Herrera Family Gives $1 Million to Baptist Health for Moms and Newborns

MIAMI — Baptist Health Foundation has received a $1 million gift from Julio C. and Alexandra Herrera to support care for women and infants at two of the system’s flagship hospitals, the foundation announced on Aug. 3.

The gift is divided evenly: $500,000 will support the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at South Miami Hospital, and $500,000 will help fund the transformation of the Lake Pavilion at Baptist Hospital, according to the announcement.

For the Herreras, the cause is personal. The couple’s commitment stems from their own experience when their son required NICU care at South Miami Hospital, and the family has multi-generational ties to Baptist Health, the foundation said.

“Their gift reflects a deep commitment to advancing healthcare in our community and ensuring future generations receive highest quality care,” said Alex Villoch, CEO of Baptist Health Foundation, in the announcement.

Where the Money Goes

South Miami Hospital’s NICU operates 62 Level III beds in private and semi-private rooms outfitted with specialized lighting and noise-reduction surfaces, plus secure remote-viewing cameras that let parents see their newborns when they cannot be at the bedside, according to the foundation.

The Lake Pavilion gift feeds into a much larger project: Baptist Health is investing $120 million to modernize the pavilion at Baptist Hospital with expanded labor and delivery suites, postpartum care, Level II and III NICU services, gynecology and specialized emergency care for women. Baptist Hospital welcomes more than 3,000 births annually, and both hospitals hold Level IV Maternal Care Verification from The Joint Commission — the highest designation for maternal care, per the announcement.

The Herrera gift is the latest in a run of significant private investment in South Florida health care. Donors have committed hundreds of millions of dollars to the region’s hospital systems in recent years, a trend that industry leaders attribute in part to a post-pandemic conviction that world-class care close to home is worth funding, CBS12 has reported.

For families like the Herreras, the giving closes a loop — turning a frightening chapter in a hospital room into resources meant to steady the next family that finds itself there.