MIAMI – The late Dr. Sanjiv Bhatia, esteemed pediatric neurosurgeon, was honored with a street renaming ceremony at Nicklaus Children's Hospital on Wednesday, July 9. Dr. Bhatia's wife, Dr. Rita Ghose Bhatia and the couple's children, along with former patients and colleagues of the beloved doctor were joined by Miami-Dade County Commissioner Rebeca Sosa to dedicate Southwest 60 Court and 30 Street as "Dr. Sanjiv Bhatia Way."
The ceremony opened with a touching tribute by former patient Lacy Jerome, who underwent lifesaving neurosurgery in the care of Dr. Bhatia. Lacy and her parents joined a group of 70 of Dr. Bhatia's former colleagues, including doctors, nurses and staff, who attended the event to pay homage to his legacy. Commissioner Sosa also presented the Bhatia family with a proclamation designating July 9, 2019 as Dr. Sanjiv Bhatia Day.
Dr. Bhatia served as Chief of the Department of Surgery and Medical Director of the Operating Room at Nicklaus Children's Hospital. He dedicated his life to healing children and was a renowned leader in surgical treatment of children with complex medical conditions. Dr. Bhatia was also an advocate for bringing world-class neurosurgical care to children in developing nations. He participated since 2003 as a volunteer with Project Medishare and Haiti Healthy Kids on numerous humanitarian mission trips to Haiti to evaluate and operate on children with hydrocephalus.
The Bhatia family, Commissioner Rebeca Sosa and members of the hospital leadership.
Lacy Jerome and her mother Jaime.
About Nicklaus Children's Hospital, Where Children Matter Most ™ (2024)
Nicklaus Children's Hospital is South Florida's #1 nonprofit, freestanding specialty licensed hospital exclusively for children. With more than 850 physicians, including over 500 pediatric subspecialists, the hospital and its network of outpatient centers and offices serve close to 70% of children in the Miami market. The only hospital "where your child matters most™,” Nicklaus Children's is home to the region's most advanced Kenneth C. Griffin Surgical Tower, and its centers of excellence Helen & Jacob Shaham Cancer & Blood Disorders Institute, the Nicklaus Children’s Orthopedics, Sports Health and Spine Institute, Nicklaus Children’s Brain Institute and Nicklaus Children’s Heart Institute. The Nicklaus Children's Hospital's Transfer Center, Nick4Kids, and LifeFlight are responsible for transporting and saving close to 5,000 lives a year. Our 307-bed hospital, which is renowned for excellence in all aspects of pediatric medicine, has many specialty programs routinely ranked among the best in the nation by U.S. News & World Report since 2008. Nicklaus Children's is also home to the largest pediatric teaching program in the southeastern United States and since 2003 has been designated an American Nursing Credentialing Center (ANCC) Magnet facility, the nursing profession's most prestigious institutional honor. For more information, please visit www.nicklauschildrens.org.