership with Miami Children's Hospital,” said Russ Jollivette, senior vice president of public affairs, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida. “Every day, this ‘Blue Concourse’ at Miami Children's Hospital Brain Institute will welcome families into a state-of-the-art, caring environment where children will receive unparalleled care.”
The Blue Concourse will feature blue neon, overhead circular ceiling lighting in a mirror image of Miami Children’s Hospital’s entrance. Signs will also identify this area as The Blue Concourse, which will serve as a waiting room and focal point of all patient flow for approximately 35,000 patients, their families and visitors annually. The Blue Concourse, located on the third floor of the new 68,000 square-foot Ambulatory Care Center, will also function as an educational area with plasma television screens depicting the main aspects of the MCBI and educational segments specific to the type of disorder treated in the daily clinics, such as autism and epilepsy. The area further serves as the point of access to the Family Education Center, Multidisciplinary Corridor and the Neurophysiology waiting area.
BCBSF has also partnered with the Gloria Estefan Foundation to help raise funds and awareness for the MCBI. The two organizations recently hosted a fundraiser and concert at the Estefan’s Miami Beach home, with BCBS as the presenting sponsor, benefiting the MCBI.
“Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida is proud to be partnering with the Gloria Estefan Foundation on a number of projects to raise awareness about health-related issues,” said George Foyo, South Florida market president for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida. "Today we deliver more than 300 copies of Gloria's recent New York Times bestselling children's book to pediatric patients here at the hospital, the result of our sponsorship for a private benefit concert and dinner held at the Estefan's home. The books are in honor of each attendee from the recent one-of-a-kind event, En Casa con Gloria, and we hope the children and their families will treasure them.”
Russ Jollivette, Senior Vice President of Public Affairs for BCBSF; George Foyo, Market President for BCBSF; Thomas M. Rozek, President and CEO of Miami Children’s Hospital; Gloria and Emilio Estefan; Dr. John Ragheb, Chief of Neurosurgery for Miami Children’s Hospital; and Lucy Morillo, President of Miami Children’s Hospital Foundation will be in attendance and available for interviews, along with other representatives and guest families.
“Miami Children’s Brain Institute is the culmination of our efforts to bring together all of the specialists who are needed to take care of children with disorders of the nervous system,” said Dr. John Ragheb, Chief of Neurosurgery at Miami Children’s Hospital. "We are pioneering new treatments to help children with seizures and brain tumors. Miami Children's Brain Institute offers services that no one else in our community can provide, which means that families don’t have to leave South Florida to get the care they need.”