Dr. Soto expressed, “Without the Health Foundation of South Florida, there would never have been an Open Door Health Center. Thousands of people would be in much worse health and life circumstances. We carry a tremendous debt of gratitude.”

Since its founding in 2001, Open Door Health Center has been a lifeline for Miami’s uninsured. As a free and charitable clinic, Open Door relies on a powerful combination of philanthropic support, community partnerships, and dedicated volunteer providers to deliver free primary care and preventive services, while mentoring the next generation of medical professionals.

Open Door’s story began with seed support from the Health Foundation of South Florida. Over the past two decades, the Health Foundation has invested more than $2.6 million to strengthen the clinic, including purchasing its permanent home in Homestead, expanding diagnostic services, and building a strong volunteer physician network. Today, Open Door serves patients 40 hours a week with a team of staff alongside more than 100 volunteer doctors, physician assistants, and nurses who provide continuous, no-cost care.

But its true measure of impact is found in the lives transformed. One of those lives is Cheryl Marshburn’s. Formerly a patient, she now serves as a board member. She is proof of how deeply Open Door’s mission touches those it serves. “Open Door has been incredible in helping me get my diabetes under control,” she shares. “For the first time, I feel like I’m going to live. My father passed away at 46, and I’ve carried that fear with me my whole life. I have four children, and now I can look ahead knowing I’ll be here for them.”

Dr. Nilda Soto, CEO of Open Door, points to her colleague, Dr. Mariela Perez, as a shining example of what makes Open Door special. A former student of Dr. Soto, Dr. Perez is now the clinic’s Medical Director. A board-certified family physician, she could have pursued a lucrative private practice career. Instead, she has devoted more than two decades to caring for the uninsured at Open Door. Patients adore her, and colleagues credit her with elevating the clinic’s quality of care. She has arranged critical interventions for patients, such as securing free neurosurgery for a woman with a herniated disc. Dr. Perez has also mentored countless medical students.

The clinic has weathered crises, from Hurricane Andrew to the shifting landscape of national health policy, yet remains steadfast. Dr. Soto still dreams of a day when free clinics will no longer be needed because every person would have reliable access to quality healthcare, regardless of income or insurance status. Until then, Open Door continues to serve the community and train the next generation of providers.