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History

The Dr. Rafael Penalver Clinic was founded in April 1996 to serve the needs of hundreds of economically disadvantaged residents of the Little Havana community thanks to the untiring efforts of then Florida State Representative Luis Morse. Beginning in 1990 Mr. Morse enacted legislation appropriating $400000 to start the planning process for a clinic in the area, and in 1991 he proposed and was able to secure a budgetary allocation of $4 million from the State Legislature to begin construction. His dream to have a fully accessible health facility became reality on April 28, 1996 when the Penalver Clinic finally opened its doors to serve the waiting public. During his tenure in Tallahassee Mr. Morse’s commitment to Little Havana was not limited to the opening of the Penalver Clinic as evidenced by his record to help enact passage of important legislation that has served to meet the needs and improve the quality of his constituents.

It is interesting to note, however, that while the Clinic would not have been a reality without his support, assistance and commitment, Mr. Morse was not interested in having the facility named after him; rather, he worked to encourage the widow of Dr. Rafael Penalver to name the Clinic after her highly respected husband and Cuban American surgeon who had served his community so well and who had worked so diligently to permit thousands of Cuban physicians to practice in the United States. Mr. Morse was most persuasive and was ultimately successful in his efforts to name the Clinic after a scion of the Cuban American community. Today, eighteen years after opening its doors, the Penalver Clinic remains a lasting legacy to Mr. Morse’s efforts on behalf of those he so ably represented.

The Penalver Clinic was designed by Miami architect Rolando Silva at a cost of $4.5 million on land leased by the City of Miami to Miami-Dade County for the purpose of creating a primary health care facility. Construction of the Clinic was jointly supervised by Florida Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services, District 11, which provided $750000 for furnishings and equipment and by Miami-Dade County. Since inception, the Clinic has functioned as a non for profit corporation under the State of Florida governed by a volunteer Board of Directors who represent the community it serves. The Board members serve as trustees supervising and providing overall policy direction to all its activities. The current Board Chair is former County Commissioner Natacha Seijas and the Executive Director is Boris Alvarez.

The Penalver Clinic is committed to be the community center for Little Havana where residents can be treated with sensitivity, dignity, and respect while receiving affordable health and preventive services as well as delivery high quality care to enhance the well-being of its patients.

With funding support from the State of Florida through the Health Department and the Public Health Trust of Miami Dade County, the Clinic served approximately 25000 patients from Miami Dade County in 2014, and while the Clinic has served residents from throughout the County the greater percentage of patients served are from Little Havana and surrounding areas. The Clinic is committed to serving anyone, and no patients are rejected regardless of migrant status, race, religion, ethnicity or gender. Patients are assessed a fee for visitation based on individual assessment and ability to pay for medical services rendered. Patients needing medical services beyond primary care are referred to the Jackson Health System.

Clinical services include pediatrics, adult medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, mammography, vaccinations, X-rays, electrocardiograms, HIV-AIDS care and case management, patient education and referrals, WIC programs, and the Healthy Start Program. The Clinic hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

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BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Mrs. Jocelyn J. Armand
Chairperson
Mr. Luis C. Morse
Vice-Chair
Mr. Fernando Arencibia
Treasurer
Mr. Claudio J. Alegre
Secretary
BOARD MEMBERS
Mr. Alfred F. Andreu, esq
Mrs. Macarena Zilveti
Mr. Armando Sancho-Rafi

Mr. José M. Hernández.
Past Chair
Hon. Luis Morse
Founder
Mr. Boris Alvarez
Executive Director
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