Page 8 - May 2017 Health Care Heroes Section

GREATER MIAMI CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 2017 HEALTH CARE HEROES ®

INDIVIDUALS OF MERIT

Linda S. Quick Karen Schneier Dresbach
President President
Quick Bernstein Connections Group National Multiple Sclerosis Society

For over 40 years, Linda Quick has been at the Karen Schneier Dresbach has served as president
forefront of the healthcare industry in South Florida. of the National MS Society, South Florida, for the
Her achievements and contributions have left, past 17 years. In that role, she has raised more than
beyond an imprint, a legacy of community organiza- $50 million, designating $10 million to MS research.
tions and initiatives that have changed South Florida She developed the Hispanic outreach national pro-
in ways ranging from the transparency of health care gram by developing the National Hispanic Advisory
systems and organizations that solve problems for the Council and establishing La Sociedad Esclerosis
aging and the homeless to the establishment of disas- Multiple, producing programs for people with MS in
ter preparedness and HIV programs. Spanish.
As the executive director of the Health Council of “Linda Quick has impacted Locally, she helped create the bilingual MS Center “Karen Dresbach is a role
South Florida, she initiated the Alliance for Aging all of us and played a major of Excellence at the University of Miami, and pro- model for all organizational
and got funding for its operations. She also helped to role in improving the lives of vided the seed money to collaborate and forge a leaders…she is determined,
create the Miami Coalition for Care of the Homeless South Florida residents. strong relationship with the Hussman Institute of intelligent, proactive, accom-
and worked to create the Health Choice Network, an She has provided solutions Human Genomics team, establishing the largest plished in many areas and a
organization that provides oversight of organizations to homelessness, ensured Hispanic MS registry of DNA worldwide. professional in all respects.
serving the indigent. obstetrical care for indigent She additionally developed an annual scholarship
Under her leadership, the Healthy Start Coalition mothers, increased access to fund and program for neurology residents at the Whatever she does, she does
was created, which secures funds for neonatal inten- services for the aging popula- University of Miami Miller School of Medicine who with 120 percent of her heart
sive care units, impacts coordination of obstetrics tion, created disaster pre- were interested in pursuing the field of MS. and soul.”
between public and private providers, and expands paredness programs, helped She created a national public service multimedia Elaine Adler, President
services for expectant mothers. During the AIDS epi- MS awareness campaign, for which she won the and Gary Pyott,
demic, Linda formed a two-county Blue Ribbon panel to reduce AIDS/HIV prestigious Summit Award, and continues to lobby Chairman of the Board
to create a strategy for the region’s response, which in our region, and much in Washington to help families and patients. She Aventura Marketing
eventually became the South Florida HIV Coalition. more. She is unique and has also established collaborative research and clinical Council/Chamber of Commerce
She also created and led Floridians for Quality changed our lives.” care between Puerto Rico and the U.S., and in 2016,
Affordable Healthcare, and for 21 years, served as the Armando Ferrer, Ph.D. led the first trip of MS clinicians and researchers to
president of the South Florida Hospital & Healthcare President Cuba, establishing dialogue and future areas of sci-
Association, pushing the association to become more Aferrer Consulting, LLC entific exchange.
inclusive and growing it into an organization that
provides meaningful services, advocacy and informa-
tion to hospitals as well as the entire healthcare industry in South Florida.

ORGANIZATIONS/PROGRAMS

School of Podiatric Medicine
Community Outreach Program to Miami Rescue
Mission, Broward Outreach Centers
Barry University

Barry’s School of
Podiatric Medicine
was founded in 1985
and is the only school
of Podiatric Medicine
in the southeast United
States formed with the
purpose of graduating
podiatric physicians
qualified to enter post- “Without participating in these out-
graduate training. reach events, podiatric students could
This is accomplished by excellence in podi- still conduct clinical rounds, attend
atric medical education, fostering lifelong classes and graduate as doctors of
learning, expressing a commitment to social podiatric medicine; however, the fact
justice by serving the local and global com- that these graduate students devote
munity through patient care, and encouraging themselves to the care of their fellow
research and innovation that promotes the
common good. In 2008, the school began out- brothers and sisters demonstrates self-
reach to the Miami Rescue Mission, providing lessness that cannot be taught in a
needed, and at times, life-saving medical treat- classroom but requires first-hand
ment to the homeless community. experience.”
The twice-annual event has now expanded Sister Linda Bevilacqua, OP, Ph.D.
to two Broward Outreach Centers in President, Barry University
Hollywood and Pompano Beach, where Barry
podiatric students and faculty volunteers con-
tinue to make an impact in the lives of the less fortunate.
In cases where additional medical attention is needed, identified patients are seen and
treated in the Barry clinics at no cost, staffed by lead faculty podiatrists. These annual
public outreach efforts tie in with the four tenets of Barry’s mission—knowledge and
truth, social justice, collaborative service and inclusive community—where podiatric
students receive a real-life practicum without compensation or individual recognition.
‡ VIKKD FRP ‡ *ULIÀQ 5RDG 'DQLD %HDFK )/

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