Research & Innovation

Through support of clinical trials and laboratory research, Baptist Health donors are helping find new ways to prevent, treat and cure various diseases and conditions, and educate the medical community on methods of diagnosis, treatment and prevention. Philanthropic partnerships will continue to catalyze our evolution into a destination for research, discovery, innovation and treatment.

At Baptist Health Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute, philanthropy supported over 70 new clinical trials in 2022. Philanthropy greatly impacts research that determines how the Institute treats and cares for patients facing complications due to heart failure and pulmonary hypertension. The STAR-T trial and the STAR-D trial — two double-blind, randomized, controlled clinical trials that evaluate the DrugSorb-ATR™ Antithrombotic Removal System during cardiothoracic surgery — hold significant promise. Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute is one of 20 sites in the United States conducting this research.

At Baptist Health Miami Cancer Institute and Baptist Health Miami Neuroscience Institute, philanthropy supported a new clinical trial, bringing together the brilliant minds of two Baptist Health institutes and fostering collaboration across specialties. Led by Rupesh Kotecha, M.D., a radiation oncologist at Miami Cancer Institute, and Robert J. Rothrock, M.D., neurosurgical director of spinal oncology at Miami Neuroscience Institute, the clinical study “Dose-Escalated Spine SbRT (DESSRT) Trial for Localized Metastasis in the Spinal Column” aims to assess the feasibility and tolerability of dose-escalated spine stereotactic body radiation therapy in patients with new or recurrent spine metastases.

At Baptist Health Orthopedic Institute, the research team is encouraging and stimulating exploration into new treatments in orthopedics. Philanthropic dollars support the work of Silvia Balladares-Huete, M.D., an award-winning clinical research coordinator who is collaborating with the Institute’s lead physicians on 13 clinical trials and one industry trial. The impact of their research can determine the future direction of orthopedic studies to best improve outcomes.