By Felecia Henderson

Dr. Rudolph “Rudy” Moise, has dedicated his life to the principles of community, health care and philanthropy.  Moise is the product of two nations. He was born and raised in Haiti and moved to the United States, settling in Chicago, at the age of 17.  Throughout his childhood in Haiti, Dr. Moise knew he wanted to be a doctor. He always had a strong desire to care for those around him. His yearning did not waiver when he moved to the United States, even though he thought the odds were against him. 

“When I moved to the U.S., I had to take an English proficiency exam,” Dr. Moise said. “I failed miserably.” 

To make matters worse, his advisor at the time suggested he pick a different career. 

“The counselor was right about my English abilities at the time, but not about me,” Moise said. “I earned a medical degree from the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine and went on to earn an MBA and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Miami.” 

Dr. Moise is also a retired Airforce Colonel and flight surgeon, having served for 21 years in the U.S. Airforce Reserve. 

“Back in the early seventies, there were a lot of Haitian and Cuban refugees coming into South Florida and I knew I could make a difference in their lives,” he said. “I worked for the Borinquen Medical Center for four years. At the end of my contract, I had an opportunity to return to the Chicago area, but my desire was to remain in Miami and continue my work here. I began to build a small private practice focusing on family medicine and pain management.” 

That small private practice has grown and today Comprehensive Health Center, Inc. has offices in Miami-Dade and Broward counties and another office in Central Florida. Moise has received approval to build a multi-purpose medical facility to expand his practice. The center will adapt the concept of the ” medical home” by offering other specialty services such as dental, optometry and cardiology. 

 The expansion will also create jobs and improve the community’s quality of life. 

In addition to his medical practice, Moise is involved with Jackson Health Foundation where he now serves as Chairman of its Board of Directors. 

“As the fundraising arm of Jackson Health System, our role is to generate awareness, draw support, and provide adequate resources for Jackson’s areas of greatest need,” he said. 

“I have been involved with the Foundation for several years now, but I first came to know of the organization while receiving medical training at Jackson and through my relationship with Carlos Migoya. Carlos and I have a great relationship having served on his board when he was president of First Union Bank. I have tremendous respect for him and the work he has done to stabilize our health system.”

Moise is also a member of the board of directors of the United Way of Miami-Dade. Through a partnership with the non-profit, Moise created Golden Wishes, an initiative that fulfills the special wishes of adults 70 years of age and over. 

“It is immensely rewarding to be a part of organizations such as the United Way and Jackson Health Foundation. Each of them has allowed me to follow through on my commitment to give back to my community.”