Office of Communications
The Office of Communications is the official source of news and information at the Miller School of Medicine. The office serves as a resource for the media and for medical school faculty, staff and administrators. In addition, the office produces three periodicals to keep its many audiences informed: University of Miami Medicine (published three times a year), MED faculty and staff online newsletter (published the first Tuesday of every month), and e-Update online news service (published weekly).
A Resource for Media
Our office is available 24 hours a day, every day, to respond to inquiries from the media. Our media relations staff responds rapidly to media requests, and we encourage you to call our office if you have any questions about the Miller School, our faculty, research or hospitals. We can help put you in direct contact with a wide variety of experts in numerous medical specialties.
Contact Us: Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Eastern Time
Phone: 305-243-3249
Media Contacts
A resource for the news media and the general public, as well as for faculty and staff, the Office of Communications is the official source of general information, media relations, publications and other communications for the Miller School.
Christine Morris
Associate Vice President for Communications
Christine Morris joined the Miller School as executive director of media relations in September 2001. She worked in the newsroom of The Miami Herald for 19 years, in a number of editing positions and most recently as medical writer. After graduating from Indiana University with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and political science, she worked as a reporter and editor at The Courier-Journal in Louisville, Kentucky. Her responsibilities include coordinating all communications for the Miller School and University of Miami Health System, including basic science departments, clinical departments, centers, institutes, and hospitals. Areas of concentration and expertise include media relations, employee communications, publications, development communications, speechwriting, issues management and crisis communications.
Phone: 305-243-3249
email: cmorris@med.miami.edu
Lisa Worley
Executive Director of Medical Communications
Lisa Worley handles media relations requests, and writes about different medical specialties at the Miller School, with a special focus on the work being done at the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center. She joined the Office of Communications in August of 2007, after spending 18 years in television news, most of it at WFOR, CBS4 in Miami. Lisa was born and raised in Fort Lauderdale. She graduated from Northwestern University with a degree in Communication Studies.
Phone: 305-243-5184
email: lworley2@med.miami.edu
Omar Montejo
Director of Media Relations
Omar Montejo manages media relations and public relations for the Department of Pediatrics and subspecialties such as Genetics. He promotes clinical and research activities at the Mailman Center for Child Development and the Batchelor Children’s Research Institute and often works with Jackson Memorial Hospital on stories and news conferences involving high profile pediatric cases. He joined the University in 1996. Prior to UM, Omar handled media relations for Miami Children’s Hospital, where he was spokesman for 11 years. He also worked for the news media, as producer for an all-news radio station in Miami, where he won numerous awards from the Associated Press Miami bureau.
Phone: 305-243-5654
email: omontejo@miami.edu
Dwayne Campbell
Director of Medical Publications
Dwayne Campbell joined the Office of Communications in May 2007 after working in journalism, most recently as a feature writer for the Philadelphia Inquirer. Before the Inquirer, he spent four years in Florida as a reporter for the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Dwayne graduated from Temple University’s School of Communications and Theater with a degree in journalism.
Phone: 305-243-2557
email: dcampbell2@med.miami.edu
Jenny Prather
Manager of Medical Communications
Jenny Prather joined the Office of Communications at the University in March of 2007. She graduated from the University of Southern Indiana with a Bachelor of Arts degree in public relations and advertising. After moving to Miami, she earned her behavior analyst license while working at an intermediate care facility for dually-diagnosed, developmentally disabled adults. Several years later, she took a position as a marketing executive with a local firm, where she managed accounts for Miami-Dade County, Citibank and the U.S. military. Jenny is the editor of the newsletters MED and e-Update, directs photo shoots for Miami Medicine magazine, and performs a variety of other tasks including managing the Miller School website and providing editorial and design support.
Phone: 305-243-6018
email: jprather@med.miami.edu
Michelle Hernandez
Executive Assistant
Michelle Hernandez joined the Office of Communications in April 2011. She graduated from the University of Miami with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in marketing. She has 20 years experience in the publishing industry and spent the past 11 years at HCP/Aboard Publishing, the custom publishing division of The Miami Herald, where she served as assistant to the publisher and sales administration manager. As the executive assistant to the associate vice president for communications, Michelle coordinates meetings, compiles daily media coverage and oversees the daily operations of the office.
Phone: 305-243-3249
email: mhernandez22@med.miami.edu
Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center: Office of Marketing and Communications
Sandra Pérez Rhyneer
Acting Director, Marketing
Sandra Pérez Rhyneer joined Sylvester in December 2005. With a diverse background in health care and non-profit communications, Sandra previously served as communications director for the largest regional chapter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation based in Seattle. She also held positions in New York with Hill & Knowlton and Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide, where she managed national and international public relations campaigns for pharmaceutical companies including Johnson & Johnson and Hoffmann-LaRoche. She began her career at the Miller School, promoting a research and social services center for substance-exposed children. At Sylvester, Sandra is responsible for overseeing the daily operations of Sylvester/UMHC’s marketing office. She earned her B.A. in Psychology from Florida International University, and pursued graduate studies at the University of Miami School of Communications.
Phone: 305-243-1481
email: SRhyneer@med.miami.edu
Javier R. Milian
Associate Director, Marketing & Communications
Javier Milian joined Sylvester in March 2010. He complements the Marketing team’s creativity with a strong business acumen and diverse background in sales and marketing. Javier previously served as Director of Client Services at Inktel Direct, managing the multicultural marketing needs for several Fortune 500 companies. He began his career as a Financial Advisor with Morgan Stanley and has applied his experience and understanding of niche strategies to the marketing industry. At Sylvester, Javier is responsible for community and physician relations, as well as market research and analytics. He is a graduate of the University of Florida where he earned a BSBA in Economics.
Phone: 305-243-4071
email: jmilian@med.miami.edu
Lisa Cawley
Communications Specialist
Lisa Cawley handles online marketing and communications for Sylvester with a primary focus on managing Sylvester’s website (Sylvester.org) and social media sites. She joined the Office of Marketing & Communications in December 2009. With a background in journalism, Lisa has writing, editing, and design experience from working at the St. Petersburg Times and The Miami Herald. A Miami native, she graduated from Florida International University with a B.S. in Communications.
Phone: 305-243-6153
email: lcawley@med.miami.edu
Rose McCullagh
Administrative Assistant
Phone: 305-243-4302
email: rmccullagh@med.miami.edu
Bascom Palmer Eye Institute: Office of Marketing and Public Relations
Marla Bercuson
Executive Director
Marla Bercuson is responsible for Bascom Palmer Eye Institute’s communication, public relations, and advertising programs. Bercuson was formerly the director of marketing and communications at Fairchild Tropical Garden and director of commerce and professions for the Greater Miami Jewish Federation. She also served as executive director of the Coconut Grove Arts Festival which was continually rated the “#1 Arts Festival in the United States” during her tenure. Bercuson received her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, cum laude, from the University of Florida.
Phone: 305-326-6190
email: mbercuson@med.miami.edu
Cynthia Birch
Director of Health Information Center and Library and Associate Director of Marketing and Public Relations
Cynthia Birch promotes Bascom Palmer’s clinical, research and educational activities to the media, patients, donors and the general public through various media outlets, publications and the Institute’s website, for which she serves as webmaster. She has broad experience with all aspects of marketing communications including local, national and international media placements, producing and writing publications, videos and ads, and special events and market research. Cynthia joined Bascom in 1991. Previously, she worked at Everett Clay Associates, Florida’s oldest public relations and advertising agency, managing communications for clients such as Miami Children’s Hospital, Miami Heart Institute, LoJack, Miami Sports and Exhibition Authority (during the acquisition of Miami’s sports franchises – Florida Marlins, Miami Heat and Florida Panthers). She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications from the University of Miami.
Phone: 305-326-6078
email: cbirch@med.miami.edu
Ann Carney
Communications Manager
Ann Carney joined Bascom Palmer Eye Institute as communications manager in February 2010 with more than 20 years experience. Her immediate past position was as senior communications editor for the CEO of JM Family Enterprises – the world’s largest independent distributor of Toyotas. Prior to that, she was speechwriter for the mayor of Atlanta and assistant communications manager for The Carter Presidential Center in Atlanta. She graduated from Florida Atlantic University with both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in communications.
Phone: 305-326-6190
email: acarney@med.miami.edu
Janice Keilly
Events Assistant
Phone: 305-326-6190
email: jkeilly@med.miami.edu
Batchelor Children’s Research Institute
Omar Montejo
Director of Media Relations
Omar Montejo manages media relations and public relations for the Department of Pediatrics and subspecialties such as Genetics. He promotes clinical and research activities at the Mailman Center for Child Development and the Batchelor Children’s Research Institute and often works with Jackson Memorial Hospital on stories and news conferences involving high profile pediatric cases. He joined the University in 1996. Prior to UM, Omar handled media relations for Miami Children’s Hospital, where he was spokesman for 11 years. He also worked for the news media, as producer for an all-news radio station in Miami, where he won numerous awards from the Associated Press Miami bureau.
Phone: 305-243-5654
email: omontejo@med.miami.edu
Diabetes Research Institute Office of Public Affairs
Mitra Zehtab, M.D., M.B.A.
Chief Operating Officer
Mitra Zehtab has 20+ years experience in communications, including teaching, print reporting, marketing communications, and technical writing. At UM, she served as director of media relations for the medical school before working at the Diabetes Research Institute as director of communications. A Cornell graduate, Zehtab has a strong track record of local, national, and international placements across many media outlets and currently oversees strategic communications for the Diabetes Research Institute. Her areas of expertise include cellular therapies, diabetes, tissue engineering, cellular transplantation and stem cells.
Phone: 305-243-9537
email: mzehtab@med.miami.edu
Gary Kleiman
Executive Director Medical Development
Aimee Siegel-Harris
Development Coordinator
Phone: 305-243-3899
email: asiegel@med.miami.edu
Sabrina Boulazreg
Senior Manager of Business Operations
The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis: Communications, Media Relations, and Corporate Relations Office
Stephanie Sayfie-Aagaard
Director of Corporate Relations and Communications
Stephanie Sayfie-Aagaard creates and develops national and local marketing campaigns to raise funds for The Miami Project. She strategically plans and executes all promotions, special events, and corporate relations campaigns for the project by cultivating corporations using her strong community and nationwide ties as the society columnist for The Miami Herald. Stephanie writes the weekly “Steph Sez” column. Before joining the team at The Miami Project, she worked as the special events/public relations advancement director of the University of Miami Department of Pediatrics. Stephanie is a native of Miami, Fla., who graduated with a broadcast journalism/communications degree from Boston College.
Phone: 305-243-4656
email: saagaard@med.miami.edu
Scott Roy
Director of Communications
Scott Roy is the director of communications for Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, the world’s largest spinal cord injury research center. He majored in public relations and political science at the University of Miami and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Communications. Before joining The Miami Project he spent time with public relations firms Burson-Marsteller and Pearson-McGuire Associates in Miami. Scott handles the day-to-day public relations duties for The Miami Project and the Buoniconti Fund to Cure Paralysis, the national fundraising arm of The Miami Project.
Phone: 305-243-8939
email: sroy@miami.edu
Campus Access: Please note that a member of the media relations staff must escort all reporters, photographers and video crews on the medical campus at all times. Please contact us at 305-243-3249 to arrange access to University property.
A Resource for Faculty and Staff
The Office of Communications works closely with faculty, staff, and administrators to communicate the latest news about research innovations, clinical developments, and educational advances at the Miller School. Our dedicated and industrious staff provides guidance and expertise in media relations, publications, marketing and advertising for all basic science and clinical departments, centers of excellence, institutes and administrative units.