SALAZAR JOINS MOUNT SINAI FOR NEW EMERGENCY CENTER OPENING, HIGHLIGHTS HEALTHCARE RECORD

MIAMI, Fla. - U.S. Representative María Elvira Salazar (FL-27) joined Mount Sinai Medical Center leaders, healthcare professionals, and members of the South Florida community for the ribbon cutting of Mount Sinai's new Emergency Center in Westchester, located in Florida's 27th Congressional District.

The new four-story facility will expand access to emergency treatment, advanced diagnostic imaging, and behavioral health services for families in Westchester and surrounding communities. It is scheduled to open to patients in October.

"Quality healthcare has to be both accessible and affordable," said Rep. Salazar. "That means having excellent care close to home, enough doctors to see patients, access to the treatments people need, and costs families can actually afford. I am proud to join Mount Sinai for this important expansion and will continue working across the aisle to strengthen healthcare for South Florida."

"When we broke ground here, we made a commitment to the Westchester community that nationally recognized care was coming. Today, it is here," said Gino R. Santorio, President and CEO of Mount Sinai Medical Center. "Families in this community now have emergency care close to home, with advanced imaging on site so patients get answers during their visit rather than a referral and a second trip. And this is only the beginning. We are grateful to Congresswoman Salazar for standing with us today and for her continued support of Mount Sinai and the patients we serve across South Florida."

The Emergency Center marks the first phase of Mount Sinai's broader expansion at the site. Future phases are expected to add inpatient and observation beds, surgical services, cardiac care, and additional specialty services.

SALAZAR'S RECORD ON HEALTHCARE

In Congress, Rep. Salazar has built a bipartisan healthcare record focused on lowering costs, expanding access, strengthening the medical workforce, and bringing federal healthcare investments home to South Florida.

She has secured nearly $15 million in direct federal investments for healthcare and medical research in South Florida, including:

• $7.65 million for resilience improvements at Mount Sinai Medical Center to help protect critical hospital operations during hurricanes and other emergencies.
  
• $2.5 million for Banyan Community Health Center to expand access to care in underserved communities.
  
• $1 million for Nicklaus Children's Hospital to expand pediatric mental-health care, plus $450,000 for genetic testing to help doctors identify safer and more effective medicines for children.
  
• $3.13 million for Florida International University to advance cancer research and precision medicine.

Salazar has also worked across the aisle to make healthcare more affordable for working families, supporting efforts to lower insurance premiums, prescription-drug costs, and out-of-pocket expenses while expanding access to Health Savings Accounts.

She has made addressing healthcare-worker shortages another priority, working across the aisle to strengthen South Florida's healthcare workforce and pushing for continued funding for programs that train doctors in community-based and underserved settings.

Her healthcare work also includes efforts to improve cancer screening and early detection, expand care for patients with rare diseases, strengthen pediatric genomic testing, and support mental-health and addiction-treatment services.

The $7.65 million Salazar previously secured for Mount Sinai supported resilience improvements at its Miami Beach medical center and is separate from the new Emergency Center.