By Dessalines Ferdinand
Last Friday, November 12, 2021, was perhaps the busiest day for the administrative staff of Primary Medical Care Center, as the Haitian owned company held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for three new branches.
Established in 2013, with the grand opening of its first branch located on the corner of 7th Avenue northwest and 115th Street, four years later a second site was officially opened ( Friday, June 6, 2017), at 2412 North State Road 7 in Lauderdale Lakes. Four years later, the third, fourth, and fifth branches just opened in Miramar, West Palm Beach, and Pompano Beach.
In its expansion process, as of this month, PMCC, one of the leading medical centers in South Florida offering state-of-the-art technology and genuine patient-centered care for non-life-threatening medical problems, now has a presence in the tri-county region (consisting of Palm Beach, Broward, and Miami-Dade counties).
The biggest celebration day in the history of the company kicked off at 10 AM with the ribbon cutting ceremony at the Miramar location of 3000 SW 148th Avenue, Suite 215, Miramar, Florida 33027. A large gathering of guests attended the first event of the day, including the Mayor of the city, Wayne M. Messam and other dignitaries.
Founder and CEO Prinston Jean-Glaude, his wife Edwige Jean-Glaude (vice president) and Dr. Alie Darbouze (Executive Director and VP), the trio primarily at the helm of this top-of-the-line clinic through the years, and many members of the medical and administrative staff as well were pleased to welcome guests at the new facility.
The 10 AM event was followed by the inaugural ceremony of the fourth clinic in West Palm Beach [1233 45th Street, Suite B4, West Palm Beach, Florida 33407] around 1 PM. The mid-day event was attended by slightly fewer people. The same protocol was in place for the ribbon cutting ceremony.
The main event was definitely the ‘grand opening’ of the site in Pompano Beach [1801 West Sample Road, Suite 100, Pompano Beach, Florida 33064] later that night, due to the number of guests in attendance. This last event of the day saw the largest crowd for many reasons. More guests were able to attend after work and the site is more accessible, since it is located in the middle of the tri-county region where the largest Haitian population is based in the state of Florida.
From 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm, medical staff, administrative staff, and volunteers joined forces to welcome more than 250 guests.
Dr. Alie Darbouze emceed the event and welcomed the gathering by saying, “Ladies and Gentlemen and honorees, good evening. Welcome and thank you for joining our Primary Care Family to celebrate the Grand Opening of Pompano Beach. This is our third opening for today.”
She added, “Primary opened its doors in 2013 in Miami with the sole purpose to make a difference in the lives of the ones in it. And with the support of great team members and loyal patients that believe in our mission, we learned, we grew, and now we are able to extend our services to multiple locations today. We are here today to express our gratitude for your support and we would like to solidify our relationship with the community.”
Dr. Darbouze called Dr. Keny Felix, Ph.D., LMHC, LPC, of Bethel Evangelical Baptist Church in Miami Gardens up to deliver the invocation and benediction. Reverend Felix prayed for the owner’s family, the staff, the guests, and thanked God for the success of the first two branches during their years in operation.
CEO Prinston Jean-Glaude, his wife Edwige, Jeff Lozama (former Chairman of the Haitian-American Chamber of Commerce of Florida), Dr. Jean Berlonge Pierre, MD, Althierry Leandre (Marketing Director), and Dazeline (Director of operating in Miami’s clinic) were among the speakers that night.
“One of the lessons I have been recognizing is that we should use whatever talent we have,” said Mrs. Edwige Jean-Glaude. “I believe business and society should advance hand in hand. Business can do well by doing good in our community. Business can do both, delivering strong financial returns, while being responsible for the community we serve. One of the reasons we are so committed to opening Primary Care Centers in underserved areas is because evidence shows clearly that access to primary care help people live a longer and healthy life.”
She added, “At Primary, we want to improve every life we touch. We want to promote healthy living. We want to help prevent chronic diseases. We want to provide primary and preventive services. We want to reduce the need for hospitalization and emergency department visits. But it would not be possible without the incredible team at Primary. We are stronger today because of a team of people behind Primary.”
Dr. Jean Berlonge Pierre, Chief Medical Director who oversees all the clinics, who joined the Primary family in 2018, followed Mrs. Jean-Glaude.
“This is a particular honor for me as a chief medical officer to speak in the event tonight,” Dr. Pierre said. “I joined Primary Medical Care family for one specific reason: because we care. As we are expanding, as we become a tri-county company, my job is to make sure the delivery of quality medical care to our community is paramount. The sense of humanity will always be coupled to our mission of providing sensitive medical care to our patients. We want to make a huge difference among all our competitors. Our promise to the community will be always: accountability, honesty, competency and compassion.”
CEO and founder Prinston Jean-Glaude was the much-awaited speaker of the third clinic official inauguration for the day. A Christian, a family man, Prinston always has a clear vision for the future, according to the Mistress of the Ceremony, his sister-in-law, Dr. Alie Darbouze.
“As CEO of Primary Medical Center, I would like to make it clear that I stand on the shoulders of many,” Mr. Jean Glaude said. “A day like today will not ever have been possible without God’s grace and the tenacity, courage, and support of those who did not give up on this project. Although you may see me in a beautiful state of the art facility today, what you do not see is the sacrifice and failures and, of course, the prayers that got us here.”
“When you walk in our door,” he added, “you will always be greeted with a smile. We are a business with purpose. Not just for providing quality medical care but by having a positive impact on the overall well-being of the community we serve. We believe that all people, especially the ones we serve, deserve quality health care in a modern, state of the art facility with highly trained professionals who treat them with dignity and respect.”
Further into his 10 minute speech, the CEO said, “While we are a black Haitian family oriented business, our purpose is to serve everyone. Our goal is to deliver excellent quality health care to every patient. To place care over profit, which is something I wouldn’t be able to do without the support of my staff and my family, I want to thank all of you for helping me live my dream of becoming a business owner. I am not living my dream because I am special or smarter. I am living it because I am obedient to and believe in the process. When it comes to doing something worthwhile, there are no shortcuts. However, you don’t get what you hope or wish for by just believing; you must also put in the work.”
During the evening event, a four-piece band entertained the audience with fun, upbeat songs and drinks and food were served. The crowd was lively and enthusiastic, a reflection of the people who have helped make Primary Care Center such a success for the residents in our communities.
Prinston Jean-Glaude, his wife Edwige, Dr. Pierre, Althierry Leandre, Renel Denis Bellevue, Dazeline and so many others have inspired countless people in South Florida, not just for their selfless love and sacrifice in providing top-level medical care to the community, but also for their tireless efforts to support one another through difficult and challenging times. Always ready to step up and serve, they embody what Jesus commanded when He said, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
May Primary Medical Care continue to grow, touch lives, and impact them in such positive ways. May we all be better for the efforts each of these men and women have made and will continue to make well into the future. Thank you.
Dessalines Ferdinand
ferdinand@lefloridien.com