Healthcare in South Florida is changing faster than almost anywhere in the country. The stakes are higher, the challenges are bigger, and the people carrying that weight deserve more than a footnote. That's exactly why Health Care Heroes® exists, and why its 27th year felt more necessary than ever.
Why it matters more now than ever
South Florida is one of the fastest-growing healthcare markets in the country. Our population is unique, and uniquely vulnerable. We have aging residents, visitors from around the world, and a healthcare system that must serve everyone, regardless of circumstances. The people we honored this year don't just work in that system. They are the system.
Carlos Migoya, CEO of Jackson Health System, received the Equitable Advisors Lifetime Achievement Award, a recognition 15 years in the making. Jackson is Miami-Dade's only public health system, and Migoya's leadership has meant that when families face their most frightening moments, there's somewhere to turn. That's not a small thing. That's everything.
But this event was never about one person. It was about the nurses holding hands. The researchers chasing cures. The EMTs making split-second decisions. The volunteers who show up without being asked.
See who was honored
The full list of 2026 honorees, finalists, and their stories is featured in the South Florida Hospital News special spread, and we promise, it's worth reading.
Read the South Florida Hospital News spread
You can also browse event photos, watch honoree videos, and relive the morning at the official resource hub.
Visit the Health Care Heroes® Resource Hub