South Miami Hospital’s Director of Social Work, Care Coordination and Counseling Stephanie Rakofsky has been honored with the Florida International University Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work’s 2012 Path Award. The Path Award recognizes individuals in public health, social work and dietetics for their contributions and commitment to promoting and protecting the health of the South Florida community.
Rakofsky has more than 40 years experience as a social worker — 26 of those at South Miami Hospital. Under her leadership, she has overseen the development of mental health programs that have made South Miami a leader in patient services. She established the hospital’s multidisciplinary Behavioral and Collaborative Medicine Program that brings together social workers, nurses, psychologists and therapists to offer therapy using music, dance, journaling, art, relaxation and massage, yoga, tai chi and support groups. She also created the hospital’s Perinatal Bereavement Team, helping patients who have suffered a pregnancy and newborn loss.
In addition to her work at the hospital, Rakofsky is active in the community. She has served as the coordinator of the Miami-Dade Coalition to Save Abandoned Newborns and as a voluntary consultant to the Department of Children and Families’ Keeping Baby Safe campaign. She also serves on the Field Advisory Committee at FIU and has provided graduate internships for social work students at FIU and Barry University.
Mr. Rakofsky earned a bachelor’s degree from Cornell University and a master’s degree from Columbia University. She has a master’s of social work from Barry University. She lives with her husband, Sanford, in Coral Gables. They have five sons and three grandchildren.
South Miami Hospital is part of Baptist Health South Florida, the largest faith-based, not-for-profit healthcare organization in the region. Baptist Health Foundation, the organization’s fundraising arm, supports services at all hospitals and facilities affiliated with Baptist Health.
For more information, visit BaptistHealth.net.
