The Jay Weiss Institute for Health Equity (JWI) was established in 2013 to develop and support Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center’s scientific and programmatic efforts to reduce cancer disparities. The mission of the JWI is to make meaningful progress towards health equity through outreach, community partnerships, research, advocacy, and training.

The JWI represents a merger of the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Miller School of Medicine’s Jay Weiss Center for Social Medicine and Health Equity which was established in 2004 in memory of philanthropist Jay W. Weiss to help fulfill his vision of equal access to quality of health care. Jay Weiss was a member of the Cancer Center’s Board of Governors and a longtime champion of the medically-underserved in Miami-Dade.

The JWI consists of three inter-related program areas:

• Research
• Community Outreach
• Training

In all areas, the JWI collaborates with community partners who offer critical insight regarding risk conditions affecting health and healthcare utilization.