MIAMI – FIU Health has broken ground on a 36,000-square-foot ambulatory care center (ACC) on FIU’s Modesto A. Maidique Campus in west Miami-Dade County. In partnership with Miami Children’s Hospital (MCH), the FIU Health ACC will house the first dedicated pediatric ambulatory surgical center in South Florida.

“The FIU Health Ambulatory Care Center, together with Miami Children’s Hospital, will provide access and services to children in South Florida while training a new generation of physicians,” said Dr. John Rock, founding dean of the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine and senior vice president for health affairs at FIU.

The FIU Health ACC will also complement the existing FIU Health practice located on the same FIU campus. It will be located off the corner of Southwest Eighth Street and 107th Avenue, and will allow for expanded primary and sub-specialty care services, along with diagnostic imaging and ambulatory surgery for pediatric patients.

“This partnership will meet the growing needs of the community by increasing access to state-of-the-art surgical care. The opening of the outpatient surgical center is an extension of MCH’s ongoing mission to be where the children are,” said Dr. Narendra Kini, president and CEO of Miami Children’s Health System.

The FIU Health ACC is being built with funds allocated from the Building Better Communities Bond Program and the support of the mayor and Board of County Commissioners of Miami-Dade County.

“The faculty and staff of FIU Health are pleased to be able to offer our community expanded outpatient services in partnership with Miami Children’s Hospital, its physicians and staff and the mayor and Board of County Commissioners,” said Dr. Yolangel Hernandez Suarez, interim CEO of FIU Health.

The FIU Health ACC is expected to open in January 2015. The project is led by Klewin Construction and AECOM Architects.


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. In fact, it is the only hospital in Florida to be ranked in all 10 pediatric specialties assessed by U.S. News & World Report in its annual Best Children's Hospitals rankings for three consecutive years, 2011, 2012 and 2013-14. 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 FIU Health:
FIU Health is the clinical enterprise of Florida International University and its Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work, and the College of Arts and Sciences. FIU Health provides the community with a resource for medical care and access to leading physicians and other healthcare professionals at its various group practice sites. FIU Health physicians are also aligned with many of South Florida’s hospitals and health systems. A gateway to World Class Medical Care, FIU Health is defined by excellence in medical education, dedication to patient care, and a commitment to our community.

About FIU:
Florida International University is recognized as a Carnegie engaged university. Its colleges and schools offer more than 180 bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral programs in fields such as engineering, international relations, architecture, law and medicine. As one of South Florida’s anchor institutions, FIU is Worlds Ahead in its local and global engagement, finding solutions to the most challenging problems of our time. FIU emphasizes research as a major component of its mission. FIU has awarded 200,000 degrees and enrolls 50,000 students in two campuses and three centers including FIU Downtown on Brickell and the Miami Beach Urban Studios. FIU is a member of Conference USA and has 400 student-athletes participating in 18 sports. For more information about FIU, visit http://www.fiu.edu/.