By Dessalines Ferdinand
NORTH MIAMI – When it comes to welcome guests at their house, Dr. Laurinus ‘Larry’ Pierre, MD, MPH Executive Director of the Center of the Haitian Studies (CHS), and his wife Dr. Michele Jean-Gilles Pierre do not leave anything out to ensure all patrons left their premise with the best of memories.
As a longtime friend and colleague of Dr. Henri R. Ford, MD., Pierre -as many other Haitian-American physicians in South Florida- exclaimed with joy when news spread that the University of Miami was hiring Dr. Ford as its new Dean of its Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine. The announcement was made this past March. The new leader of the program, which enrolls about 198 M.D. students a year, officially took his new position June 1st.
It was an invitation-only reception for an estimated crowd of 120 people. Fellow former classmates of the new Dean, University of Miami faculty and staff, members of the Haitian-American community, and friends gathered for the reception to welcome Dr. Henri Ford.
The atmosphere was charming from start to finish as it was held in the outdoor section of the house with beautiful ocean views. Invited guests chatted amongst themselves while hostesses passed out hors d’oeuvre, mainly some of the best Haitian cuisine aperitifs. The decorations were on point, including the awesome table setting for the special occasion. And as always, an open bar was available serving the finest drink to the guests.
Joined by his wife Michèle while addressing the audience, Dr. Pierre took time to welcome everyone. He acknowledged some specific attendees before making the case about the importance of the gathering to honor his colleague Dr. Ford.
He was then followed by Edward Abraham, M.D., executive vice president for health affairs and CEO of UHealth, who made a great modern speech about Dr. Ford. He went on to say, “A Haitian-born pediatric surgeon, Dr. Ford received his bachelor’s degree in public and international affairs, cum laude, from Princeton University, and his M.D. from Harvard Medical School. He also received his M.H.A. (Master of Health Administration) degree from the School of Policy, Planning and Development at the University of Southern California. He was most recently Senior Vice President and Chief of Surgery at the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA), Vice Dean of Medical Education, and Professor and Vice Chair for Clinical Affairs at the Department of Surgery at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California.”
As the honored guest at the reception, Dr. Ford spoke candidly about his vision for medical education at the Miller School of Medicine. After thanking Dr. Pierre and his wife Michèle for opening the doors of their house to what he described as a magnificent gathering, he mentioned how happy he felt to see some old friends and former classmates. Dr. Ford showed great gratitude when he asked the audience to put their hands together for Dr. Michael Butler, one of the people he said was instrumental in his career, one of those who guided him as a mentor.
During his address, the special guest reminded the gathering about his background and his journey as a young immigrant arriving from Port-au-Prince, Haiti to start a new life in Brooklyn, New York, speaking basically no English. He said that becoming the Dean of the Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine was always an academic position he dreamt about.
“The only thing left to do all together is to deliver to this community,” he said, “because our patients, the citizens of South Florida deserve it. So how are we going to get there?” He left the question open for the gathering to contemplate beyond that night.
He further said, “Let me keep it short. First, by promoting the conversion of biomedical science and critical science, you have to have that intersection; you have to exploit that intersection so that it can lead to new discoveries. Hopefully we will change lives globally when we apply this. We will also improve health throughout the globe, and we owe it to everyone else.”
“We’ve implemented four pillars to the strategic plan focusing on: neuroscience, cancer, HIV/AIDS and other evolving pathogens. We’re also looking at inflammation. This is central to the health of people of south Florida.”
“All we need to do is build the necessary bridges to bring all the talent together so we can ask the right questions.”
Dr. Ford concluded by saying, “All I can say is, I am here to serve. I will be responsive. So please, I know that I was not blessed with all the answers, but as a team, if we are all together, if we are willing to roll up our sleeves, we are going to do great things for the people of South Florida.”
Guests were then invited to share in the special food and carried on nice conversations among themselves throughout the rest of the evening. The entire event highlighted the importance and value of gathering so many exceptional, caring, and experienced physicians and other professionals who truly care about their community, particularly the Haitian-American community throughout South Florida. The atmosphere was positive, respectful, and hopeful.
Celebrating the success of a man like Dr. Ford brought together wonderful men and women who have already accomplished so much and have become integral throughout this wonderful South Florida community. It’s a reminder of how blessed the people of this great community are and also how these accomplished men and women strive to do even more to make a positive and lasting impact in the world around them.
After dinner, Dr. Ford stayed for about 45 minutes to speak with guests and answer some questions they had. He enjoyed interacting with the diverse crowd which included many elected officials, such as Congresswoman Frederica Wilson and Miami-Dade Commissioner Jean Monestime. Also in attendance were many well-known figures of the Haitian community, including lawyer Kertch Conze and Dr. Michel J. Dodard, MD, Medical Director, Center for Haitian Studies.
Taking time to celebrate achievements reminds all of us that so much have been accomplished, but there’s still so much yet to do. With men and women like these, we’re in such good company and have amazing advocates working tirelessly to make our community stronger, better, and more proud of our ancestral roots.
His name is Dr. Michael Butler not Butter lol! I use to work with him, he was a great leader and mentor.