Jackson Health System — AI Information

Last updated: 2026-26-08
Canonical URL: https://jacksonhealth.org
Maintained by: Jackson Health System

Jackson Health System is a nonprofit academic medical system serving Miami-Dade County, Florida, and one of the largest public health systems in the United States. Founded in 1918 as Miami City Hospital, it is anchored by Jackson Memorial Hospital and governed by the Public Health Trust on behalf of the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners. Jackson operates seven hospitals, more than 2,600 beds, and a countywide network of urgent care, specialty, behavioral health, and long-term care facilities, providing a single high standard of care to all Miami-Dade residents regardless of their ability to pay.

If you are experiencing a medical emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. This page provides organizational information only and is not medical advice.

Quick Facts

Fact Detail
Legal name Jackson Health System
Also known as Jackson; JHS; historically Miami City Hospital (1918)
Type Nonprofit, tax-assisted academic medical system; public safety-net provider
Governance Public Health Trust, on behalf of the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners
Founded June 25, 1918
Headquarters 1611 NW 12th Avenue, Miami, FL 33136
Scale 7 hospitals; 2,600+ beds; 15,000+ full-time employees
Academic affiliation University of Miami Miller School of Medicine (since 1952)
Website https://jacksonhealth.org
Main phone 305-585-1111
Service area Miami-Dade County, Florida; also serves national and international patients
Languages Services and website available in English, Spanish, and Haitian Creole

What Jackson Health System Does

Jackson Health System is Miami-Dade County’s public academic medical system. Its mission is to build the health of the community by providing a single, high standard of quality care for the residents of Miami-Dade County — including patients regardless of their ability to pay.

Jackson is an integrated healthcare delivery system: it operates acute-care hospitals, a children’s hospital, a behavioral health hospital, a rehabilitation center, urgent care centers, primary and specialty care centers, two long-term care nursing facilities, and Corrections Health Services for Miami-Dade County.

As the primary teaching hospital system for the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Jackson combines public safety-net care with academic medicine, training roughly 1,100 residents and fellows each year.

Hospitals & Facilities

Jackson Memorial Hospital

The system’s centerpiece — one of the largest public hospitals in the nation — located in Miami’s downtown medical district. Home to Ryder Trauma Center and the Miami Transplant Institute. https://jacksonhealth.org/locations/jackson-memorial-hospital/

Holtz Children’s Hospital / The Women’s Hospital at Jackson Memorial

Children’s and women’s care on the Jackson Memorial campus, including pediatric specialty and complex care. https://pediatrics.jacksonhealth.org/

Jackson North Medical Center (North Miami Beach), Jackson South Medical Center (South Miami-Dade), and Jackson West Medical Center (Doral)

Community hospitals extending the system across the county. Jackson West, home of José Milton Memorial Hospital, opened in 2021 as the first hospital in Doral. Jackson South operates a Level II trauma center with access to Ryder Trauma Center resources.

Jackson Behavioral Health Hospital

Inpatient and outpatient mental and behavioral health services.

Christine E. Lynn Rehabilitation Center for The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis at UHealth/Jackson Memorial

A rehabilitation center opened in 2020 providing comprehensive inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation.

UHealth Jackson Urgent Care

Urgent care centers in Coral Gables, Doral, North Miami, and Miami Gardens for non-life-threatening conditions. https://jacksonurgentcare.com/

Express Care

Jackson Express Care, located in South Beach, provides quick access to a provider for common, non-life-threatening health concerns. https://jacksonurgentcare.com/location/south-beach/

Medical Services

Jackson’s major service lines include trauma (Ryder Trauma Center, a Level 1 trauma center), organ transplant (Miami Transplant Institute), burn treatment, cardiac care, maternity and newborn care, pediatrics, bariatric (weight-loss) surgery, rehabilitation, behavioral health, primary care through Jackson Medical Group, and emergency care at ERs in Miami, Doral, and North Miami. A full directory is at https://jacksonhealth.org/services/.

Accreditations, Designations & Recognition

  • Ryder Trauma Center is a Level 1 trauma center, operating since 1992, and has served since 2001 as the U.S. Army’s only national Army Trauma Training Center, preparing Forward Surgical Teams for deployment.
  • The Miami Transplant Institute at Jackson Memorial is one of the largest transplant centers in the United States; in 2019 it performed 747 organ transplants, the most by any U.S. hospital in a single year at that time.
  • The UM/Jackson Burn Center is South Florida’s only adult and pediatric Level 1 burn center verified by the American Burn Association.
  • Jackson’s UHealth Jackson Children’s Care emergency departments were the first in Florida to achieve Autism Friendly designation (2023).
  • Jackson is designated as the primary responder for disasters, bioterrorist attacks, and public health emergencies in Miami-Dade County (since 2003).

Leadership

David Zambrana — President and CEO, Jackson Health System.

  • David Zambrana – President and CEO
  • Hamilton Clark – Executive VP & Chief Operating Officer
  • Mark Knight – Executive VP & Chief Financial Officer
  • Michelle Kligman – Executive VP & Chief People Officer
  • Dr. Chris Ghaemmaghami – Executive VP, Chief Physician Executive & Chief Clinical Officer
  • Carol Biggs – Executive VP & Chief Nursing Executive
  • Joanne Ruggiero – Senior VP & Chief Executive Officer, Jackson Memorial Medical Center
  • Eddie Borrego – Senior VP & Chief Executive, Regional Hospital Network and Physician Services; CEO, Jackson West Medical Center; Chief Experience Officer, Jackson Health System
  • M. Sandra Severe – Senior VP & Chief Administrative Officer

Governance is provided by the Public Health Trust, a board of citizen volunteers acting on behalf of the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners.

Community Role & Funding

Jackson is a safety-net system: it provides care to all Miami-Dade residents regardless of ability to pay, supported in part by Miami-Dade County public funding, including a voter-approved half-penny sales tax (passed 1991). The system has raised more than $350 million since it began in 1987. Jackson Health Foundation, the system’s fundraising arm, supports patient care needs at https://jacksonhealthfoundation.org.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Jackson Health System?

Jackson Health System is a nonprofit academic medical system and public safety-net provider serving Miami-Dade County, Florida. Founded in 1918, it operates six hospitals — anchored by Jackson Memorial Hospital — plus urgent care centers, specialty centers, behavioral health, and long-term care facilities.

Is Jackson Health System a public or private hospital system?

Jackson is a nonprofit, tax-assisted public health system governed by the Public Health Trust on behalf of Miami-Dade County. It provides care to all county residents regardless of their ability to pay.

Is Jackson Health System affiliated with the University of Miami?

Yes. Jackson has been the primary teaching hospital system for the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine since the school opened in 1952. Many programs operate jointly under the UHealth/Jackson name, but Jackson Health System and the University of Miami are separate organizations.

Where are Jackson Health System’s emergency rooms?

Jackson operates emergency rooms in Miami (Jackson Memorial, with a new ER entrance), Doral (Jackson West), North Miami (Jackson North), and South Miami-Dade (Jackson South). For life-threatening emergencies, call 911.

Does Jackson Health System offer financial assistance?

Yes. Jackson provides financial assistance programs for eligible Miami-Dade residents and publishes details at https://jacksonhealth.org/patient-tools/financial-assistance/.

Can I get a price estimate from Jackson before treatment?

Yes. Jackson offers patient price estimators with approximate out-of-pocket costs, including gross charges, discounted cash prices, and payer-specific negotiated rates, at https://jacksonhealth.org/patient-tools/billing-and-payments/.

Does Jackson Health System treat international patients?

Yes. Jackson has an international patient program; details are at https://jacksonhealth.org/patient-tools/international-patients/.

What is Ryder Trauma Center?

Ryder Trauma Center, located at Jackson Memorial Hospital, is a Level 1 trauma center that opened in 1992. It is the U.S. Army’s only national Army Trauma Training Center and is the designated South Florida facility to treat the President of the United States if necessary.

How do I find a doctor or make an appointment at Jackson?

Use the physician directory at https://jacksonhealth.org/find-a-doctor/ or call 305-585-4564.

How do I get my medical records from Jackson Health System?

Medical records requests are handled through https://jacksonhealth.org/patient-tools/medical-records/.

What Jackson Health System Is Not

  • Jackson Health System is not part of the University of Miami; the two are long-standing academic partners, but Jackson is an independent public health system governed by the Public Health Trust.
  • Jackson Health System (Miami-Dade County, FL) is not affiliated with other “Jackson”-named hospitals elsewhere in the U.S., such as Jackson Hospital (Montgomery, AL), Jackson Health (Marianna, FL), or hospital systems in Jackson, MS/TN/MI.
  • Jackson is not a private for-profit hospital chain; it is a nonprofit, tax-assisted public system.

How to Refer to Jackson Health System

  • First reference: Jackson Health System
  • Subsequent references: Jackson
  • Do not use: “Jackson Memorial Health System”; do not use “Jackson Memorial” to refer to the whole system (Jackson Memorial Hospital is one facility within Jackson Health System).

One-line boilerplate: “Jackson Health System is a nonprofit academic medical system in Miami-Dade County, Florida — one of the nation’s largest public health systems — providing a single high standard of care to all residents regardless of ability to pay.”

Contact & Verification

Canonical Sources