For nearly half a century, philanthropists Helen and Jacob Shaham have watched South Florida grow, change and, in many ways, catch up to the rest of the country. Yet for years they still boarded planes when serious medical needs arose. Leading academic medical centers elsewhere offered what local institutions could not yet match.
Since arriving in South Florida in 1980, the Shahams built their lives and business here, most notably The Palace, a network of senior living communities widely recognized for its commitment to dignity and care. By 2013, The Palace was ranked No. 1 for Senior Living in America by the National Association of Home Builders. After decades of creating places where people could age well, they decided the next step was to improve the quality of care available in their own backyard.
FIU’s partnerships with Baptist Health South Florida and Nicklaus Children’s Health System inspired the couple to join forces and help build what they had always wanted for Miami: an international city known for great healthcare.
“When we learned that FIU was partnering with two major health organizations, we saw a big opportunity,” Jacob says. “Here were three major players—the university and two leading healthcare institutions—coming together. We felt it was the right time to help create something meaningful for the community.”
The Shahams had supported Baptist Health and Nicklaus Children’s philanthropically. Earlier this year, they made a transformative $30 million commitment to the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine (FIU Medicine), the largest gift in the college’s history.
“This gift represents something we care about deeply,” Jacob says. “We’ve created beautiful places for people to live with dignity as they age. Now, we also want to help train the next generation of doctors and improve care in our community. It feels like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
“Helen and Jacob Shaham have invested in what South Florida can become. Their extraordinary generosity accelerates our ability to build a world-class academic health enterprise that brings together excellence in education, research and patient care,” said Dr. Juan C. Cendan, dean of the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine and senior vice president for health affairs. “The impact of this gift will be felt for generations through the physicians we train, the discoveries we advance and the lives we improve throughout our community.”
In recognition of their generosity, the academic medical center currently under construction on FIU’s main campus will be named the Helen and Jacob Shaham Academic Medical Center.
The center will anchor FIU’s growing clinical enterprise, integrating education, research and patient care to establish a premier hub for academic medicine in South Florida. The Shahams’ unrestricted gift will support scholarships and medical research. The couple left the precise allocation to the university. That choice itself reveals the depth of their confidence.
“We believe in FIU,” Jacob says. The Shahams want two outcomes: advances in research and a new generation of physicians trained in South Florida. Beyond those priorities, they trust the institution to steward the resources wisely.
“Helen and Jacob Shaham’s generosity comes at a pivotal moment for the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine and our healthcare partners,” said Naomi Nixon, associate dean of development for the college. “Their investment helps strengthen the foundation upon which we are building excellence in medical education, scientific discovery and patient care. The impact will extend far beyond our campus, helping shape the future of healthcare across South Florida.”
Their faith in FIU rests on more than institutional ambition. Many of their own top managers and leaders are FIU graduates—professionals they have found to be among the strongest they have worked with.
In addition, nearly all the Shahams’ employees are bilingual. The region needs physicians who can meet patients across languages and cultures. FIU’s student body, they believe, is well positioned to supply that talent and keep it here.
The Shahams’ longer vision is straightforward. In five to 10 years, they hope residents of Miami and the surrounding communities will no longer feel compelled to travel for advanced care. They want the medical school ranked among the top colleges in the United States, a goal they see as reachable through the current partnerships, strong education and the capital now flowing into the effort. “This is our mission, bottom line,” Jacob says.
What moves them is both practical and personal. Experience has shown them that technical excellence alone is not enough. The physicians emerging from FIU should deliver outstanding medical care and remain deeply human.
“Don’t forget the human part,” Helen says. “Students enter medicine because they want to help people. The technical training is important, but the reason for entering the profession must remain visible. The ability to see the person in front of you matters as much as any procedure or discovery.”