Josh Leibman, who is the vice mayor of South Miami just finished the New York City Marathon, which by the way for the uninitiated, is 26.2 miles. Josh who is hardly new to the sport of running has completed 97 marathons. Yup, nearly 100 of them. It’s hard to imagine that given his body type is not that what some might imagine. He’s not that tall nor a lanky thin type athlete, he’s well, way shorter and way stocker and way more muscular than what some folks envision has a guy that has run so many marathons.
It really says a lot about desire and commitment and its so clear that one shouldn’t let those little challenges in life get in the way of doing what you want to do.
Josh shares his passion for running with scores of healthy runners and walkers over at FootWorks on Sunset Drive, where he leads the marathon training trainer classes. If you’ve ever thought about really getting into shape or running a marathon, then think no more about it. Just do it! Your plan is already there just ask for it. Just go on over to FootWorks and you’ll be on your way.
And if you think that’s too much to do right now, there are also classes for walkers and training for half marathons.
To find out more you go to footworksmiami. com or call 305-667-9322.
A few weeks ago, thousands came over to Sunset Drive and enjoy Safe Streets Halloween. Lots of fun for the kids and parents, too. There are some photos on page 4 for your enjoyment. Many thanks to Henry Guzman who provided the photos to us.
And this past weekend the South Miami Art Festival which is produced by Chamber South attracted many many thousands of people to the City of Pleasant Living. Some 120 artist booths were there and filled the imagination with very creative work, from jewelry, ceramics, digital art, glass and metal work, great photography and lots more. Clearly, this helps put South Miami on the map. I tip my hat to Chamber South and to the hundreds of creative souls that put on a great event.
The city finally, after 45 years or so, yup 45 years, finally broke ground on the city swimming pool, which is being build at Murray Park, you know, that’s where the city gym is located as well as Baptist Hospitals’ Children’s Center, Golly I just help but give Baptist some ink.
Anyway, the city has come along way, albeit it took a long time. It wasn’t too many years ago that a sitting commissioner said “Those people over there only need a hose and a shovel.” Gee guys, back then it sounded a bit racist, don’t ya think?
Baptist Health community numbers for the year, show $291 million in charity care and community service, up from $222 million a couple of years agoBaptist Health South Florida, the largest private organization in South Florida and employs over 15,000 employees is in the spotlight this week. The faith-based not-for-profit founded in 1960 has health facilities in Broward, Miami Dade and Monroe Counties and has a major component of expenses when it comes to charity and none compensated healthcare costs, over twice what the federal tax break provides Baptist Health, as a non-profit institution. Baptist Health has seven hospitals, and more than 30 medical plazas and urgent care and outpatient facilities in the region and the $4 billion organization gave $291 million in charity care and community service state Baptist Health documents (and that is up from $222 million a few years ago). Moreover, some 24,000 patients received charity care in the past year. In addition, the hospital system’s international program draws some 12,000 patients in the course of the year.
The healthcare system has more than 2,200 physicians and the Baptist Health Medical Group is the home to more than 140 physicians from cardiac surgeons and hospitalists to robotic specialists, sports medicine specialists and neurosurgeons. And the health system in 2014 will begin construction of a stateof- the-art Cancer Institute and a new $200 million hospital in West Kendall is a teaching affiliate with Florida International University’s Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine. The organization self insures its buildings and facilities after finding government was slow to respond to the extensive damage Baptist Health hospitals received after Hurricane Andrew in 1992. And the facilities are now hardened to sustain hurrican force winds with minimal damage. And when it comes to the employee handbook, it’s called The Body.
The manual gives a strong dose of preventative healthcare, ways to stay healthy through good nutrition and exercise and talks about how to live a healthy, generally good medical health life for many of the employees through preventative care.
Further, Baptist Health originally started with only one hospital, its flagship on Kendall Drive, a road in 1960 when Baptist was founded with the nickname the “Road to no where.” And the area was just beginning to be developed into the sprawling community of homes and rentals it is today, with roughly some 450,000 people in the Kendall area alone. Further, “Living within our means,” was a Baptist Health cost saving policy initiated with the rise in healthcare costs and charity care and this proactive management philosophy has allowed the health system to expand the system with modern facilities, but also over the decade to have put in $1 billion into the system’s reserves. And next to the public Jackson Health System that gets some $350 million of public money for uncompensated care, Baptist is the second largest provider of charity care in Miami-Dade.
For more go to www.baptisthealth.net
EDITOR’S NOTE: My life was saved in February 2010 during an emergency 4:00 a.m. surgery at South Miami Hospital, a facility owned by Baptist Health South Florida. And I can never thank vascular surgeon Jorge Rabaza, M.D. and the great medical staff during this challenging time, that Rabaza considered a “flip of the coin,” when it came to saving my life at the time of the emergency surgery.
(This last item provided by the watchdogreport.net
Got any tips? Contact me at 305-669- 7355, ext. 249, or send emails to Michael@communitynewspapers.com
