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Category: News

Banyan Health Celebrates Senator Garcia on World Mental Health Day

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This World Mental Health Day we celebrate Senator Ileana Garcia (R-Miami-Dade) for her work to expand health care and mental health access for Floridians.

Senator Garcia is a member of The Health Policy Committee and serves as Chair of The Children, Families and Elder Affairs Committee and the Senate Rules Committee. We are grateful for her support for behavioral health as she has championed Banyan Health Systems mission for accessible health for the most vulnerable.

Mental Health Care Advocacy

Recently, Senator Garcia received The Florida Mental Health Advocacy Coalition’s (FLMAC) “2023 Legislation Award” for championing mental health access and resources for Floridians, expanding access to vulnerable Floridians so they have someone to call, someone to respond and somewhere to go in times of crisis. This summer, Senator Ileana Garcia sponsored Senate Bill 914, directing the Commission on Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder to evaluate the 988 Suicide and Crisis Line in Florida, as well as the other essential elements: Mobile Response Teams and Crisis Stabilization Facilities, such as Centralized Receiving Centers. The study will include strategies to improve links between the 988 system and crisis response services and identify sustainable funding sources.

Support for Patients and Caregivers

Senator Garcia was also recently named as the Florida Nursing Association’s “2023 FNA Icon Award winner, Legislator of the Year” for her efforts to secure over $100 million in state funding for infrastructure needs and services for the community and helping pass the “No Patient Left Alone Act” to make certain no one is ever again left alone in a hospital. She was also instrumental in obtaining vital state funding for Public Safety. In 2023, Senator Garcia sponsored the FNA-backed Senate Bill 380 Protection from Surgical Smoke which sought to protect healthcare workers from the harmful effects of surgical smoke.

Additionally, Senator Garcia was recently recognized by AARP for her work in supporting caregivers across the state. She was honored as a 2023 Capitol Caregiver with AARP’s Capitol Caregiver Award, for remarkable leadership by elected officials in states across the country.

Banyan Health Systems is honored to work hand in hand with Senator Garcia to build stronger communities by providing all people, especially the most vulnerable, with accessible, quality, and compassionate primary and behavioral care.

Read more about how Senator Garcia is spearheading efforts in our nation’s capital for much needed healthcare reforms and resources to aid the most vulnerable families in Florida here: https://www.flsenate.gov/Media/PressRelease/Show/4479

Banyan Health Systems Earns Six Quality Awards from HRSA

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Banyan Health Systems was recently awarded with six Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Community Health Quality Recognition (CHQR) awards, including the Gold Health Center Quality Leader award, ranking Banyan among the top 10% of health centers nationally for best overall clinical quality measures (CQM).

The Community Health Quality Recognition (CHQR) distinctions recognize Health Center Program awardees that have made notable quality improvement achievements in the areas of access, quality, health equity, and health information technology for the most recent UDS reporting period.

Banyan Health Systems President and CEO, Vince Carrodeguas said: “Our dedicated team works tirelessly to support our mission of providing world-class, patient-centered, integrated primary and preventive health care to the most vulnerable residents of Miami-Dade County. These awards are a testament to our team’s on-going commitment to our communities, and we are honored to receive these important recognitions.”
The HRSA badges are in recognition of specific quality measures achieved during the 2021 reporting period and Banyan was recognized and awarded for high performance in the following categories: Health Center Quality Leader, Access Enhancer, Health Disparities Reducer, Advancing HIT (Health Information Technology) for Quality, Addressing Social Risk Factors and Patient-Centered Medical Home distinction.

Health Center Quality Leader is the designation for achieving a high level of quality performance. Health Center Quality designation is given to health centers that rank in the top 10% of health centers nationwide in one or more key areas including behavioral health, diabetes management and prevention and heart health.

Access Enhancer: Recognizes health centers that have increased the total number of patients and the number of patients who receive at least one comprehensive service (mental health, substance abuse, vision, dental, and/or enabling) by at least 5%.

Health Disparities Reducer: Recognizes health centers that demonstrate at least a 10 percentage point improvement in low birth weight, hypertension control, and/or uncontrolled diabetes CQMs during consecutive Uniform Data System (UDS) reporting years for at least one racial/ethnic group, while maintaining or improving the health center’s overall CQM performance from the previous reporting year; or meets established benchmarks for all racial/ethnic groups served within the most recent UDS reporting year.

Advancing Health Information Technology (HIT) for Quality award recognizes health centers that meet all criteria to optimize HIT services that advance telehealth, patient engagement, interoperability, and collection of social determinants of health to increase access to care and advance quality of care.

Addressing Social Risk Factors 2022 Award is a new badge that recognizes health centers that are screening for social risk factors impacting patient health and are increasing access to enabling services. Health centers must meet the following two criteria: collecting data on patient social risk factors and increasing the proportion of patients receiving enabling services between consecutive UDS reporting years

Patient Centered Medical Home Recognition (PCMH) recognizes health centers with PCMH recognition in one or more delivery sites.

For a full list of the CHQR badges earned by health center and their distinctions, visit:
https://data.hrsa.gov/topics/health-centers/chqr

Youth Drug Prevention Toolkit

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Banyan Health Systems provides integrated health care for people in south Florida. In addition to primary care and mental health care, we are committed to effective substance abuse services. Educators and those working in schools are in a unique position to bring messages about drug use prevention and early intervention to our youth. We know that drug and alcohol education in schools can help students make healthier decisions and influence long-term behavior.1.

Free Substance Abuse Curriculum for Florida Educators

As part of her mission to empower students to avoid substance abuse, Florida’s First Lady Casey DeSantis introduced a new initiative called “The Facts. Your Future.” The team at Banyan Health is pleased to share the School Assemblies Toolkit that includes fact sheets, conversation guides, prevention and education activities, and event templates for interactive intervention. The goal of this curriculum toolkit is to raise awareness of the facts about substance use and engage students in conversations that empower them to make healthy choices.

Get the free School Assemblies Toolkit

Contact Banyan Health

If you have questions about substance abuse treatment, we can help. Banyan Health is a non-profit organization that provides high-quality health care and substance use treatment in order to build stronger communities. Contact us to learn more.


1 Foxcroft DR, Tsertsvadze A. Universal multi-component prevention programs for alcohol misuse in young people. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2011 Sep 7;(9):CD009307. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD009307. PMID: 21901732.

Kevin C. Andrews in Executive Vice President Role at Banyan Health Systems

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Banyan Health Systems is committed to providing high-quality healthcare and integrated behavioral health services for underserved people in South Florida. We are pleased to announce that Kevin C. Andrews, M.A., M.S.W. has stepped into the role of Executive Vice President, Integrated Outpatient Clinical Operations. Mr. Andrews has more than 30 years of experience and leadership in integrated healthcare and a proven dedication to identifying and serving the needs of vulnerable populations.

Executive Vice President, Integrated Outpatient Clinical Operations

As Executive Vice President Integrated Outpatient Clinical Operations, Mr. Andrews will create and execute strategy for an integrated care model that is patient-focused and designed to serve our South Florida community throughout Miami-Dade and Broward Counties. Integrated care at Banyan includes primary care and mental health services, along with chronic disease management and substance use care.

Vince Carrodeguas, the President and CEO of Banyan Health Systems notes that Mr. Andrews is, “a recognized leader in the clinical integration of behavioral health, quality and performance improvement.” The Executive Leadership Team at Banyan welcomes his fresh perspective and looks forward to his help in maintaining the high standards of care that Banyan is known for while also pursuing growth to better serve our patients.

Contact Banyan Health

Banyan Health Systems has improved quality of life for patients in South Florida since 1970. Integrated health care is a foundation of our mission to treat the whole person in order to bolster the well-being of our community and deliver the best possible health outcomes. Contact us with any questions or to learn more about our integrated healthcare model.

Take Care of Your Heart Health

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Take Care of Your Heart Health

At Banyan Health Systems, we take a holistic approach to health because we know that there are many factors that determine overall health. Heart health is especially important to overall health and we know that lifestyle can have a major impact on heart health. February is American Heart Month. Take Care of Your Heart Health All Year Long with These Tips.

Understand Your Blood Pressure

You could be at risk for high blood pressure (hypertension) without even knowing it. Communities of color are at a higher risk of hypertension. Schedule your blood pressure screenings with a healthcare professional and know your numbers to manage and treat hypertension.

The top number in a blood pressure reading is called the systolic number. The lower (or second) number is the diastolic number.

  • Normal blood pressure is less than 120 mmHg for systolic pressure and a diastolic level of less than 80mmHg.
  • Pre-hypertension is a systolic of 120 to 139 mmHg or a diastolic of 80 to 89 mmHg.
  • High blood pressure is a systolic of 140 mmHg or higher or a diastolic of 90 mmHg or higher.

See your healthcare professional right away to learn to control high blood pressure.

Eat Smart for Your Heart

We understand that when it comes to eating habits one size does not fit all families. Finding a way to eat well that works for you can help you live a healthier, longer life.

Start by reading labels at the grocery store, eating more heart healthy foods and increasing your fruit and vegetable servings. Look for healthy cooking oils with less saturated fats and look for the heart-check mark on your food packaging— that mark assures you that the standards and nutritional value are certified as high for overall health.

Get healthy and simple-to-prepare recipes from the American Heart Association

Get Moving for Heart Health

Being more active can help you feel better and protect your heart. Physical activity will also help you reduce and manage stress.

Get at least 150 minutes per week of physical activity and gradually increase the amount over time. Make activities like walks or even playing with your children outside part of your daily exercise routine.
Other examples of moderate aerobic activities include:

  • Swimming
  • Dancing
  • Gardening
  • Tennis
  • Cycling

Stop Smoking

Did you know that smokers have more than twice the risk of a heart attack than non-smokers?1 Vaping and tobacco use make a big impact on your heart health. Nicotine use increases heart disease risk by making your blood vessels narrow, decreasing oxygen levels to the heart, increasing blood pressure, and interfering with blood pressure medication by increasing your heart rate while smoking. Your healthcare provider can help you develop a plan to stop smoking and start living healthier.

Maintain a Healthy Weight and Healthy Attitude

The American Heart Association (AHA) reports that 70% of adults are overweight and more than 1/3 are considered obese—which significantly increases the risk for heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, and diabetes.2 Hispanic and Black communities are more at risk for cardiovascular disease.

A combination of a healthy diet and a positive attitude towards modifications of your lifestyle habits can help you prevent and manage heart disease. Learning to balance healthy eating and physical activity and aiming for a healthy, attainable weight can:

  • Help you lose weight
  • Help you maintain a healthy weight
  • Keep you motivated to keep the extra pounds off

Start by knowing your BMI (body mass index) numbers and risk level. See your doctor for a health screening and BMI reading to learn more about healthy weight maintenance.

Learn more about BMI and find a BMI calculator

Get Heart Health Support in South Florida

Taking better care of your heart will not only reduce your risk for heart disease, but also improve your sleep patterns, reduce stress and provide you with more energy to live a healthier, happier life. Starting a healthier lifestyle today can make a meaningful improvement to your health. Contact us with any questions or to learn more about our primary health care centers.


1 Johns Hopkins University. Smoking and Cardiovascular Disease. Available: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/smoking-and-cardiovascular-disease# Accessed February 18, 2022.
2 American Heart Association. Available: https://www.heart.org/idc/groups/heart-public/@wcm/@sop/@smd/documents/downloadable/ucm_462025.pdf Accessed February 18, 2022.

COVID-19 Vaccine is FDA-Approved

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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued full approval of the COVID-19 vaccine. The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 was previously granted emergency use authorization. The full FDA approval was announced in August 2021.

Healthcare providers across the nation are hoping this step will increase confidence in the vaccines and that the FDA approval will put us one step closer to ending the pandemic. Based on the updated clinical trial results, the vaccine is 91% effective in preventing COVID-19 disease and potentially serious outcomes including hospitalization and death.1

What does FDA Approval of the COVID-19 Vaccine Mean?

Full approval means that the FDA has reviewed additional, updated data about the safety of the vaccine in a larger group of clinical-trial participants for six months, compared with two months for the earlier emergency authorization.

Public health officials believe that this approval means that our communities can be confident that this vaccine meets the high standards for safety, effectiveness, and manufacturing quality the FDA requires of an approved product. FDA approval will allow doctors to prescribe extra Pfizer-BioNTech shots (booster shots) to anyone they think should get one.

The FDA decision also clears the way for Pfizer to market their vaccine, which is not permitted without full approval. As part of their marketing efforts, Pfizer has announced a brand name for the vaccine, which is Comirnaty.

Does This Mean That the COVID-19 Vaccine is Safe?

Millions of people have already safely received the COVID-19 vaccine. The FDA says that approval means, “the public can be very confident that this vaccine meets the high standards for safety, effectiveness, and manufacturing quality the FDA requires of an approved product.”

Among people who are unvaccinated and have been hesitant to get the vaccine, surveys show that 3 out of 10 have said they would be more likely to get vaccinated if the vaccines have full approval, rather than an emergency use authorization. Health officials are hopeful that this approval will motivate more people to get vaccinated and help end the pandemic.

Contact Us

If you would like to learn if you are eligible for the vaccine, would like to know where to get vaccinated in Miami or South Florida, or if you have any questions about vaccination safety, please contact us.

1 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration. FDA Approves First COVID-19 Vaccine. Available: https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-approves-first-covid-19-vaccine Accessed September 7, 2021

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