FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 28, 2016
Emily Pantelides
Jacobson Strategic Communications
904.477.2306/
JUPITER MEDICAL CENTER TO OPEN NEW
DE GEORGE PEDIATRIC UNIT
Medical Center Teams up with Nicklaus Children’s Hospital to
Open World-Class Children’s Pediatric Wing
JUPITER, FLA. (January 28, 2016) Jupiter Medical Center announces the February 1stopening of the De George Pediatric Unit, a new wing of the hospital that features state-of-the-art inpatient and outpatient medical and therapeutic services for children and adolescents up to age 18. The De George Pediatric Unit is a continuation of a dynamic partnership between Jupiter Medical Center and Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, part of Miami Children’s Health System, and was made possible thanks to an extraordinary gift from the Lawrence J. and Florence A. De George Charitable Trust and the Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation.
“The Lawrence J. and Florence A. De George Charitable Trust is proud to partner with Nicklaus Children’s Hospital and Jupiter Medical Center. The vision for the pediatric unit began several years earlier for the trust,” said Lawrence F. De George, trustee. Michael De George, trustee and grandson of the founders, explained, “It was fortuitous that the Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation, Jupiter Medical Center, Nicklaus Children’s Hospital and my grandparents’ trust all shared the same vision. ‘Perfect Storm’ is overused”, he added, “but the validation is that all four of us were able to collaborate to deliver this world-class pediatric facility to our community.”
“We strongly believe that there is nothing more important than helping children in need of medical care and supporting the families that love and care for these children,” golf icon Jack Nicklaus and his wife Barbara said in a shared statement. “In addition, it is gratifying to be able to help the children in our own neighborhood. We are thrilled to support the De George Pediatric Unit in providing expanded high-quality pediatric services in Palm Beach County.”
The De George Pediatric Unit features 12 inpatient rooms, two state-of-the-art pediatric surgery suites, pediatric therapeutic services, a children’s playroom, and a room for resting called the “Bear’s Den,” a name inspired by Jack Nicklaus, who is widely known as the “Golden Bear.” A Child Life Specialist is also on-site to help children cope with the stress of their hospital stay. Patients benefit from the collaboration of local pediatricians, the Medical Center and Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, who worked together to implement the highest quality clinical protocols.
“The creation of the De George Pediatric Unit is part of our ongoing strategy to increase the breadth and depth of high-quality, cost-effective medical services that we provide to Palm Beach County,” said Jupiter Medical Center’s President and Chief Executive Officer, John D. Couris. “Children in our community can now receive world-class medical treatment in an environment that has been designed with kids and their families in mind, right here in their own neighborhood.”
“The De George Pediatric Unit and the further expansion of our work with Jupiter Medical Center build on the vision we share with the Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation to provide access to unparalleled care for the region’s children. It is part of our longstanding commitment to be where the children are in South Florida,” stated M. Narendra Kini, MD, MHA, CEO of Miami Children’s Health System.
The De George Pediatric Unit represents the continued growth and expansion of the existing pediatric services Jupiter Medical Center and Nicklaus Children’s Hospital currently provide. In addition to the two designated pediatric ER physicians, who are in place in Jupiter Medical Center’s Emergency Department during peak times, Jupiter Medical Center currently offers telehealth technology in its Emergency Department, which allows Jupiter Medical Center physicians to interact with Nicklaus Children’s Hospital physicians remotely on complex cases. This gives them the ability to consult on patient care—colleague to colleague—in realtime. Physicians in Miami can review images, lab results and vital assessment information, while discussing the patient’s diagnosis and treatment plan. Also as part of the collaboration, Jupiter Medical Center currently offers pediatric MRI services.
Jupiter Medical Center and Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, both not-for-profit organizations, are grateful to the generous community for sharing in their vision to offer their youngest patients and their families world-class care without having the added stress and financial burden of leaving the area to seek treatment.
About Jupiter Medical Center
A not-for-profit 327-bed regional medical center consisting of 207 private acute-care hospital beds and 120 long-term care, sub-acute rehabilitation and Hospice beds, Jupiter Medical Center is reimagining how to restore the community’s health and wellness. Award-winning physicians, world-class partnerships and innovative techniques and technology enable Jupiter Medical Center to provide a broad range of services with specialty concentrations in cardiology, oncology, imaging, orthopedics & spine, digestive health, emergency services, lung & thoracic, women’s health, weight management and men’s health.
Founded in 1979, Jupiter Medical Center has approximately 1,600 team members, 600 physicians and 640 volunteers. Jupiter Medical Center continues to perform in the top 10 percent of hospitals for patient quality and satisfaction. For more information on Jupiter Medical Center, please call 561-263-2234 or visitJupitermed.com.
About Jupiter Medical Center Foundation
The Jupiter Medical Center Foundation, the fundraising arm of Jupiter Medical Center, is dedicated to obtaining philanthropic resources to fulfill the critical healthcare needs of our rapidly growing community. Revenues generated through tax-deductible contributions are reinvested in Jupiter Medical Center for new technologies, innovative programming, sophisticated outreach and enhanced facilities to sustain a healthy community.
About Nicklaus Children's Hospital
Founded in 1950 by Variety Clubs International, Nicklaus Children's Hospital, formerly Miami Children's Hospital, is South Florida’s only licensed specialty hospital exclusively for children, with more than 650 attending physicians and over 130 pediatric sub-specialists. The 289-bed hospital is renowned for excellence in all aspects of pediatric medicine with several specialty programs ranked among the best in the nation in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015-16 by U.S. News & World Report. The hospital is also home to the largest pediatric teaching program in the southeastern United States and has been designated an American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Magnet facility, the nursing profession’s most prestigious institutional honor. For more information, visit
About Miami Children's Health System
Founded in 1950 by Variety Clubs International, Nicklaus Children's Hospital, formerly Miami Children's Hospital, operates South Florida’s only licensed specialty hospital exclusively for children, with more than 650 attending physicians and over 130 pediatric sub-specialists. The 289-bed nonprofit hospital is renowned for excellence in all aspects of pediatric medicine and routinely has many programs ranked among the nation’s best byU.S. News & World Report. The organization has grown and evolved into theMiami Children's Health System (MCHS) which includes Miami Children's Health Foundation, the organization's 501c3 fundraising arm; a network of eight nonprofit outpatient centers situated in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties; Pediatric Specialty Group, Inc., a nonprofit physician practice subsidiary; a management services organization, and an ambulatory surgery center, as well as an e-commerce line of children's wellness and safety products that support the hospital's mission of serving the region’s pediatric population. MCHS is the region’s only health care systemexclusivelyfor children.
About the Lawrence J. and Florence A. De George Charitable Trust
The mission of the Lawrence J. and Florence A. De George Charitable Trust is to support seriously ill and at-risk children. The legacy of Larry and Florence De George includes two Florence De George Boys and Girls Clubs in Broward County and Palm Beach County; founders of Camp Boggy Creek, along with General H. Norman Schwarzkopf and actor Paul Newman, a camp for seriously ill children located in Eustis, Florida; a seven year grant to the American Heart Association’s research on fetal heart development and congenital heart disease; and the Kravis Center’sDe George Academy for Performing Arts heralded as a shining star for economically-disadvantaged students. In June 2015, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Broward County implemented a five year remedial reading and mathematics program for students in grades 1-6. In January 2015, the $46 Million Florence A. De George Pavilion opened at Jupiter Medical Center, an 85,000 square foot state-of-the-art tower with 44 patient rooms. The tower includes an entire floor dedicated to the Anderson Family Orthopedic & Spine Center of Excellence, as well as the Florence A. De George Children’s and Women’s Services obstetrics unit.
About the Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation
Jack and Barbara Nicklaus founded the Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation in 2004, in an effort to provide families access to world-class pediatric healthcare in their own communities. The Foundation has grown from a vision to reality, supporting innovative programs focused on the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of childhood illnesses.For more information about the Foundation, please visit
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