North Shore Medical Center in Miami’s Little River neighborhood was recently designated a Certified Advanced Primary Stroke Center, providing much-needed stroke care and education in the community.


The center is of particular interest to blacks.

“According to the National Stroke Association, African Americans are twice as likely to die from stroke as Caucasians,” said Arlene Cameron, a registered nurse who is the stroke coordinator at North Shore.

The stroke center combines the resources of many medical specialties to quickly evaluate and treat patients with complex medical needs, a statement from the hospital explained.

The stroke team includes Emergency Department physicians, neurologists, neurosurgeons, interventional radiologists and nurses who specialize in the care of strokes. 


The team is available round-the-clock to respond when a patient with stroke symptoms goes to the hospital.

People with diabetes are at a higher risk of stroke, thus the hospital and its FMC Campus in Fort Lauderdale opened a Diabetes Education Center to treat patients and also educate the community about the disease, its treatment and prevention.

The FMC Campus is the former Florida Medical Center, a 459-bed acute care hospital, 5000 W. Oakland Park Blvd., which merged with North Shore.

North Shore, 1100 NW 95th St., is also home to the only Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in northern Miami-Dade County that offers round-the-clock care for newborns and specializes in caring for mothers with high-risk pregnancies. 

Services include 24-hour coverage of board certified neonatologists, perinatologists, specially trained and certified neonatal nurses

and respiratory therapists, advanced pediatric care, board certified neonatal surgeons and pediatric specialists.

FMC Campus, through its Heart Institute of Florida, offers cardiac care and treatment of patients with cardiovascular disease. The facility performed the first open-heart surgery in Broward County in 1974.


The medical team includes board-certified cardiologists, vascular and thoracic surgeons and certified registered nurses and technologists. The hospital has four cardiac catheterization labs and dedicated cardiac operating rooms, providing for prompt and efficient patient care.

The FMC Campus is also a pioneer in bariatric surgery in Florida.  The program offers procedures to help people who are 100 pounds or more overweight and have tried to lose weight but failed.


In addition to cardiac and weight loss surgery, this hospital also specializes in orthopedics including total joint replacement, sports medicine, a complete rehabilitation center and spinal surgery.

Both hospitals have received several awards and recognitions from organizations such as The Joint Commission and The American Heart Association.

North Shore has also received the Tenet Circle of Excellence honor four of the last five years. The recognition is given to Tenet hospitals that achieve the highest level of quality, service and operational performance throughout the company.


The two hospitals also boast a diverse medical staff that includes African-American and Caribbean-American physicians, some in leadership positions at the facilities.Dr. Frederick Bloom is vice chief of the Operations Committee and Dr. Hakan Charles-Harris is a member of that committee. Both are members of the medical executive committee, an organizational body that oversees the functions and duties of the medical staff and its committees. 

Dr. Alain Innocent is Chief of Medicine at North Shore and Dr. Adlai Pappy is medical director of anesthesiology at the FMC Campus.  

“Working in a multicultural environment provides a rich sense of community and ensures that we are a reflection of our South Florida community,” said Manny Linares, CEO of North Shore Medical Center and FMC Campus.  “We live in such a melting pot of so many different cultures and at our facilities we try to highlight and celebrate this.”

The administration also includes a diverse leadership group.

The FMC Campus’ chief operating officer is Gabrielle Finley-Hazle, who was appointed to the position in 2010.  She oversees the daily operations of a broad range of medical, surgical and ancillary services.  At North Shore, Manoucheka Thermitus was recently appointed director of Business Development. She provides leadership for the development of the hospital's business strategy and is responsible for directing and managing the planning, development and implementation of strategic and comprehensive hospital initiatives and business development plans that support the hospital’s growth into the future.