NSU Health Professions Division Chancellor Named Health Care Hero

18th annual Health Care Heroes® Awards recipients

FORT LAUDERDALE-DAVIE, Fla. –The Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce announced the recipients for its 18^th annual Health Care Heroes^® Awards on May 19, 2015 at Jungle Island. Fred Lippman, R.Ph., Ed.D.,chancellor of NSU’s Health Professions Division was honored as the 2015 Individual of Merit.

The Health Care Heroes^® Awards program recognizes individuals, institutions, professionals, students, volunteers and programs, who through their individual or collective actions have made an extraordinary impact in the South Florida health care community.

Health Care Heroes’ acts of heroism represent a display of dedication to excellence in their area of expertise beyond the scope of their jobs. Through their commitment to their profession and community, they serve as an inspiration to others in an effort to improve the quality of health care and discover new ways to assist those in need.

Lippman was selected for his leadership in the South Florida community and beyond, particularly in the areas of health and well-being. He is currently responsible for overseeing seven colleges, including dental medicine, health care sciences, medical sciences, nursing, optometry, osteopathic medicine and pharmacy – some of which he led in creating. He has made it his priority to enhance inter-professional relationships and understanding; increase programs for health care careers that are in demand, and focus on educating future health care practitioners on the importance of providing care in underserved areas of the population, including rural and homeless communities. A community pharmacist for more than 20 years, Lippman also served as a member of the Florida House of Representatives from 1978 to 1998, where he was widely respected for championing legislation to protect children and senior citizens and to improve Florida’s health care system. One of his many accomplishments was to introduce the country’s first law mandating the use of child safety seats, and a law mandating the use of seat belts in vehicles. He is also widely known as the ‘father’ of Florida’s Area Health Education Center (AHEC) program, which works to improve the supply and distribution of primary care in medically underserved areas.

The 2015 Health Care Heroes^® winners are (by category):

AXA Advisors Lifetime Achievement Award: Col. Brodes Hartley Jr. (Ret.), Community Health of South Florida Inc.

Health Care Professionals: Eduardo H. Bancalari, M.D., University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Medical Center

Nurses: Kimberly Juanico, R.N., B.S.N., CHPPN, People in Crisis United

Individuals of Merit: Fred Lippman, R.Ph., Ed.D., Nova Southeastern University

Institutions/Programs: Chapman Partnership’s Miami Hope Clinic

Bio-Medical: Richard Cote, M.D., Biomedical Nanotechnology Institute at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine

Youth Volunteer Recipient: Dimitri A. Godur, Ransom Everglades School

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 About the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce: The Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce is the voice of business in South Florida, representing more than 400,000 employees of member companies. To carry out its mission, the Chamber involves the private sector in community leadership. For more than a century, the Chamber has been widely recognized and respected for its extraordinary record of economic development and community improvement. The Greater Miami Chamber is a proactive chamber, regularly getting engaged in issues important to its member companies and individuals. Its program of work is organized in six areas: Community Growth, Governmental Affairs, Industry Growth, International Business, Leadership Programs, and Marketing & Member Services. The Chamber is nationally recognized as one of the Top 10 Executive Speaking Forums in America.

About Nova Southeastern University (NSU): Located in beautiful Fort Lauderdale, Florida, NSU is a dynamic research institution dedicated to providing high-quality educational programs at the undergraduate, graduate and first-professional degrees levels. An independent, not-for-profit institution with approximately 25,000 students, NSU has campuses in Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Jacksonville, Miami, Miramar, Orlando, Palm Beach and Tampa, Florida as well as San Juan, Puerto Rico and online globally. For more than 50 years, NSU has been awarding degrees in a wide range of fields, while fostering groundbreaking research and an impactful commitment to community. Classified as a research university with “high research activity” by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, NSU is one of only 37 universities nationwide to also be awarded Carnegie’s Community Engagement Classification. For more information, please visit www.nova.edu.

Media Contact:
Jeremy Katzman, M.B.A., APR | Office of Public Affairs
954-262-5408 (office)
954-661-7000 (cell)
j.katzman@nova.edu