MIAMI, FL…Thomas M. Rozek, President and CEO of Miami Children's Hospital (MCH), told a Congressional subcommittee that a federal partnership is needed to address the growing critical need for children’s health services in South Florida— including programs to advance research and treatment of pediatric brain tumor, the leading cause of childhood cancer-related deaths in Florida and the nation.
Mr. Rozek testified before the U.S. House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies that a federal partnership could make possible the expansion of high-demand pediatric specialty services in the state and support Miami Children's in its quest to improve treatment of neurological disorders.
Mr. Rozek focused on MCH’s commitment to the development and construction of a new Ambulatory Care Center to expand services in the following high-demand pediatric specialties: orthopaedics, rheumatology, urology, nephrology, neurosciences, behavioral health and pediatric dentistry. The center will enable the hospital to reach and serve a significantly larger number of children and reduce the waiting times children and families currently face.
To address the increased incidence of brain tumors in children, MCH is also seeking federal participatory assistance to acquire, develop and implement the utilization of the next generation of Intraoperative MRI instrumentation, to improve surgical outcomes for children with brain tumors. Brain tumors are the #1 cause of childhood cancer deaths nationally. The disease is particularly prevalent in Florida.
Founded in 1950, Miami Children’s Hospital is the only licensed specialty hospital for children in South Florida. The 268-bed medical complex offers medical care and services for children from birth to age 21.
About Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, Where Children Matter Most (2024)
Founded in 1950 by Variety Clubs International, Nicklaus Children’s Hospital is South
Florida’s only licensed specialty hospital exclusively for children, with approximately
850 attending physicians, including more than 500 pediatric subspecialists. The 307-bed
hospital is renowned for excellence in all aspects of pediatric medicine with many specialty programs
routinely ranked among the best in the nation by U.S. News & World Report since 2008. The
hospital is also home to the largest pediatric teaching program in the southeastern
United States and since 2003 has been designated an American Nurses Credentialing
Center (ANCC) Magnet facility, the nursing profession’s most prestigious institutional
honor. For more information, please visit www.nicklauschildrens.org.