Led by Associate Andrea Dinamarco and with key support from Richard Tannenbaum, a Partner in the Asset & Equipment Finance practice, and Yun (Joy) Zhang, a Counsel in the Tax practice, the Reed Smith team represented the Global Surgical and Medical Support Group (GSMSG), a nonprofit organization, in providing a free multi-year equipment lease of the MTU to Jackson Health System. Made up of seven interconnected enclosures, the MTU is designed to provide a standalone and structurally isolated facility to treat up to 11 patients with infectious diseases safely outside of the hospital. This separate unit will free up Emergency Department (ED) beds for patients in critical condition.
“Reed Smith is dedicated and committed to the communities where we live and work,” said Constantine Karides, Managing Partner of Reed Smith’s Miami Office. “COVID-19 has had a devastating impact in South Florida, as well as across our nation. We are pleased we can support the heroic efforts of Jackson Memorial and the Global Surgical and Medical Support Group and contribute to our community’s efforts to battle the pandemic and other infection disease outbreaks.”
HHI Corporation, an Ogden, Utah-based contractor, designed and built the MTU, specifically to treat infectious diseases. HHI then donated the MTU to GSMSG, through a rigorous selection process. GSMSG’s mission is to provide direct medical and surgical care to communities caught in disaster and conflict areas as well as training to indigenous populations in order to ensure a long-lasting impact all at no cost to the communities being served.
Since the MTU is fully mobile and can be redeployed within a matter of hours to other locations, GSMSG negotiated the right to move and use the MTU, as permitted, for several weeks a year to support communities facing an increased demand for medical facilities to treat infectious disease outbreaks.
“This Mobile Triage Unit will greatly enhance our efforts to rapidly deploy medical capabilities to South Florida to assist in treating COVID-19 patients, and in the future to respond to other infectious disease outbreaks as well as other natural disasters,” said Dr. Aaron Epstein, president of GSMSG. “After months of collaboration, it’s exciting to see these units operational in the fight against COVID. GSMSG is grateful for the contributions of our partners – HHI, Reed Smith and Jackson Health System.”
Over the past several weeks, Dinamarco, Tannenbaum and Zhang, all New York-based lawyers, have spent countless hours addressing legal issues about the project, such as tax questions and issuance of local and state permits and certifications, and structured the transaction enabling the donation of the MTU and installation on the hospital grounds. Dinamarco, who joined Reed Smith as an associate in New York in February, is a native of South Florida and brought the pro bono project to Reed Smith as she has served as a board member of the nonprofit for many years.
“The opportunity to actively participate in a project that will benefit those suffering from COVID-19 and other infectious diseases has been extremely rewarding,” Dinamarco said. “Our health care workers are on the frontlines every day, and it is our hope that this MTU will benefit not only South Florida but also other communities across the country in future outbreaks.”
About Reed Smith
Reed Smith is a dynamic international law firm dedicated to helping clients move their businesses forward. Our belief is that by delivering smarter and more creative legal services, we will not only enrich our clients’ experiences with us, but also support them in achieving their business goals.
Our long-standing relationships, international outlook, and collaborative structure make us the go-to partner for the speedy resolution of complex disputes, transactions, and regulatory matters.
For further information, please visit reedsmith.com.
About Global Surgical and Medical Support Group
GSMSG provides complex, quality medical and surgical care performed by leading medical experts, at no cost to patients, in regions experiencing an increase in medical emergencies related to war and natural disasters. GSMSG also provides long-term care solutions to such regions by providing medical training onsite to various healthcare providers through partnerships with local universities and hospitals.
For more information visit gsmsg.org.
About HHI Corporation
HHI is a general contractor with 49 years of in-depth experience and has completed some of the most challenging projects for the Department of Defense (DoD). Using both its experience in construction and manufacturing, HHI has provided innovative solutions to complex problems for its military clients. Construction experience includes over 40 Design-Build chemical and biological test facilities (BSL laboratories), munitions maintenance facilities, military aircraft hangars and other industrial/institutional facilities. Manufacturing experience includes aircraft maintenance stands, chemical and biological test chambers, paint and blast booths, containerized biological containment transport units and ground support equipment for aircraft.
More info is available at hhicorp.com.
About Jackson Health System
Jackson Health System is one of the nation’s largest public health systems, with a mission of providing one standard of high quality care to all residents of Miami-Dade County. A nonprofit academic medical system, Jackson consists of its centerpiece, Jackson Memorial Hospital, which is home to Ryder Trauma Center and the Miami Transplant Institute; Holtz Children’s Hospital; Christine E. Lynn Rehabilitation Center for The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis at UHealth/Jackson Memorial; Jackson Behavioral Health Hospital; Jackson North Medical Center; Jackson South Medical Center; and Jackson West Medical Center, currently under construction in the City of Doral and scheduled to open in early 2021; multiple primary care and specialty care centers; a network of UHealth Jackson Urgent Care centers, two long-term care nursing facilities; and a network of mental health facilities.
For more information, visit jacksonhealth.org.
