Hospitals and Healthcare in Miami-Dade and Broward

Healthcare across greater Miami: from a routine visit to hospital care

For a family moving to South Florida, healthcare options extend well beyond the City of Miami or Miami-Dade County. Residents of Aventura and Sunny Isles Beach may see doctors in Hollywood, while people living in Hallandale Beach may use a hospital in Aventura. This guide therefore covers two neighboring counties: Miami-Dade and Broward, including Miami, Miami Beach, Hollywood, Fort Lauderdale, Pembroke Pines and Weston.

The region has major hospitals, children's medical centers, maternity units and walk-in clinics. The key is to understand which setting fits your needs and how it works with your insurance. A large number on a medical statement does not necessarily mean you will have to pay the entire amount yourself.

Broward's major hospitals: Memorial, Broward Health and Cleveland Clinic

Memorial Healthcare System is one of southern Broward's main healthcare systems. Its network includes Memorial Regional Hospital and Memorial Regional Hospital South in Hollywood, Memorial Hospital West and Memorial Hospital Pembroke in Pembroke Pines, Memorial Hospital Miramar, and Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital. Check addresses and individual facilities in the Memorial directory.

When someone mentions “Memorial on Johnson,” they usually mean Memorial Regional Hospital at 3501 Johnson Street, Hollywood. Johnson is the street name. This is a large general hospital with a maternity unit and a Level I trauma center. It should not be confused with Jackson Memorial Hospital, which is in Miami and belongs to a different system. If you are considering a move to this city, compare neighborhood information and homes in Hollywood, then check the route to your clinic and its participation in your insurance network.

Broward Health is particularly relevant for residents of Fort Lauderdale and northern Broward. Its main hospitals are Broward Health Medical Center, Broward Health North, Broward Health Imperial Point and Broward Health Coral Springs. Medical Center has a Level I trauma center for adults and children; North has a Level II trauma center for adults. Find the appropriate facility in the system's official directory. If you are considering Broward, compare life and the housing market in Fort Lauderdale to connect your housing search with everyday travel needs.

Cleveland Clinic Weston Hospital is in Weston, in western Broward. It is another major option for inpatient treatment and specialty care. Before a planned visit, check that the particular doctor and hospital participate in your plan. A familiar healthcare brand does not, by itself, confirm insurance coverage.

Miami-Dade's major hospitals: Jackson, Baptist, UHealth and others

Jackson Health System includes Jackson Memorial Hospital, Jackson North Medical Center, Jackson South Medical Center and Jackson West Medical Center. It also encompasses Holtz Children's Hospital and the Christine E. Lynn Rehabilitation Center. Jackson Memorial is a large academic medical complex; Jackson North is in the northern part of the county, Jackson South is in the south, and Jackson West is in Doral.

UHealth — University of Miami Health System is a separate system, although its facilities are closely connected to academic medicine and some are located near Jackson. It includes UHealth Tower, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center and Bascom Palmer Eye Institute. When booking an appointment, confirm the exact location as well as the doctor's name.

Baptist Health South Florida is a large regional network of hospitals and outpatient facilities. Its Miami-Dade hospitals include Baptist Hospital, South Miami Hospital, Doctors Hospital, West Kendall Baptist Hospital and Homestead Hospital. The system also has urgent care and diagnostic centers. The Baptist Health directory lets you search by the type of care you need.

Mount Sinai Medical Center is a major hospital in Miami Beach. It is worth considering for residents of the island communities, but check the address of the service you need: an outpatient office may be separate from the main hospital.

HCA Florida Aventura Hospital is the hospital in Aventura whose name is sometimes misheard as “Ventura.” It serves northeastern Miami-Dade and neighboring communities in southeastern Broward. It has an emergency department and a Level II trauma center, making it one of the local emergency care facilities for residents of Aventura, Sunny Isles Beach and nearby cities. However, an ambulance cannot be guaranteed to take you there: the destination depends on the patient's condition and the care required.

HCA also operates other hospitals in the region, including HCA Florida Kendall Hospital. For planned treatment, compare systems based on the specialty you need, the doctor, insurance coverage and location. No single hospital is the best choice for every situation.

How well equipped are local hospitals?

Miami-Dade and Broward have modern healthcare facilities offering complex surgery, intensive care, stroke treatment, cancer care and pediatric services. For example, Memorial lists private treatment rooms, laboratory testing, CT scans and ultrasound among the facilities at its Miramar ER. Aventura Hospital reports upgrades to patient rooms, operating rooms and intensive care units.

Equipment, comfort and the condition of the premises can vary even between buildings in the same system. Before planned treatment or childbirth, it helps to tour the relevant unit and ask about accommodation and nursing care. Cleanliness matters, but an attractive interior cannot replace an experienced team and access to the specialists you may need.

Children's care: Joe DiMaggio, Nicklaus and Holtz

Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital in Hollywood is a key pediatric center in the region and part of Memorial Healthcare System. Its services include pediatric emergency care, surgery, cardiology, oncology, neurology and rehabilitation. It is a strong option for families in Broward and northern Miami-Dade: the U.S. News 2026–2027 rankings recognize the hospital in specialties including neonatology, orthopedics and nephrology. Its recognition is listed on the hospital's website.

In Miami-Dade, important options include Nicklaus Children's Hospital, with a 24-hour pediatric ER, and Holtz Children's Hospital, part of Jackson. Holtz has a Level IV neonatal intensive care unit. For a complex condition, finding the right specialist team matters more than choosing solely by distance from home. For a family move, coordinate healthcare arrangements with school preparation: review how to choose a school and prepare for enrollment.

For everyday illnesses, a child needs a regular pediatrician. If care is needed today and the doctor is unavailable, a pediatric urgent care center may be suitable. Check age limits first: not every center treats infants.

Giving birth: why families consider Memorial on Johnson

Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood is one of Broward's prominent maternity hospitals. Its Family Birthplace offers private rooms and spaces for partners and families, with Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital's Level IV neonatal intensive care nearby. This supports access to specialized newborn care when needed.

There is also a useful measure of its scale: Memorial Family Birthplace reports that its maternity network delivers more than 50% of babies born in Broward County. This figure refers to the network, not just the Johnson Street hospital. Deliveries also take place at Memorial Hospital West and Memorial Hospital Miramar. In April 2025, Miramar reported 67,000 babies born during its first 20 years.

Miami-Dade has other options, including the maternity units at Jackson Memorial and Jackson North. At Jackson Memorial, the maternity unit and Holtz's Level IV NICU are in the same building. Start with your obstetrician: where do they deliver, who covers for them, and what care is available if complications arise?

Before delivery, confirm coverage for the hospital, obstetrician and newborn care, anesthesia arrangements, and the process for adding your baby to your insurance. Mother and baby may receive separate bills. A maternity tour helps you understand the facilities and where to go when it is time for admission.

Urgent care: walk-in treatment that can cost less

Urgent care treats conditions that need prompt attention but show no signs of being life-threatening. Examples include a sore throat, an uncomplicated ear infection or a minor injury. Capabilities vary: some centers offer X-rays and stitches, while others provide a more limited range of services.

The region has Memorial and Baptist Health urgent care centers as well as independent clinics. Memorial has centers in Hollywood, Pembroke Pines and the Palm Springs North / Country Club of Miami area. They accept walk-ins and treat patients aged six months and older. At the time of checking, the Memorial Urgent Care page lists a price of $199 for patients without insurance. Confirm what is included and any possible additional charges before your visit.

For a comparable non-emergency problem, urgent care usually costs less than an ER. With insurance, this often means a smaller patient payment. There is no universal rate, however: costs depend on the network, deductible, copay and tests performed. Instead of asking only “Do you accept my insurance?”, give the exact plan name and ask whether the center is in-network.

Pay attention to the sign. A freestanding ER is a separate emergency department. It may look like a small clinic but bill for emergency department services. It is not the same as an urgent care center.

The emergency room: when hospital-level care is needed

An emergency room, or ER, provides emergency care without an appointment. Patients are first assessed according to urgency. Those with more serious conditions receive priority, so treatment does not always follow arrival order.

Call 911 for chest pain or pressure, signs of stroke, severe breathing difficulty, loss of consciousness or heavy uncontrolled bleeding. Do not delay care to compare prices, and do not drive yourself. Other serious symptoms may also require an ER; examples are listed in Memorial's guidance.

An ER usually costs more than urgent care because it maintains round-the-clock readiness for serious conditions, diagnostic testing and possible hospital admission. A single episode can result in separate bills from the hospital, physician and other specialists. Even a short stay does not necessarily mean a small bill.

For most private insurance plans, the federal No Surprises Act limits unexpected additional charges for out-of-network emergency care. In protected cases, patient cost sharing is calculated using in-network rules. This does not eliminate the deductible or normal plan payments, but it prevents the entire difference between the provider's charge and the insurer's payment from simply being passed on to the patient.

Ambulances: a separate bill and the right reason to call

In the United States, ambulance transportation is often billed separately from ER treatment. For a routine visit when the person is stable and has no signs of an emergency, arranging an ordinary ride to an appropriate clinic makes sense. When a condition may be life-threatening, ambulance cost should not delay the call.

A phone call, a response and a transport are different events. For example, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue explains that its service bills when the patient is transported to a hospital, and no payment is collected during transport. This is the policy of that service, not a guarantee for every municipality or private operator.

For a sense of scale, a 2025 Miami-Dade report listed MDFR base rates of $800 for BLS/ALS and $900 for ALS 2, plus $15 per transport mile. These are historical figures before insurance processing, not guaranteed current prices or amounts a patient must necessarily pay.

Ground ambulances generally fall outside the federal No Surprises Act's billing protections. Additional rights may depend on local rules and the type of insurance. Check ambulance coverage in advance, and review any ambulance bill separately with your insurer.

Hatzalah and support for the Jewish community

Hatzalah South Florida is a volunteer emergency medical service associated with the Jewish community and operating in parts of South Florida. It takes patients' cultural and religious needs into account and works around the clock, including Shabbat and holidays. Its service area includes Aventura, Sunny Isles Beach, Hollywood and Hallandale Beach, among other communities. Check current coverage on the service's website.

It should not be described as an ambulance service “only for Jewish people.” An official Sunny Isles Beach document describes care regardless of religion or background; the same 2023 document states that care and transport are provided without charge. Confirm current arrangements and availability at your address with Hatzalah in advance. Its emergency number is 305-919-4900; the general emergency number is 911.

You can also discuss religious needs with a hospital, including kosher meals, support from a spiritual adviser and arrangements for accompanying family members. For example, Memorial Regional's renovated Family Birthplace includes a kosher lounge. These are arrangements for a patient's stay, not separate insurance or an exemption from hospital bills.

How insurance works and what an out-of-pocket maximum means

Start with five terms to understand your costs:

• Premium — the regular payment for the insurance policy itself.
• Deductible — the amount you pay for certain covered services before the insurer starts sharing those costs. Some services may follow different rules.
• Copay — a fixed patient payment, such as a charge for an appointment.
• Coinsurance — your percentage of a service's allowed cost, such as 20%.
• Out-of-pocket maximum — the annual limit on patient spending that counts under the plan's rules.

Once this limit is reached, the plan pays 100% of covered in-network costs for the rest of the plan year. For 2026 Marketplace plans, the limit cannot exceed $10,600 for an individual or $21,200 for a family; a particular policy may have a lower limit. As HealthCare.gov explains, premiums, services the plan does not cover and generally out-of-network expenses are excluded, except where special protections apply.

The accurate reassurance is this: with an appropriately chosen policy, covered treatment under the plan's rules has a defined annual limit on your share of the costs. Saying “any insurance means you can never pay more than that amount” would be incorrect. Travel and short-term policies, for example, may have very different limitations.

The limit applies to a plan year, not to one illness. If ongoing treatment crosses into the next plan year, the deductible and annual spending limit usually reset.

What you might pay: a straightforward example

Consider a hypothetical calculation, not a quote from a particular hospital. The provider bills $30,000, but the insurer's allowed amount for covered in-network treatment is $12,000. The patient has $2,000 of deductible remaining, followed by 20% coinsurance.

The patient's share would then be $2,000 plus 20% of the remaining $10,000: $4,000 in total, unless the annual limit is reached sooner. If only $3,000 remains before the out-of-pocket maximum, the patient would pay no more than $3,000 for these covered services. The final calculation depends on the policy and how the claim is processed.

The price of insurance itself is separate. Marketplace premiums depend on factors including age, location, family enrollment and the chosen plan; subsidy eligibility affects the final payment. There is no single meaningful “price of health insurance in Miami.” You need a quote for your household.

For budgeting, compare 12 monthly premiums plus the plan's out-of-pocket maximum. For example, a hypothetical $400 monthly premium and a $6,000 limit total $10,800 for a year of premiums and the maximum counted patient spending on covered in-network care. This is neither a spending forecast nor a cap on every possible medical expense. HealthCare.gov also recommends comparing plans by total annual costs.

What to do about a large bill, and whether you can negotiate

Do not panic, but do not ignore the letters either. The billed amount may be the original charge rather than what you owe. An insurer's Explanation of Benefits, or EOB, explains the calculation and is not itself a bill.

• Compare the bill with the EOB. Check the date, patient, services, insurer payment and patient responsibility — the share assigned to you.
• Request an itemized bill. A breakdown can reveal duplicate charges, incorrect services or insurance information errors. Requesting one does not guarantee a discount.
• Find out why a claim was denied. Sometimes information must be corrected or a claim resubmitted; in other cases, you may need to appeal the insurer's decision.
• Ask about financial help. Contact the billing department about financial assistance, charity care, self-pay discounts and payment plans.
• Get agreements in writing. Confirm the final balance, deadlines and whether collections will be paused during review. A pause is not always automatic.

“Negotiating” usually means discussing the accuracy of the charges, available assistance and an affordable payment schedule with the billing office. A reduction may be possible, but there is no guaranteed discount percentage. Nonprofit hospitals must offer financial assistance to eligible patients who cannot afford their bills; CMS explains the process.

If you receive several bills for one episode, the hospital's assistance may not extend to an independent physician group. Review each bill separately. Do not switch to self-pay solely for a promised discount before checking how this would affect insurance coverage and your deductible.

Rehabilitation, care after discharge and hospice

After surgery, an injury or a stroke, a patient may need further recovery support: inpatient rehabilitation, a skilled nursing facility with rehabilitation, outpatient therapy or home health care. Local options include Memorial Rehabilitation Institute at Memorial Regional Hospital South and the Christine E. Lynn Rehabilitation Center at UHealth/Jackson.

The treating team and a discharge coordinator, or case manager, usually arrange the transition between facilities. If a patient's condition worsens, they may be transferred from a rehabilitation facility to a hospital and, after stabilization, back again if clinically appropriate and a place is available. Coverage for the next stage and medical transport must be checked separately. Cooperation between facilities does not automatically make all services free.

Hospice is a different form of care. It focuses on relieving symptoms and supporting a person with a life-limiting illness and their family. Care can take place at home or in a facility. Hospital admission is considered in light of the patient's care goals. Under Medicare, for example, hospital care and transportation related to the terminal illness generally need to be arranged by the hospice team. Details appear in the hospice coverage rules.

What to arrange ahead of time for greater peace of mind

Choose a primary care doctor, a pediatrician, a suitable nearby urgent care center and a hospital for emergencies. Before planned treatment, confirm with your insurer that the specific provider and facility are in-network and ask whether a referral or prior authorization is required. Keep your insurance card, medication list and important medical records accessible; request an interpreter in advance if needed.

If you are planning a pregnancy, ongoing treatment or recovery from surgery, include those needs when comparing policies. A low monthly premium works well only if the other terms also suit you: the provider network, medication costs, deductible and annual spending limit.

Residents of greater Miami have a choice of healthcare systems on both sides of the Miami-Dade–Broward boundary. Bills and unfamiliar insurance terms can feel intimidating at first, but a clear understanding of your coverage and knowing where to seek care make the system much more predictable. When looking for a home, consider these everyday routes too — to your doctor, your child's clinic and the hospital you need.