Jackson Hospital history

During the summer of 1947, Doctor Frank persuaded his friend, Douglas Goode, an electrical engineer by trade, to become the first administrator of the hospital.

Shortly after, in 1949, Jackson Hospital was granted not-for-profit status and became officially known as Jackson Hospital & Clinic, Inc.

The University of Miami School of Medicine, the first medical school in Florida, opened on September 22, 1952 with 26 students.

Then in 1955 it was accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation for Healthcare Organizations (now The Joint Commission). Since then the hospital has maintained its high standard of quality by successfully passing all subsequent national and state accreditation surveys.

Doctor Joshua Miller performs the first kidney transplantation at the medical center in January, 1979.

Since 1987, the Foundation has raised more than $150 million to help Jackson Health System deliver the best possible care.

On August 3, 1992, Ryder Trauma Center opened just weeks before Hurricane Andrew devastated South Miami-Dade County.

On October 28, 1994, the William Lehman Injury Research Center in Ryder Trauma was officially dedicated with special guests, including United States Secretary of Transportation Federico Peña and retired United States Rep.

The Fetal Imaging Center also was created in 2000.

In October 2001, the United States Army selects Ryder Trauma as its only national Army Trauma Training Center in order to enhance the clinical skills and experience of its Forward Surgical Teams before being deployed for combat.

With the Guardian Angels’ philanthropic support, the Adolescent Unit, located on the 4th floor of the Ryder Trauma Center, was renovated in 2005.

It was the first time Jackson produced a surplus since 2006, and the system has earned an annual surplus every year since.

South Wing 8 at Jackson Memorial, the Pediatric Emergency Room at Holtz Children’s Hospital, and the Mental Health Unit at Jackson South Medical Center received awards from Professional Research Consultants, Inc., also known as PRC, for receiving high patient satisfaction scores in 2008.

Just 12 hours after the earthquake struck in January 2010, Project Medishare, an organization founded and led by University of Miami/Jackson physicians Doctor Barth Green and Doctor Arthur Fournier, had mobilized the first medical team on the ground in Haiti.

Carlos A. Migoya has served as CEO of Jackson Health System since May 2011, overseeing one of the nation’s largest and most respected public healthcare networks.

On August 3, 2012, Ryder Trauma Center celebrates its 20th anniversary.

Ranked in six specialties for United States News & World Report’s 2013-14 Best Children’s Hospitals.

The Miami Transplant Institute’s abdominal transplant program (kidney, liver, pancreas, and intestine) performed more transplants than any other center in the United States in the first three months of 2014.

Holtz Children’s Hospital at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Medical Center is among the nation’s top children’s hospitals, according to the United States News & World Report 2015-16 Best Children’s Hospitals rankings.

Also in 2016, the Foundation received a $1 million gift from the Heat Foundation and a $500,000 gift from the Micky and Madeleine Arison Family Foundation.

Holtz Children’s Hospital part of the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Medical Center is among the nation’s top children’s hospitals, according to the United States News & World Report 2017-18 Best Children’s Hospitals rankings.

The Miami Transplant Institute claims the nation’s top position, performing more organ transplants than any other hospital in United States history, with a record-breaking 747 transplants performed in 2019.