Category: Health Care

Jean Louis gives patient Daniel Fils-Aime a checkup.

Step into the office of Renaud Jean Louis, and you’ll find a wall dominated by NSU degrees – a bachelor’s in nursing, a master’s in public administration, a second master’s in nursing, and a graduate certificate in adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner.

With the education and knowledge accumulated over the years, Jean Louis has built a successful health care business dedicated to helping underserved populations learn about and benefit from preventive health care.

“One of my instructors told me ‘Don’t just come to NSU and take the diploma and hang it at your house. Go out there and make a difference in your community,’” he said. “It’s a statement that I never forgot.”

Since 2020, the Remart Medical Clinic in Hollywood, Fla., has provided a full spectrum of services, from immunizations and annual physicals to treatments for addiction and mental health diagnoses.

Jean Louis operates the clinic with business partner Martine Phillips, also an NSU graduate. With their combined dual certification in nursing and psychiatry, the clinic focuses on medical and mental health issues.

“We both saw the struggle of working families when it comes to seeing health care providers, because many don’t have insurance or fail to get annual checkups,” said Jean Louis. To help with accessibility, the Remart Clinic is open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., six days a week.

Despite his academic achievements, education did not come easy to Jean Louis. Raised in Cap-Haïtien, Haiti, he was one of seven children raised by a single mother.

“She was my role model, my inspiration and my hero.,” said Jean Louis. “One thing she believed was that a proper education could open any door for us.”

Jean Louis studied economics in Haiti before coming to the United States, where he earned degrees from Miami Dade Community College and Florida International University, and then NSU.

“I can sincerely say that NSU is my backbone and made me who I am today,” he said. “Do not be afraid to use your knowledge in any community that you will find yourself in in the future.”

HCA Healthcare recently announced it will give $500,000 to NSU to help establish a clinical simulation lab in support of its new nurse anesthesiology program. This gift is part of HCA Healthcare’s $10 million pledge over three years to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Hispanic-serving institutions.

“It’s been a long-standing point of pride that our nursing programs – and NSU overall – have such a dedicated and diverse student population,” said Stefanie La Manna, dean of NSU’s Ron and Kathy Assaf College of Nursing. “This investment from HCA addresses an important need to provide cutting-edge technologies for our nursing students in the ever-changing health care environment. These advances will ensure the effectiveness of these future professionals who will be better able to provide the very best care to their patients and who are so essential in meeting the need for excellent nurses here in Florida and across the country.”

According to the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology, the anesthesiology workforce may experience a shortage of about 12,500 providers by 2033. To help combat this, NSU is developing a nurse anesthesiology program. This gift from HCA Healthcare will support the faculty and equipment, including clinical simulation labs required to set up nurse anesthesiology training at NSU’s Palm Beach and Fort Myers campus locations.

“As one of the nation’s leading health care providers, we understand the importance of building up the next generation of caregivers,” said Sherri Neal, chief diversity officer of HCA Healthcare. “It is our honor to work with Nova Southeastern University as we make strides to address nationwide caregiver shortages.”

Classified as a research university with “high research activity” by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, NSU – a Hispanic serving institution – is one of only 50 universities nationwide to also be awarded Carnegie’s “community engagement” classification.

“We are excited that HCA Healthcare is partnering with NSU for the worthy goal of providing our nursing students with a state-of-the-art learning space that will help prepare them for all the challenges they will face in the field,” said NSU President and CEO George L. Hanbury II.

HCA Healthcare and its East Florida Division have a longstanding relationship with NSU.

“Investing in education and advanced training is essential for the future of health care,” said Charles Gressle, HCA Healthcare’s East Florida Division President. “This important initiative represents a significant step forward in our mission to foster excellence in medical training and to support the next generation of health care leaders.”

Click here to watch video of NSU nursing student.