Florida International University’s medical school is getting a new name and a serious cash infusion. South Florida philanthropists Helen and Jacob Shaham have pledged $30 million to FIU, and in return the institution will rename its medical school for the couple, university leaders announced this week. The unrestricted gift will support scholarships, research, and the clinical operations of a new academic medical center rising on the university’s main campus.
In a news release, Florida International University said the seven-story Helen and Jacob Shaham Academic Medical Center is under construction on FIU’s main campus in partnership with Baptist Health South Florida. The facility is scheduled to open in 2028 and will house academic learning spaces along with outpatient multi-specialty services, including same-day surgery and diagnostic imaging. “This is a landmark moment in the history of Florida International University,” FIU President Jeanette M. Nuñez said in the release.
What the gift will fund
FIU described the $30 million as an unrestricted gift that will be used to expand scholarships for medical students, bolster research support, and speed up the growth of the university’s clinical enterprise. The university said the funding will help launch programs that connect classroom instruction with hands-on patient care across the FIU-Baptist partnership, growing clinical rotations and training that support residency and fellowship programs, according to the Florida International University release.
About the Shahams
Helen and Jacob Shaham founded The Palace, a regional senior-living operator, and have been active donors to health care institutions in South Florida. In 2024 they gave $15 million to Nicklaus Children’s Hospital to support pediatric cancer care and research, a gift that led the hospital to name its Cancer & Blood Disorders Institute for the couple, Nicklaus Children’s Hospital reported.
Why it matters in Miami
Academic medical centers are a key pipeline for physicians, and experts have been warning for years about a looming shortfall. The Association of American Medical Colleges projects a shortage of up to 86,000 physicians by 2036, the AAMC reported. FIU has argued that partnerships with systems such as Baptist Health, combined with state investment in on-campus facilities, can expand training capacity and keep more doctors in South Florida. State funding for the project and the advantage of retaining physicians who train and remain in the same region were highlighted in coverage of the initiative, FIU Medicine magazine reported…