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Written by: The Philanthropist

Celebrating 30 Years: Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation

The Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation has been spearheading health care initiatives and funding cutting-edge medical advances for three decades.

Dr. John Tremper Macdonald was a Miami local, a respected gynecologist, surgeon and pioneer in aviation medicine. Some of his most groundbreaking work includes establishing the model for a medical testing program still being used for many flight pilots and crews today.

He was also one of the founders of Doctors Hospital, which opened in Coral Gables in 1949. After his passing in 1951, the Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation was formed in his memory. The foundation acquired Doctors Hospital sometime later and operated it as a nonprofit hospital.

In 1992, the hospital was sold to HealthSouth Rehabilitation Corporation. However, the foundation retained its name and used the proceeds from the sale to become a grant-making foundation, funding and investing in the health care and medical needs of the local community.

This year, the foundation celebrates its 30th anniversary.

The Impact

From the start, the foundation’s board of directors wanted the organization to serve the immediate needs of the community, from children to adults.

Driven by the mission to “provide funding for programs and projects designed to improve, preserve or restore the health and healthcare of the people in Miami-Dade County,” this once-grassroots organization grew into a foundation that has invested over $48 million into our community with over 300 community-based organizations benefiting from its grants.

Some of the grants that were awarded in 2021 went to local organizations such as Act4Me: A Chance for Therapy, Caring for Miami, the Children’s Bereavement Center and the Hearing Research Institute.

Going forward, the Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation is committed to sustaining its support for our local community-based organizations while continuing to fund cutting-edge medical advances.

Qualifying community-based organizations (CBOs) may apply for a grant award during the annual grant cycle. For more information, visit jtmacdonaldfdn.org.

The Programs

In conjunction with the University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine Department of Pediatrics, the foundation established the School Health Initiative in 2000. It provides comprehensive primary health care and mental health counseling to school children via on-site health suites operating on nine Miami-Dade County school campuses to provide health care access to all, regardless of their ability to pay.

In 2007, the foundation partnered once again with the University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine and established the Department of Human Genetics, a state-of-the-art international center dedicated to researching human genetics and clinical genomic medicine.

In 2012, the foundation committed its support to establishing the Dr. John T. Macdonald Biomedical Nanotechnology Institute at the University of Miami. This initiative focuses on exploring the use and implication of nanotechnology in medical science and uncovering its potential to detect disease earlier and deliver targeted treatments.

Additionally, the foundation recognizes medical scholarships are vitally important and thus remain a priority for funding. Scholarships are provided to students at Barry University’s College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Florida International University Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing & Health Sciences, University of Miami School of Nursing & Health Studies, University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, and Miami Dade College Benjamín León School of Nursing.

Get Involved

To support the foundation’s ongoing work, unrestricted gifts to the Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation, Inc., a 501(c)3, may be directed to John Edward Smith, managing director of the foundation at 1550 Madruga Avenue, Suite 215, Coral Gables, FL 33146. jtmacdonaldfdn.org

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Tags: , , Last modified: May 9, 2022