Miami Children's Hospital Inducts Three Into Hall of Excellence

Published on: 9/6/2007

MIAMI, FL — Three longstanding Miami Children’s Hospital (MCH) leaders were inducted into the MCH Hall of Excellence in recognition of their outstanding commitment to the hospital and the greater community over the course of a lengthy career. Since the program’s founding in 1990, 31 individuals have been inducted into the hospital’s Hall of Excellence.

The 2007 awardees include:

Dr. Deise Granado-Villar, Chief of Pediatrics and Director of the Division of Preventive Medicine.

Dr. Granado was recognized for her leadership which led to the development of the MCH Division of Preventive Medicine and its many outreach programs. Highlights of Dr. Granado’s career included the development of the Health on Wheels mobile health unit program, which brings healthcare services to underserved children, as well as the formation of many collaborative outreach programs that have made health and dental care available to needy children.

Dr. John Ragheb, Director of the Division of Neurosurgery.

Dr. Ragheb was recognized for his leadership at the hospital as well as fostering outreach missions to Haiti, where he and a team from Miami Children's and theUniversity of Miami perform surgical procedures to help children with hydrocephalus.

Byron Smith, Security Supervisor at MCH.

Mr. Smith was honored for his long service to MCH and for developing and serving as the chairman of the State of Florida Safety and Career Day, an annual event that provides safety guidelines and career guidance for 5,000 underserved children.

Induction into the Hall of Excellence is Miami Children's Hospital’s highest employee honor and is reserved for those who have made a significant contribution to the hospital and the community during their career at Miami Children's. Recipients are nominated by fellow MCH employees and the winners are selected based on their accomplishments by The Hall of Excellence Committee.

About Miami Children's Hospital

Founded in 1950, Miami Children's Hospital is the only licensed specialty hospital for children in South Florida. The 275-bed freestanding facility is ranked by Child magazine among the best children’s hospitals in the nation and is the only Florida pediatric hospital to be included in U.S.News & World Report’s 2007 listing of “America’s Best Children’s Hospitals.” Miami Children's has expertise in all aspects of pediatric medicine and serves children from birth to age 21.

About Nicklaus Children's Hospital, Where Your Child Matters Most ™ (2025)

For 75 years, Nicklaus Children's has stood as a beacon of hope for children and families across the state of Florida and beyond. Nicklaus Children's Hospital is South Florida's #1 nonprofit, freestanding specialty licensed hospital exclusively for children serving close to 70 percent of children in the Miami metropolitan community. In addition, Nicklaus Children's offers care within NCH North Hospital in Naples, Jupiter Medical Center's De George Pediatric Unit and select Baptist Health Hospital pediatric emergency units. The hospital and its network of more of nearly 35 outpatient care locations offer lifesaving care in in Miami-Dade, Broward, Martin, and Palm Beach counties. These outpatient locations include an array of urgent care, pediatric primary care, and subspecialty care centers and are either hospital-based or outpatient locations under Nicklaus Children's Pediatric Specialists, LLC (NCPS). Providing a pipeline of future physicians and groundbreaking research, Nicklaus Children's is an academic and clinical affiliate of Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine. Nicklaus Children's is home to centers of excellence including the Helen & Jacob Shaham Cancer & Blood Disorders Institute, the Nicklaus Children's Orthopedic, Sports Medicine and Spine Institute, Nicklaus Children's Neuroscience Institute and Nicklaus Children's Heart Institute. The 325-bed hospital is renowned for excellence in all aspects of pediatric medicine, with many programs routinely ranked among the nation's best by U.S. News & World Report since 2008. Nicklaus Children's also includes a nonprofit physician practice subsidiary with over 40 specialties, and an ambulatory surgery center.