UHealth Surgical Services at SoLé Mia Marks a Milestone for Flagship Center
The state-of-the-art ambulatory surgical suite marks yet another significant evolution in how UHealth delivers surgical care in the region.
UHealth SoLé Mia Medical Center officially welcomed its first surgery patients today, one month after opening its doors. The opening of the state-of-the-art ambulatory surgical suite marks yet another significant evolution in how the health system delivers surgical care in the region.
“Our entire team is so excited to bring this high level of surgical care to North Miami,” said Dalmis Boulandier, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, CNOR, SoLé Mia’s director of perioperative services who oversees the surgical departments.
Located on the second floor of the medical center, the surgical and interventional technology space includes 10 operating rooms for multi-specialty surgeries, a minor procedure room, three interventional radiology suites and three GI endoscopy suites. The second floor also houses the central sterile department, pre-op and Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) with 44 patient beds and the UHealth Perioperative Assessment Center (UPAC) for pre-admission testing.
Underscoring UHealth—University of Miami Health System’s commitment to leading-edge technology, SoLé Mia is equipped with three distinct robotic surgical systems that significantly enhance precision, minimize recovery time and improve patient outcomes. The da Vinci Xi robotic surgical system is dedicated to general surgery, urology, gynecology and colorectal procedures, while the ROSA robot and the Mako robot are dedicated to orthopaedic surgery.
Every UHealth SoLé Mia physician is AI-enabled on day one. From guided scheduling and self-check-in to other AI-enabled clinical tools such as ambient dictation and advanced coding support, physicians are empowered to spend more time with patients while ensuring accuracy and efficiency in care delivery.
“Day one at SoLé Mia feels special,” said Michael Rizzo, M.D., a UHealth orthopaedic surgeon and assistant professor of orthopaedic surgery at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. “The ORs are spacious, bright and built for precision. They are the kind of rooms that make surgery calmer and more consistent. I’m really excited to take care of people here with this team.”
Launching UHealth-HSS Collaboration
The opening of the surgical center officially launches the landmark partnership between UHealth and the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS), the nation’s top-ranked hospital for orthopaedics.
The collaboration brings together HSS’s globally recognized expertise in musculoskeletal care with UHealth’s exceptional orthopaedic physicians and surgeons, delivering top-tier care to patients in South Florida. Headquartered at the SoLé Mia facility, this partnership represents a powerful fusion. Their shared commitment to innovation and patient-centered care enables cross-training between teams, joint workflow optimization, enhanced patient care protocols and improved turnaround efficiencies.
UHealth’s longstanding leadership in orthopaedics is unmatched in the region. As the only academic, full-service, multidisciplinary orthopaedic program in South Florida, it has long led in stem cell research, microsurgery for amputations and musculoskeletal oncology. In support of the UHealth-HSS collaboration, UHealth is building a comprehensive musculoskeletal program at SoLé Mia, including diagnostic imaging, physician services, ambulatory surgeries and rehabilitation.
Bascom Palmer, Other Surgical Services Come to North Miami
Two of the operating rooms at SoLé Mia are reserved exclusively for ophthalmic surgery by the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, addressing the growing demand for specialized surgical care and helping reduce wait times for critical procedures. The new facility expands clinical capacity, streamlines high-volume services such as cataract and retina care and enhances proven care models that integrate Bascom Palmer’s expert ophthalmologists and ophthalmic-allied health professionals to improve follow-up access and coordination.
By establishing this state-of-the-art center within the vibrant North Miami community, Bascom Palmer continues to elevate its standard of excellence and broaden its reach to better serve the diverse needs of South Florida’s population. With the opening of UHealth SoLé Mia, Bascom Palmer now operates four surgical sites, further strengthening its commitment to accessible, world-class eye care.
In addition to orthopaedics and ophthalmology, SoLé Mia offers ENT, surgical oncology, spine surgery and more same-day surgeries. The facility can accommodate patients for up to 23 hours after their surgery for post-operative monitoring, delivering hospital care with the comfort and convenience of an ambulatory setting.
The surgeons on this opening day will see nearly 20 patients spanning multiple specialties. On day two, they will operate on nearly 40 patients, using all 10 operating rooms and the minor procedures room, for surgeries including complex cases in surgical oncology and robotic-assisted procedures.
First Surgical Patients
After a long and difficult journey, Randy Trost is set to become one of the first surgical patients at UHealth SoLé Mia when she undergoes her fourth leg surgery, this time with Natalia Fullerton, M.D., one of the surgeons associated with UHealth-HSS collaboration. Dr. Fullerton will close an incision that has stubbornly refused to heal following a prior tumor removal and radiation treatment for sarcoma.
Now cancer-free, Trost, 71, is hopeful the surgery will allow her to return to the activities she loves, like swimming, going to the beach and playing with her grandchildren. Unlike her previous surgeries, this one is less invasive. She will be placed under twilight sedation instead of general anesthesia.
Still, she is nervous and has heard that the SoLé Mia facility is beautiful and calming. Trost has good memories of the music therapy offered during her chemotherapy at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, part of UHealth, especially of a guitar player who sang in her hospital room.
“What’s important to me is kind, caring nurses and doctors that take care of me not only physically but emotionally,” she said. “All the nurses and doctors I’ve spoken with have told me how beautiful the new facility is. I’m looking forward to walking into a calming situation.”
Another first-day orthopaedic surgical patient benefiting from the groundbreaking UHealth-HSS collaboration is Banu Enes, who is undergoing shoulder surgery with Dr. Rizzo.
“I love Lennar (UHealth’s Coral Gables medical center) because I don’t feel like it’s a hospital,” said Enes, 50, a realtor. “I always like the new things, so I just have a good feeling about this.”
So does first-day Bascom Palmer patient Jerzy Ostaszewski, who is having cataract surgery on his right eye with Zubair Ansari, M.D., an associate professor of clinical ophthalmology at Bascom Palmer, before returning in a few weeks for the same surgery on his left eye. Ostaszewski said his doctor was very happy about performing the surgery at the new location.
“Everything depends on my doctor, and he is very impressed,” he said. “I agree the facility is great, very beautiful. I went there for an appointment and someone was playing the piano. You don’t expect this when you go to the doctor, so it was great.”
Not only that, Mr. Ostaszewski said, but it is much more convenient than driving 45 minutes on I-95 to the downtown UHealth campus.
“That is no fun,” he said. “Now it takes me 15 minutes from where I live in Aventura.”
Tags: cataracts, Dr. Michael Rizzo, Dr. Natalia Fullerton, Dr. Zubair Ansari, Orthopaedic surgery, robotic surgery, SoLé Mia, surgery, UHealth - the University of Miami Health System