There used to be a joke that if you got sick in Miami, you’d have to hop on a plane to see a doctor in New York. Well now we have Baptist Hospital in South Miami, one of the top medical centers in the country. The hot new amenity is golf carts, without a golf course. Our condo just got one. My friend went from being a waiter to realizing his dream of working for Gucci, and I’m now the proud owner of a Gucci crossover bag. All women, especially as we get older, need a good esthetician in their lives. Well meet Maria!

Miami Now Has a Highly Respected Medical City  

There used to be a riddle in Miami that I don’t think has any validity anymore. Question: What is the first thing you do if you get sick? Answer: Get on a plane and go see a doctor in New York. That may have been true a number of years ago, but certainly not now. I am living proof. I needed medical attention several times since last November.  Each time I visited a doctor in Miami or had to get a procedure done in a hospital I felt I was getting the best care in the world.

Baptist Hospital in South Miami is one of America’s most preferred medical centers. Three Centers of Excellence are housed on Baptist Hospital’s campus: Miami Cancer Institute, Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute and Miami Neuroscience Institute. Most of Baptist doctors went to the best medical schools in the country and are very active in worldwide research. They are definitely among the first to know about any medical advancements. It’s comforting to know that the doctors that care for you are clued in on all cures.

Baptist is also buying a number of other hospitals in South Florida as part of their own expansion plan. They will renovate, invest in the best technology, and recruit the most experienced doctors available. The one amazing attribute about Baptist is their ever-growing number of outpatient clinics. There is one near me at 704 Alton Road, about a half a mile away from my condo. It’s an easy walk. I feel like it’s a gift from a higher power. I never had a medical service, under one roof, like this in Manhattan. I am talking about a state-of-the-art facility with the best technology and diagnostic machinery money can buy.

The outpatient clinic consists of 60,000 square feet of interior spaces and 60,000 square feet of parking. The facility has a variety of services including urgent care, primary care, diagnostic imaging, same-day GI center, physical therapy, and physicians’ offices and retail space. The imaging and GI centers are on the ground floor. They include X-ray, ultrasound, mammography, bone densitometry, CT and MRI. The GI center has three endoscopy rooms and one operating room, plus pre and post areas. The top floor of the building is transparent with circulation and activity focused along the commercial corridor, including patient education spaces, conference and training areas, as well as lobbies, lounges and circulation zones.

Physical therapy is located on level three, with direct access to the parking garage as well as a balcony for outdoor use. Outdoor space for physical therapy is also available on the roof terrace. Primary care and urgent care services are both on the fourth floor to allow shared resources, such as x-ray, lab, and administrative areas, and flex spaces in off-hours. Physicians’ offices and a community resource room also populate this level.

The big bonus is a shaded roof terrace and garden. Baptist believes this contributes to the health and wellness focus of the entire facility. The exterior space is also available for physical therapy and rehabilitation.

Services Available

• Allergic Reaction – Minor
• Asthma Attacks – Minor
• Common Cold
• Coronavirus Screening
• Coughs
• COVID-19 Antibody (IgG) Testing
• Cuts & Scrapes
• Diarrhea
• Digital X-Ray
• Dislocations
• Earaches & Ear Infections
• Fever
• Flu & Flu Shots
• Headaches
• Minor Bug Bites & Allergic Reactions
• Minor Rashes & Skin Disorders
• Minor Wounds & Burns
• Nausea
• Nose Bleeds
• Pediatric Care
• Pink Eye
• Pregnancy Testing
• Rapid Flu, Strep Throat and Mono Testing
• Respiratory Infections
• Rx Now
• School & Sports Physicals
• Simple Bone Fractures
• Sinus Infections
• Skin Care
• Sore Throat and Strep
• Sprains & Strains
• STD Testing
• Tetanus Shots
• UTI Treatment
• Vomiting
• Wound Care

While I use the Baptist Health Clinic frequently, I also needed the hospital a few times as well. It’s like walking into a luxury hotel. The atmosphere makes you feel better instantly and the staff, from reception to the doctors of all kinds, treat you like a VIP. Baptist has a new congeniality program that makes you feel like royalty. I’m no fool. I know there is no substitute like a doctor telling you that you have a clean bill of health. However, attitude is everything and Baptist helps you achieve a positive journey.  Visit their website.

Golf Carts Without Golf Courses, The Hot New Amenity 

When I first heard that the board of directors of my 40-story condo wanted to buy a golf cart so that our residents could tool around the neighborhood without using their own cars, I thought they were nuts. However, the golf cart arrived in our circular driveway yesterday, and Eliot and I, plus our two guests, got to use it last night when we had a major rainstorm. We had dinner reservations a few blocks away at Prime Italian and the ride in the golf cart kept us dry and on time.

The idea of our condo owning a golf cart was first discussed on one of our zoom BOD meeting a few months ago. The president said a few of the surrounding condos had already bought golf carts and they proved to be quite useful for folks who only wanted to go to one of a growing number of restaurants in our neighborhood called South of Fifth.

It seemed pretty strange to me that so many people who use our state-of-the-art gym on a daily basis, couldn’t walk several blocks for a 1500 calorie meal. I decided not to object to the golf cart purchase because many of our neighbors, including myself, are getting older and probably need assistance from time to time.

Another consideration is that Miami gets very hot and has frequent torrential rainfalls that make it difficult to get around. If residents use their own automobiles to go five to 10 blocks away it could mean another $50 for parking, if they are even lucky enough to find a spot in a lot, or on the street. Yes, there is always a less expensive alternative, Uber or Lyft. Most people don’t want to wait the usual 20 plus minutes for the ride home.

Right now, the golf cart will be available to those residents who stay in Miami for the summer. Good luck when the season starts again and the condo owners, who have several other homes, return. Everyone better book the golf cart far enough in advance. I’m sure there are going to be some heated debates about the availability of the new public vehicle.

The golf carts are driven by our security men who are totally responsible for their whereabouts. Residents are not allowed to drive the carts, nor can they use them to leave the neighborhood. Each ride should not be longer than 15 minutes so everyone can get a quick turn.

You can be sure that this new amenity will become very popular with the residents. If it becomes too difficult to book a ride, a second golf cart will be quickly added. Watch out, this new convenience will catch on in other urban areas around the country as baby boomers get older.  Golf carts, without a golf course, will become all the rage.

Dominique Wants a Gucci Life 

My friend Dominique Ducret went from being a waiter at Monty’s Raw Bar in Miami Beach to becoming a sales associate at Gucci’s in the Aventura Mall. The transformation from serving me a dozen oysters every time I ate at Monty’s, to convincing me I needed a $2,000 crossbody handbag from Gucci, has been amazing.

Dominique, originally from Massey, a suburb south of Paris, has been working at Monty’s for 12 years. I have seen Dominique many times over the years because the restaurant is on the same Miami Beach Marina path as my condo. We go there all the time for lunch or dinner. Every time I started chatting with Dominique he would always tell me he had dreams of working for Gucci. “I should be in fashion” he would say. “I love the Gucci look and I have a passion for sales. My whole life would dramatically change if I could work in the Gucci environment.”

I had no idea at the time that this was Dominique’s lifelong dream. He recently told me that when he first got his driver’s license in France, he immediately drove with a friend to Milan to visit Gucci. Ever since then he has been buying many of his shoes and clothes from the luxury brand. That’s how he was able to apply for the sales job at Gucci in Aventura. He was such a good customer that many of the Gucci staff knew him. He is completely comfortable sharing his love and knowledge of the brand with others. You might ask yourself how Dominique could afford such expensive purchases for so many years. He is just living proof that constant dedication to your job allows you to enjoy some finer things.

Dominique was a fixture at Monty’s. If the restaurant was open, Dominique was working. I am sure Dominique’s departure from Monty’s in just a few weeks is going to be a shock for many folks. As for me, I have a beautiful new Gucci handbag I never would have bought if it hadn’t been for Dominique. I didn’t really need it either but after he gave me his pitch at dinner one night about the history of the brand, I decided that if he ever got the Gucci job, I would be one of his first customers.

I had owned several Gucci items over the years. In fact, I was such a Gucci fan in my twenties that I named my first dog, a Yorkshire Terrier, after the brand. Gucci was my constant companion. Life moves on. In recent times, I only bought light weight cross bodies from Issey Miyake. As I got older, I just didn’t want to lug around heavy handbags. I went from large shopping type bags from Gucci and Louis Vuitton to tiny purses with straps. I wanted to be free to roam without carrying stuff I really didn’t need. You can’t believe what’s in most women’s handbags. They just believe they can’t leave home without certain items. I rid myself of that notion.

Dominque was so passionate about the Gucci brand, I started to yearn for a bag with a red and green strap. One day Dominique started texting me pictures of Gucci handbags. He was relentless. His determination worked. I spotted a Gucci crossbody with the strap. It also had an additional dressy gold chain that could be used for evening wear. Sold!

I will be wearing my new Gucci purchase when I go to Monty’s this weekend for one of my last meals with Dominique. From now on I will be visiting him in Aventura. I urge you to go too. He puts on quite a show when he’s selling. You fall in love with the essence of his pitch. There’s just something so romantic about it. We all need a little bit of that in our lives. Visit the Gucci Miami website.

Maria, The Extractor

All women, especially seniors, need a good esthetician in their lives. I needed one more than most women my age because of the condition of my skin. Since I was a pre-teen, I had so many skin conditions that I’m exhausted from covering them up all these years.I went to new dermatologists and facial specialists every year trying to find someone who was going to help me get clear skin. The ones who were the most helpful and caring were Dr. Peter Wisch in Manhattan and Dr. Steve Mandy in Miami. Dr. Wisch put me on Accutane to clear acne and cysts and Dr. Mandy has been lasering sunspots for me that are getting darker by the minute.

Both doctors were the only ones who were successful with their treatments. I will be forever grateful. The one challenge that I have constantly had is getting an esthetician that is willing to spend time on my body looking for breakouts that should be removed. It’s not easy to do because it requires patience, determination, and dedication. Not every professional has the time or tolerance to care for maintenance projects. They want to cure diseases and save lives. Thank goodness for them.

Most of the many facial specialists I have experienced since I was 20 plus were just a waste of time and money. They applied creams, sprays, mists, cold and hot compresses and medicated masks to my face. Then they would massage my face with all of this greasy stuff. I left their salons with the same blemishes and hidden dirt spots that I arrived with. I was looking for a professional who would dig in and dig out what didn’t belong there. I needed someone who would survey the land and look for poison. I could never find one in Manhattan, the center of the universe which supposedly has the best of the best. I was telling my two girlfriends, Alex and Danielle, about my situation last month because the both of them, sisters, have the most gorgeous skin. They both gave me a serious look and in unison said, “Maria.”

They proceeded to tell me she performs extractions better than anyone else. She loves conquering growths that the environment put there. She is like a gardner. She appreciates the need to pull out the weeds. She is greatly gratified when a client goes home with a face free of peaks and valleys.

I have had two sessions with Maria. My friends were a 100 per cent correct. She’s a digger. You have to be ready for some discomfort. One hour of constant stinging is a lot to handle. However, if you want to be beautiful you have to stand the excavation. I have a long way to go. I’m doing face and back. I’ve neglected them for too long. I’m not making it easy for Maria. I squeeze my face so much while she is working on me that it’s difficult for her to reach deep into the surfaces. I don’t mean to do it. It’s an involuntary reaction. She tells me to breathe in deep and let it out wholeheartedly. I must focus on the breathing in order for her to get the best results. I plan to continue with weekly and then monthly appointments.

I want skin just like Danielle and Alex. I finally found the woman for the job. I’m going to have to grin and bear it. Visit their website.