Paving the Path to Greatness: A Decade of Transformation and Commitment to Excellence Celebration Honors Dr. Dipen J. Parekh and Dr. Stephen D. Nimer

Over the past 10 years, UHealth – University of Miami Health System and Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center have established themselves as South Florida’s premier health care providers, largely due to the thoughtful leadership and unbridled passion of Dipen J. Parekh, M.D., chief operating officer of UHealth, and Stephen D. Nimer, M.D., director of Sylvester.

In recognition of their 10-year anniversaries, UHealth leaders and supporters gathered to honor the two remarkable men.

Stuart Miller, chair of the UHealth Board of Directors and member of the University of Miami Board of Trustees, hosted the celebration of Drs. Parekh and Nimer’s numerous accomplishments over the past decade, along with their shared vision which has paved a path to greatness for Sylvester and UHealth.

In welcoming the more than 130 guests, which included fellow board members, Sylvester Board of Overseers members, University leadership, and friends and family of the honorees, Miller spoke of his friendship with Dr. Parekh and Dr. Nimer and of his awe for the tremendous work they have done to elevate UHealth into a world-class health system.

Elevating Our Mission

One of the many drivers was the opening in March of the Desai Sethi Urology Institute, one of the nation’s premier urology institutes, of which Dr. Parekh serves as founding director. Miller credited Dr. Parekh for his ability to multitask as his position within UHealth has expanded greatly over the years, from head of the department of urology to running South Florida’s only university-based medical system.

“The work that Dipen has done to simultaneously build a department into an institute and, at the same time, have the ability to run, as chief operating officer, the entire health system and elevate our entire game has been absolutely amazing,” said Miller.

Miller was equally complimentary to Dr. Nimer, calling him a caregiver extraordinaire and recognizing the critical role Dr. Nimer played in helping Sylvester earn prestigious National Cancer Institute designation and achieve top 50 Best Hospitals for Cancer ranking by U.S. News & World Report. Tribute was also paid to Dr. Nimer’s leadership behind the Transformational Cancer Research Building, a 12-story, 244,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility that will double the footprint of Sylvester once it opens in 2024.

“Stephen is elevating our entire research mission at the UHealth system,” said Miller. “When Stephen touches something and gets involved, you can rest assured that important things are going to happen.”

‘Our Best Days Are in Front of Us’

Humbled by the heartfelt remarks bestowed upon him, Dr. Parekh said he feels like he has “won the lottery of life.” He took the opportunity to share the evening’s praise with his colleagues.

“While we have made tremendous strides over the past several years, our best days are in front of us,” said Dr. Parekh, who is also director of robotic surgery at UHealth, executive dean of clinical affairs, and Dr. Victor A. Politano Endowed Chair in Clinical Urology. “Our portentous aspirations and goals are only matched by our relentless resolve and focus to work executing on our vision.”

In recognizing his role in elevating Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center to national prominence, Dr. Nimer spoke of the importance of building something of value, a lesson his late father taught him when he was a child.

“I feel so proud to say that we have built a cancer center we can all be proud of,” said Dr. Nimer, who also serves as executive dean of research at the Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine and holds the Oscar de la Renta Endowed Chair in Cancer Research. “In the next phase of our journey, we will continue to build something of great value for our community, state, and our nation. Something for future generations, for our children and their friends and neighbors, who will thrive based on what we have built, together.”

During his address, University of Miami President Julio Frenk reflected on Drs. Parekh and Nimer’s many laurels, and personally thanked them for their leadership in helping the University navigate the largest and most daunting health crisis in a century.

“Stephen and Dipen don’t just excel in what they do, they also go way beyond the confines of their job descriptions. As upstanding professionals, they are at the top of their game, but they also serve the University in a comprehensive way,” said Dr. Frenk. “On behalf of the entire University of Miami community, thank you for 10 years of brilliance, excellence, and inspiration.”

As a steadfast supporter of UHealth, Miller expressed his gratitude to Dr. Parekh and Dr. Nimer for their commitment to excellence, which has resulted in a decade of transformation at UHealth.

“It is a source of pride to have two of the finest, most distinguished doctors that we could have, 10 years here in our community, right in our backyard, building programs across our platform that are going to be here for all of us to get the very best health care and the very best attention,” concluded Miller.

Tags: Department of Urology, Desai Sethi Urology Institute, Dr. Dipen Parekh, Dr. Stephen Nimer, Miller School of Medicine, President Julio Frenk, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Transformational Cancer Research Building, UHealth