Florida International University (FIU) today marked a historic milestone with the official groundbreaking of a new, state-of-the-art on-campus academic medical center.
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Funded through a $158 million State of Florida appropriation, the seven-story, 163,000-square-foot facility is the first significant investment in health care delivery located directly on FIU’s main campus. The center was developed and will be operated in collaboration with Baptist Health.
“This groundbreaking represents a bold step forward for FIU and for the future of health care in our community,” said FIU President Jeanette M. Nuñez. “By building a full academic medical center on our campus, we’re creating a place where learning, discovery and patient care happen side by side. It opens new opportunities for our students, fuels innovation and delivers meaningful, lasting benefits for families across South Florida.”
Located near Southwest 107th Avenue and Southwest 10th Street, the facility will bring education and patient care together in a powerful way, enabling medical students, residents and clinical faculty to learn and work together in the same environment where patients receive care every day. The center also will support interprofessional training for students across FIU’s health care disciplines, including nursing, physician assistant, occupational therapy and other allied health professions.
The facility will include dedicated learning spaces for medical students and residents, along with a range of outpatient services. These will include multi-specialty care, diagnostic imaging, same-day surgery and infusion services. It also will feature an outpatient retail pharmacy, supporting coordinated, convenient care for patients in one location.
By bringing clinical care into an academic setting, patients gain access to expert physicians, evidence-based treatments, emerging therapies and coordinated care. These academic medical environments also play a vital role in training the next generation of physicians amid a growing national shortage.
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“Today’s groundbreaking reflects a shared commitment to expanding access to high-quality, academic-based care in one of the nation’s fastest-growing regions,” said Bo Boulenger, president and CEO of Baptist Health. “This new center will allow patients to receive advanced outpatient services in a setting designed to foster collaboration among physicians, educators and future health care professionals. Together with FIU, we are building a model that strengthens the future of care in South Florida.”
The academic medical center is a major expansion in the collaboration announced in 2023 between Baptist Health – South Florida’s largest not-for-profit healthcare system – and FIU, South Florida’s public research university. Under the enhanced affiliation, FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine (FIU Medicine) and Baptist Health now partner on 14 graduate medical education (GME) programs – residencies and fellowships – a key step toward training more doctors to serve the South Florida community. Over the next five years, the GME partnership plans to grow to more than 350 residents and fellows and expand programs focused on specialties facing significant physician shortages.
“Our students already receive outstanding clinical training across Baptist Health and our other clinical affiliates,” said Dr. Juan C. Cendan, FIU Medicine dean and senior vice president for health affairs at FIU. “What’s different here is location and integration. With an academic medical center on campus, education, research and patient care are woven directly into the daily life of the university. That closeness sparks more collaboration, more discovery and a richer learning environment than we’ve ever had before.
The new academic medical center is scheduled to open in 2028.
About Baptist Health South Florida:
Baptist Health South Florida is the largest healthcare organization in the region, with 12 hospitals, more than 29,000 employees, 4,500 physicians and 200 outpatient centers, urgent care facilities and physician practices spanning Miami-Dade, Monroe, Broward and Palm Beach counties. Baptist Health has internationally renowned institutes specializing in cancer care, brain and spine care, heart and vascular care and orthopedic care. In addition, it includes Baptist Health Medical Group; Baptist Health Quality Network; and the Baptist Health PineApp, a virtual health platform. Baptist Health South Florida is an academic and clinical affiliate of Florida International University. A not-for-profit organization supported by philanthropy and committed to its 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 is the most awarded healthcare system in South Florida by U.S. News & World Report. For more information, visit BaptistHealth.net/Newsroom and connect with us on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn.
About FIU:
Florida International University is a Top 50, preeminent public research university with 55,000 students from all 50 states and more than 140 countries, as well as an alumni network of more than 340,000. Located in the global city of Miami, the university offers more than 200 degree programs at the undergraduate, graduate and professional levels, including medicine and law. FIU faculty are leaders in their fields and include National Academy members, Fulbright Scholars, and MacArthur Genius Fellows. A Carnegie R1 institution, FIU drives impactful research in environmental resilience, health, and technology and innovation. Home to the Wall of Wind and Institute of Environment, FIU stands at the forefront of discovery and innovation. With a focus on student success, economic mobility and community engagement, FIU is redefining what it means to be a public research university.