Miami, May 5, 2010 – The Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce’s (GMCC) Healthcare & Bioscience Committee recently announced Miami Dade College (MDC) nursing professor Annette Gibson as one of several finalists for its 13th annual Health Care Heroes® Awards.  Winners will be announced May 20, 2010 at a ceremony at Jungle Island.

An MDC instructor for more than 30 years, Gibson has worked tirelessly to improve health services for the community’s most disadvantaged residents. She has spearheaded numerous partnerships in an effort to extend classroom learning into the field and create hands-on opportunities for student nurses.

She is a staunch supporter of accessible health care for the homeless, a particularly underserved population in Miami-Dade County. In 2000, Gibson forged a historic partnership between MDC’s School of Nursing, the Miami Rescue Mission, and the Miami-Dade Area Health Education Center, to start a student-operated health screening program for the homeless.

“Ms. Gibson’s devotion to Miami Dade College, The Miami Rescue Mission and to improving the health of our community is truly inspiring,” wrote Shadana James, MDC Medical Center Campus’ service-learning coordinator, in Gibson’s nomination application.

“For more than 30 years her efforts have made a remarkable impact on South Florida’s healthcare community. She is an exemplary model of transforming the community into the classroom and her efforts will be seen for years to come. Ms. Gibson is more than a health care hero, she is simply a hero.”

Gibson joins two other South Florida nurses as finalists in the Nurses category. Other categories include Health Care Professionals; Bio-Medical; Individuals of Merit; Institutions/Programs; and Youth Volunteer.

The GMCC Health Care Heroes® Awards program honors individuals, institutions, professionals, students, volunteers and programs who through their individual or collective actions have made an extraordinary impact in the South Florida health care community. Miami Dade College’s retired provost and Medical Center Campus president, Dr. Kathie Sigler, is a former honoree.

For more information about the Chamber’s Health Care Heroes Awards Luncheon, contact Tania Valenzuela at 305-577-5491 or visit www.miamichamber.com.