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Children's health in Miami

In Miami, paediatric care is excellent, but everything goes through insurance: choosing the right plan, staying in-network and knowing where to go depending on the urgency. Here are verified landmarks, and the French-speaking doctors from the consulate's official list.

Verified on 30 October 2026

How US healthcare works

No universal public system: private health insurance, almost always offered by the employer, is the gateway to doctors and hospitals.

Good to know

  • No federal law requires insurance any more, the tax penalty applying only to 2018 and earlier; but without insurance every procedure is paid in full. The employer's plan, taken out at hiring, remains the normal route for an expat family. Source
  • The monthly premium is only part of the cost: add the annual deductible, the copay at each visit and an annual out-of-pocket maximum. HMO plans require a primary doctor and a closed network; PPOs let you see a specialist directly, at a higher cost out of network. Source
  • Florida KidCare, the state's public children's insurance programme, covers uninsured under-19s subject to income limits; a non-citizen child must document lawful presence in the US, only the child's status being considered, not the parents'. Source
  • The French state covers no medical costs abroad, neither hospitalisation nor repatriation; the Caisse des Français de l'étranger (CFE) offers voluntary membership that can be combined with local insurance. Source
  • For non-emergencies, urgent care centres see you without an appointment, evenings and weekends, and cost far less than the ER; Nicklaus Children's also offers paediatric video consultations for non-urgent questions. Source

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Choosing a paediatrician and following up baby

There is no local doctor you register with: you pick a paediatrician in your insurer's network, who follows the child, vaccinates and fills in the school forms.

Good to know

  • The American Academy of Pediatrics well-child schedule provides a visit at 3 to 5 days, then at 1, 2, 4, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 24 and 30 months, and every year from age 3; these visits are usually covered without a copay. Source
  • Check that the practice is in-network with your plan before the first appointment, then bring the insurance card, the child's passport and the French health record: the paediatrician will read the vaccines already given and enter them in the state registry.
  • There is no paper health record: Florida SHOTS, the state's free online registry, centralises vaccines reported by doctors, and parents access their child's DH 680 certificate with a code provided by the paediatrician. Source
  • For a first entry to school in Florida, public or private, the child must present a certificate of a health examination carried out within one year before enrolment, in addition to the DH 680 immunisation certificate. Source
  • Book as soon as you arrive: a new paediatrician often has several weeks of waiting, and the health exam and DH 680 are required before the first day of school.

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Emergencies and children's hospitals

South Florida has major children's hospitals, with paediatric-only emergency rooms open around the clock. Find the one nearest your home in the first week.

Good to know

  • 911 is the single emergency number (police, fire, ambulance). The consulate advises always carrying your insurance card and knowing your blood group. Source
  • For a suspected ingestion (medicine, household product, plant) or a snakebite, Florida Poison Control answers 24/7 on 1-800-222-1222; if the child is unconscious, having a seizure or struggling to breathe, call 911. Source
  • An ambulance and an ER visit are billed, often heavily even with insurance: for a fever, an ear infection or a small cut, urgent care is enough; for a fracture, breathing difficulty or dehydration, go to a paediatric ER.
  • At the ER, bring the vaccination record and the list of the child's treatments, mention allergies straight away and, if possible, leave siblings at home. Source

Addresses

  • Nicklaus Children's Hospital

    Emergency

    3100 SW 62nd Avenue, Miami, FL 33155

    The former Miami Children's Hospital, South Florida's leading paediatric reference: over 40 specialties, a children's ER and Florida's only free-standing paediatric trauma centre.

    Website Source

  • Holtz Children's Hospital (Jackson Health)

    Emergency

    1611 NW 12th Avenue, Miami, FL 33136

    One of the largest children's hospitals in the south-eastern US, on the Jackson Memorial and University of Miami campus, with a 24/7 paediatric ER.

    Website Source

  • Urgences pédiatriques Nicklaus au Baptist Hospital

    Emergency

    8900 N Kendall Drive, Miami, FL 33176

    A paediatric ER run by Nicklaus Children's inside Baptist Hospital in Kendall: handy for families in Pinecrest, Kendall and South Miami.

    Website Source

  • Urgences pédiatriques Nicklaus au Baptist Health Homestead Hospital

    Emergency

    975 Baptist Way, Homestead, FL 33033

    The southern county's paediatric emergency point, on the way to the Keys and the Everglades.

    Website Source

  • Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital

    Emergency

    1005 Joe DiMaggio Drive, Hollywood, FL 33021

    Broward County's major children's hospital, the only Level 1 paediatric trauma centre in South Broward, with a 24/7 ER: the reference for families in Aventura, Hollywood or Cooper City.

    Website Source

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French-speaking doctors, dentists and therapists

The French consulate general in Miami publishes a list of French-speaking doctors in Florida, updated on 8 July 2026. It is provided for information only, without engaging the administration's responsibility, and the choice of doctor is free. We list the Miami-Dade and Broward practitioners most useful to families.

Good to know

  • The list covers GPs, paediatricians, obstetrician-gynaecologists, dermatologists, ENT specialists, ophthalmologists, a speech therapist, psychologists, dentists and physiotherapists, from Miami-Dade County to Palm Beach, Tampa and Orlando. The consulate's medical adviser is Dr Joël Wiszniak, in Aventura. Source
  • Before booking, ask whether the practitioner is in your insurer's network: out of network, much of the visit may be billed to you, even with good coverage. Source
  • The health directories of French District Florida and French Morning complement the list with professionals who register themselves; many Miami practitioners also speak Spanish and Haitian Creole. Source

Addresses

  • Dr Gisèle Mardy

    Paediatrician

    SW 152nd Street, sud de Miami (33157)

    Paediatrician, speaks French, English and Creole.

    Languages spoken : FR, EN, HT

    Source

  • Dr Diego Pernudi

    Paediatrician

    West Flagler Street, ouest de Miami (33144)

    Paediatrician, speaks French, English and Spanish.

    Languages spoken : FR, EN, ES

    Source

  • Dr Rani Gereige

    Paediatrician

    Nicklaus Children's Hospital, SW 62nd Avenue (33155)

    Paediatrician at Nicklaus Children's Hospital, speaks French, English and Arabic.

    Languages spoken : FR, EN, AR

    Source

  • Dr Josiane Faublas

    Paediatrician

    Plantation, comté de Broward (33317)

    Paediatrician, speaks French, English and Spanish; handy for families in Cooper City and Weston.

    Languages spoken : FR, EN, ES

    Source

  • Dr Michael Gregorian

    General practitioner

    North Kendall Drive, Kendall (33186)

    General practitioner, speaks French, English and Spanish.

    Languages spoken : FR, EN, ES

    Source

  • Dr Thierry Jacquemin

    General practitioner

    Bird Road, près de Coral Gables (33146)

    General practitioner (D.O.), speaks French, English, Spanish, Portuguese and Italian.

    Languages spoken : FR, EN, ES, PT, IT

    Source

  • Dr Sarah Rosanel

    General practitioner

    Surfside, au nord de Miami Beach (33154)

    General practitioner, also listed under cardiology.

    Languages spoken : FR, EN

    Source

  • Dr Alix Salvant

    General practitioner

    Kendall (33176 et 33186) et Civic Center (33136)

    General practitioner with three practices, speaks French, English, Spanish and Creole.

    Languages spoken : FR, EN, ES, HT

    Source

  • Dr Béatrice Heckerd

    SW 87th Court, Kendall (33176)

    Obstetrician-gynaecologist, speaks French, English and Spanish.

    Languages spoken : FR, EN, ES

    Source

  • Dr Emmanuela Wolloch

    NE 123rd Street, North Miami (33181)

    Obstetrician-gynaecologist, speaks French, English and Spanish.

    Languages spoken : FR, EN, ES

    Source

  • Pearly Yazbek

    Bird Road, près de Coral Gables (33146)

    Speech and language therapist, speaks French, English and Spanish.

    Languages spoken : FR, EN, ES

    Source

  • Dr Roland F. Bessis

    Psychologist

    Coral Way, Miami (33145)

    Psychologist (Ph.D.).

    Languages spoken : FR, EN

    Source

  • Dr Aurélie Lucette

    Psychologist

    South Miami (33143) et Coral Way (33145)

    Psychologist, two practices.

    Languages spoken : FR, EN

    Source

  • Dr Suzanne Abergel

    Dentist

    SW 84th Street, Kendall (33183)

    Dentist (D.D.S.).

    Website Source

  • Dr Lloyd Beaufils

    Dentist

    Griffin Road, Cooper City (33328)

    Dentist (D.D.S.), speaks French, English, Spanish and Creole; close to the Lycée franco-américain.

    Languages spoken : FR, EN, ES, HT

    Source

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Pregnancy and maternity hospitals

Pregnancy care is provided by an in-network obstetrician-gynaecologist (OB-GYN), who delivers at one or two specific hospitals: choose the doctor and the maternity unit together.

Good to know

  • Check that the hospital, obstetrician and anaesthetist are all in your insurer's network, and that the maternity unit has a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) if your pregnancy is high-risk. Baptist Health hospitals offer pre-registration packs and childbirth classes. Source
  • There is no paid federal maternity leave: the FMLA guarantees up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave, in companies with 50 or more employees, after 12 months and 1,250 hours of work. Whether the leave is paid therefore depends on your employer. Source
  • A child born in the United States is American; for French civil records, the birth certificate of a baby born in Florida is transcribed not in Miami but at the Washington consulate, which centralises civil status for the East Coast. Source
  • Two French-speaking obstetrician-gynaecologists practise in Miami-Dade according to the consulate's list (Kendall and North Miami), and three more in Broward County: see the French-speaking doctors section. Source

Addresses

  • Baptist Hospital (Baptist Health)

    Maternity

    8900 N Kendall Drive, Miami, FL 33176

    Maternity and neonatal intensive care in Kendall, with a Nicklaus paediatric ER on site.

    Website Source

  • South Miami Hospital (Baptist Health)

    Maternity

    6200 SW 73rd Street, Miami, FL 33143

    Maternity and neonatal intensive care in South Miami, close to Coral Gables and Pinecrest.

    Website Source

  • Jackson Memorial Hospital

    Maternity

    1611 NW 12th Avenue, Miami, FL 33136

    Miami's large public teaching hospital, with an obstetrics department and Holtz Children's Hospital on the same campus.

    Website Source

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Pharmacies and medicines

US pharmacies sit inside big drugstores (CVS, Walgreens) and supermarkets, often open late, some 24 hours. Medicine names change, molecules do not.

Good to know

  • Equivalents: paracetamol is called acetaminophen (Tylenol, Children's Tylenol syrup), ibuprofen is sold as Advil or Motrin, saline drops are 'saline nasal spray'. Children's syrups are dosed by weight: check the concentration, which varies from one box to another.
  • A French prescription is not honoured by US pharmacies: have long-term treatments (asthma, allergies, the pill) rewritten by the local paediatrician or doctor in the first weeks, and keep the French leaflets to match the molecules.
  • Prescription medicines are paid according to your insurance: a fixed copay for generics, more for brands. Also ask for the cash price, sometimes lower than the copay, and compare between chains.
  • For a dosing error, a swallowed pool chemical or a bite, Florida Poison Control answers 24/7 on 1-800-222-1222; it reminds families never to mix pool chemicals and to store them out of children's reach. Source
  • Before hurricane season, keep a supply of everyone's medicines: the authorities ask residents to be able to manage on their own for at least 72 hours after a storm. Source

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Vaccines: how they differ from France

The US schedule looks like the French one, with a few extra vaccines. In Florida, entry to school and childcare goes through the DH 680 certificate, and the rules are under review in autumn 2026.

Good to know

  • The CDC schedule includes hepatitis B at birth, rotavirus, DTaP, Hib, pneumococcal and polio in the first year, MMR, varicella and hepatitis A between 12 and 15 months, flu every year, then Tdap, HPV and meningococcal ACWY at 11 to 12. Rotavirus, hepatitis A and varicella are not in the French schedule. Source
  • Current school requirements in Florida, from kindergarten to Grade 12: 4 to 5 doses of DTaP, 4 to 5 of polio, 2 of MMR, 3 of hepatitis B, 2 of varicella and a Tdap booster on entering 7th grade; childcare and preschool add Hib and pneumococcal. Everything is recorded on the DH 680 form. Source
  • In October 2026, the Florida Department of Health held a public hearing on a proposal that would remove hepatitis B, varicella, Hib and pneumococcal from the vaccines required by rule; polio, diphtheria, measles, rubella, pertussis, mumps and tetanus remain required by law. The proposal has not been adopted yet: check with the school before term starts. Source
  • In France, eleven vaccinations are compulsory for young children and the health record is the reference: have the paediatrician read it, enter the doses in Florida SHOTS and complete whatever is missing. Source
  • Where to vaccinate: at the paediatrician, covered by insurance, or at the Department of Health immunisation clinics in Miami-Dade (Health District Center near Jackson, West Perrine in the south), by appointment on 786-845-0550 or walk-in until 4 pm, with ID and vaccination records. Source

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These landmarks do not replace the advice of a health professional. In an emergency, call the local emergency number shown above.

A place has closed, something has changed? Tell us: the mums of Miami will thank you.

Sources for this page

The public pages these landmarks come from. The official website always prevails.

  1. 1 Consulat général de France à Miami, liste de notoriété médicale (juillet 2026)
  2. 2 Nicklaus Children's Hospital
  3. 3 Jackson Health System
  4. 4 Florida Department of Health
  5. 5 Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade County
  6. 6 Florida Poison Control
  7. 7 Baptist Health South Florida
  8. 8 French District Floride, annuaire santé

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Verified addresses, official sources, school-year dates: we write when the Miami guide changes, never more than once a week.

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