Baptist Health Foundation announced today that it has received a $3 million donation that has been designated to establish the first endowed chair at Baptist Health’s Miami Neuroscience Institute. The chair will be named the Irma & Kalman Bass Endowed Chair in Clinical Neuroscience, in recognition of the Basses and in honor of their 75th wedding anniversary.
“We are very grateful for this extraordinary gift made in celebration of the Basses in honor of their 75th wedding anniversary,” said Alex Villoch, CEO of Baptist Health Foundation. “This gift is symbolic of their lasting commitment and love to one another, and creates a legacy that will support the Institute’s physicians and their life-saving work, now and in the future.”
With deep roots in the Miami community, the Bass family are longtime supporters of Baptist Health and its physicians. Their friendship with Miami Neuroscience Institute Chief Medical Executive Michael McDermott, M.D., an internationally renowned neurosurgeon, was a principal reason for the gift to establish the endowed chair.
“All of us at Miami Neuroscience Institute are honored by this gift, and elated to achieve this milestone,” said Dr. McDermott. “Neuroscience is a rapidly changing field, and it requires substantial resources to advance education, research and care. The Endowed Chair in Clinical Neuroscience will not only help us provide our patients with innovative treatments for brain, spine and nervous system disorders, it will also enable us to recruit world-class physicians and take the Institute to the next level.”
Miami Neuroscience Institute includes a Joint Commission Certified Comprehensive Stroke Center, offering multispecialty physician clinics and an NAEC Epilepsy Program, among other offerings. The Institute’s epilepsy program is accredited by the National Association of Epilepsy Centers as a level 4 epilepsy center, the highest level possible; and the Intraoperative Monitoring Department received the top-tier accreditation from the Neurophysiologic Intraoperative Monitoring Laboratory Accreditation Board of ABRET — the first in Florida, one of 27 in the U.S. and one of only 30 in the world to achieve this accreditation.
About Baptist Health Foundation
The mission of Baptist Health Foundation is to inspire philanthropy and build extraordinary donor relationships in support of excellence, innovation, community wellness and global leadership in healthcare at Baptist Health South Florida. Through philanthropy, the Foundation supports and expands Baptist Health’s ability to provide outstanding patient care and bring the latest treatments to patients and families affected by a serious illness. Donor contributions also allow the Foundation to assist Baptist Health facilities in keeping pace with technology and equipment advances, perform cutting-edge research and offer continuing education opportunities to medical staff. Learn more at BaptistHealth.net/Foundation.
About Miami Neuroscience Institute
Miami Neuroscience Institute offers comprehensive and compassionate treatment for neurological conditions affecting the brain, spinal cord and peripheral nervous system. From non-surgical treatments and minimally invasive procedures to complex brain and spine surgery, the Institute embraces a multidisciplinary approach to patient care.
Miami Neuroscience Institute is part of Baptist Health South Florida, the largest healthcare organization in the region, with 12 hospitals, more than 24,000 employees, 4,000 physicians and 100 outpatient centers, urgent care facilities and physician practices spanning across Miami-Dade, Monroe, Broward and Palm Beach counties. Baptist Health has internationally renowned centers of excellence in cancer, cardiovascular care, orthopedics and sports medicine, and neurosciences. In addition, it includes Baptist Health Medical Group; Baptist Health Quality Network; and Baptist Health Care On Demand, a virtual health platform. A not-for-profit organization supported by philanthropy and committed to its faith-based charitable mission of medical excellence, Baptist Health has been recognized by Fortune as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in America and by Ethisphere as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies. For more information, visit BaptistHealth.net/Newsroom and connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.
