I became close with Ari when I was sick with the Coronavirus, and even though I wasn’t a patient of his, he did everything in his power to save my life.
At its recent Gala in Miami, United Hatzalah honored Dr. Ari Ciment for his work in the community and for his intervention in helping me when I contracted Corona in Miami in 2020.
Ari is a board-certified pulmonologist and critical care physician at Mount Sinai Medical Center who has been on the front lines of the fight against Covid-19 since the pandemic hit Miami two years ago. Even before the onset of the Coronavirus he had helped countless people and saved thousands of lives through his work in the hospital. During the height of the pandemic, Dr. Ciment was often seen spending 20 hours in the emergency room on a regular basis helping patients and trying to save their lives.
I became close with Ari when I was sick with the Coronavirus, and even though I wasn’t a patient of his, he did everything in his power to save my life.
Ari took the initiative and tried to help me in whatever way he could. He was constantly coming up with ideas for my treatment and tried to get me Remdesivir, which was impossible to get at the time, and all of this while I was in an induced coma.
When I heard about it after I woke up, I was blown away by his efforts. But that is who he is. He always puts other people first, his patients first, and even people who aren’t his patients, if he feels he can help someone he will.
During the Gala, I was pleased to see that many people wanted to show their support for Ari and his selfless commitment to others and donated emergency medical service vehicles on his behalf and in his honor. Among them were the Falic and Korf families as well as many others. United Hatzalah, which is a 100% donation-based non-profit organization will be using these donations to purchase vital equipment that will be used to save lives at no cost to the patient.
As I spoke with Robin Jacobs, the immediate past Chair of the Board of the Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce she gave me more insight into the incredible person that Ari is. She shared with me that Ari was one of the people who joined her task force of community and business leaders to work with the city of Miami Beach and the Mayor’s office to safely reopen the city of Miami Beach after the pandemic hit.
Throughout his life, Ari has been a role model for many aspiring young people who wish to make their future in medicine. Robin told me how her own son who is now a physician looks up to Ari as a role model, as Ari has taken a leadership role in Mount Sinai Hospital and throughout the Miami community.
Ari served as a consultant for Mayor Gelber in setting health policy for the city during the pandemic and fielded clinical phone calls around the clock, hundreds of them, during the height of the pandemic.
He was a role model long before the pandemic hit.
Even though Ari was always busy with his own patients he always made himself available for others, who like me, were ill and needed help, even if we weren’t his patients directly, and often he didn’t charge for these services. Robin shared that Ari often worked with the Bikkur Cholim community, a local non-profit organization dedicated to assisting the ill who don’t have money or the necessary insurance to pay for medical procedures or medications.
Ari helped individuals in the organization, as well as the organization as a whole over many years and is still doing so. In addition, Ari often helps the many tourists who come to Miami Beach deal with getting the treatments they need and cutting through the bureaucracy that can otherwise prevent them from obtaining it.
Robin related proudly how the Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce gave him one of its prestigious ‘Hero Awards’ back in February in appreciation of all his hard work. This award was truly deserved as Ari had just saved another life amid the hundreds of people whose lives he saved during the pandemic. This time the life that was saved was none other than Dr. Baruch Jacobs, Robin’s own husband.
In addition to his work in the field of medicine, Ari has taken a leadership role in his synagogue and is very active in both the Jewish community and the broader community, helping people wherever he can.
Throughout my life, even before my near-death experience right here in Miami, I have made it a habit of spotting people who I really think are angels, sent by God to be His messengers here on Earth. The community of Miami is lucky to have such a person, and his name is Dr. Ari Ciment. I am proud to announce that after the Gala I asked Ari to join our board of United Hatzalah and he graciously accepted.
Ari’s medical expertise is as unparalleled as his level of caring for his fellow person and deep and true sense of humanity, I see him as a true messenger of God. He is blessed with intelligence and strength but he really gives his work, his patients, his family, and his community his all.
I am so proud to have been able to honor him at our recent Gala and I hope that my words will help all of those reading understand and appreciate just how special a man he truly is, and how much of a gift he is to the Miami community. A community that I love and cherish deeply.
