Sylvester/UMHC
The Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center was established in 1992 through the generosity of the Harcourt M. and Virginia W. Sylvester Foundation. University of Miami Hospital & Clinics (UMHC) has undergone numerous transformations, dating back to 1965 when the National Children’s Cardiac Hospital was donated to the University of Miami.
The hospital initially was built for children with rheumatic heart disease. By the time the building was complete, antibiotics had revolutionized treatment, so instead, the facility was used for private practice by members of the medical school’s clinical faculty. As a result, the hospital was renamed the University of Miami Hospital & Clinics/National Children’s Cardiac Hospital.
In the decades that followed, a number of new facilities and departments were added to enhance the hospital’s offerings. When the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center was dedicated, the facilities became known as Sylvester/UMHC, and today serve as the cancer diagnosis and treatment hub for UHealth – University of Miami Health System.
Sylvester brings together more than 250 cancer specialists – all faculty of the Miller School of Medicine – who provide innovative care; conduct robust, multidisciplinary cancer research; and deliver outstanding medical education to tomorrow’s generation of cancer pioneers. The result: Sylvester is a place where South Florida’s population of nearly 6 million people, as well as visitors from Latin America, the Caribbean, and beyond, can turn at their darkest moment… it’s a place where hope becomes reality through our scientists’ tenacious search for cancer breakthroughs.
Sylvester/UMHC offers outpatient clinics, a 40-bed inpatient unit, a comprehensive treatment unit, a radiation oncology suite, the Mohs surgery center/dermatology clinic, the Rosenfield GI Center, a cardiology lab and clinic, a radiology/imaging suite, an interventional radiology clinic, the Spine Institute clinics, on-site laboratory and pharmacy, the Courtelis Center for Psychosocial Oncology, the Jill Selevan Chapel, a cafeteria, as well as administrative offices.
Sylvester organizes its cancer research and treatment into 15 “site-disease groups,”– specialized, multidisciplinary teams of healthcare professionals who focus on specific types of cancer. From high-frequency breast and lung cancer to rarer forms of the disease, like pediatric and thyroid cancer, Sylvester’s site disease groups are made up of a wide array of specialists, including medical oncologists, surgeons, and radiation oncologists. Chief Medical Officer W. Jarrard Goodwin, M.D., F.A.C.S. leads the Sylvester/UMHC team.
For more information about Sylvester/UMHC, download a printable Sylvester Capabilities Factsheet.
