Shaping the Future  of Medicine

Gifts to UHealth and the Miller School, which comprise $1.5 billion of the Ever Brighter campaign’s $2.5 billion goal, will catapult our medical enterprise into a new dimension of leadership, achievement, and prestige. Our top philanthropic priorities include the following.

BASCOM PALMER EYE INSTITUTE

It has been ranked the No.1 eye hospital in the nation for the 20th time. Its health teams and support staff are visionary innovators who further the boundaries of discovery and clinical care, including working toward the completion of the first human eye transplant.

SYLVESTER COMPREHENSIVE CANCER CENTER

As the only National Cancer Institute-designated center in South Florida, Sylvester’s investigators are combatting cancer through a broad range of revolutionary advancements and discoveries. Among them is the development of targeted therapies to destroy cancer cells while reducing the side effects of conventional treatments such as chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation therapy.

HEALTH EQUITY

We serve one of the most unique populations in the world. Our emphasis on community health equity positions us to treat patients across different cultures and ethnicities, provide exceptional treatment to those who need it most, and train our medical students to care for patients from diverse demographics. Support will further strengthen our deep community connections and provide crucial insight into treating and containing novel diseases such as the Zika virus and COVID-19.

NEUROSCIENCE

Our outstanding neuroscientists are at the leading edge of discoveries and treatments with the potential to transform our understanding of brain diseases and disorders. Donor support will build on our record of game-changing advancements—from the use of therapeutic hypothermia for treating spinal cord injury to the first auditory brainstem implant in Florida.

DEPARTMENT OF GENETICS

Extraordinary physicians and researchers within the department—one of the nation’s leaders in NIH funding—are unlocking mysteries behind some of the world’s most complex diseases. Examples include the identification of the major susceptibility gene for Alzheimer’s disease and efforts to slow the progression of ALS by identifying the biomarkers that can lead to early approaches for treatment.

NEXTGEN MEDICAL EDUCATION/SCHOLARSHIPS

The Miller School educates aspiring physicians who will shape the future of medicine. As part of our efforts to attract and retain the best and brightest prospective students—including those from underrepresented communities—Ever Brighter will fund a substantial increase in scholarships and ongoing enhancements to NextGenMD, our innovative medical education curriculum, which will position our graduates to excel as caregivers and health care leaders.

“I wouldn’t be alive without the care and treatment I received from the doctors and nurses at Sylvester.”

GISENIA REYES, RIGHT, WITH HER SISTER AND BONE MARROW DONOR, LUCY

HOPE AND HEALING

On Oct. 22, 2015, Gisenia Reyes was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia, a deadly blood cancer. That day also marked the beginning of her journey to healing, thanks to the experts at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center. “I wouldn’t be alive without the care and treatment I received from the doctors and nurses at Sylvester,” Reyes says. “I could have died at 33 years old, full of life—but I’m still here.” “I’m grateful to my oncologist, my transplant doctor, and everyone who has donated to Sylvester to fund innovative research and treatments,” she adds. “With continued support, Sylvester’s physician-researchers could be the first to find a cure for cancer.”