VACC-Media-Advisory-2018
***Media Advisory***
CHILDREN WITH SPECIALIZED NEEDS SPEND CAREFREE DAY ON MIAMI BEACH
Dr. Moises Simpser Ventilation Assisted Children’s Center Camp (VACC Camp) provides dozens of children
and their families a week of family fun in South Florida
WHAT: Dozens of children who are ventilator-dependent (children who need tracheostomy
ventilators, C-Pap, BiPap or oxygen to support breathing) and their families will enjoy a
stress-free day on Miami Beach as part of the Dr. Moises Simpser Ventilation Assisted
Children’s Center (VACC) Camp. The annual visit to the beach is one of several special
activities that create opportunities for recreation and socialization for children who have
medical limitations.
Miami Beach Fire Rescue will set up wheelchair paths over the sandy beach for
the children. A special “waterproof” wheelchair enables patients to go into the
water comfortably. Special hand-held ventilators provide children with the ability
to breathe without their devices while in the water.
Dr. Moises Simpser VACC Camp, sponsored by Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, is the
nation’s first week-long camp for ventilation-assisted children and their families. The
week-long camp has hosted over 250 families in its 31 years, some of whom have
traveled from 27 states and three countries.
The experience is provided at no cost to the families and is supported by generous
donations made to Nicklaus Children’s Health Foundation via
www.nicklauschildrens.org/vacc Please visit www.vacccamp.com for more information.
WHO: -Young patients and their families
-Dr. Maria Franco, Pediatric Pulmonologist and Director of VACC Camp
-Miami Beach Fire Rescue
-Medical caregivers from Nicklaus Children’s Hospital
-Student volunteers who serve as camp counselors
WHEN: Tuesday, March 27 at 9:30 a.m.
WHERE: Nikki Beach
1 Ocean Drive
Miami Beach, FL 33139
(Members of the media can meet us on the sand at 1st street on Miami Beach)
Media Contacts:
Jennifer Caminas
Nicklaus Children’s Hospital
Cell: 305-926-0163
Jennifer.Caminas@mch.com
About VACC Camp
In 1986, the first Ventilation Assisted Children’s Center Camp took place during the summer and
operated in collaboration with SKIP of Florida. Dr. Moises Simpser VACC Camp gives families a fun
opportunity to socialize with peers and enjoy activities not readily accessible to technology dependent
children. The camp activities promote family growth and development while enhancing individual self-
esteem and social skills. Parents have formal and informal opportunities to network among themselves.
Overnight campers come from throughout the United States. South Florida families and youngsters from
local residential care facilities join in as day campers. For more information about Dr. Moises Simpser
VACC Camp, please visit the camp’s website at: http://www.vacccamp.com/
About Nicklaus Children’s Hospital
Founded in 1950 by Variety Clubs International, Nicklaus Children’s Hospital is South Florida’s only
licensed specialty hospital exclusively for children, with nearly 800 attending physicians and more than
475 pediatric subspecialists. The 289-bed hospital, known as Miami Children’s Hospital from 1983
through 2014, is renowned for excellence in all aspects of pediatric medicine with several specialty
programs routinely ranked among the best in the nation in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014,
2015, 2016 and 2017-18 by U.S. News & World Report. The hospital is also home to the largest pediatric
teaching program in the southeastern United States and has been designated an American Nurses
Credentialing Center (ANCC) Magnet facility, the nursing profession’s most prestigious institutional
honor. For more information, please visit www.nicklauschildrens.org.
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