Category: Publications

Media Contacts:
For Osceola County School District
Dana Schafer, Public Information Officer, 407-908-8811
For RosenCare/Rosen Hotels & Resorts — Janice Abrew-Coriano, (407) 832-6880

KISSIMMEE, FLORIDA (Aug. 5, 2019) –The School District of Osceola County Florida announced today that it has entered into a Medical Center Services agreement with RosenCare™,owned and operated by Harris Rosen, Florida’s largest independent hotelier and founder of Rosen Hotels & Resorts in Orlando.

RosenCare will administer the district’s Center for Employee Health starting October 1, 2019. The center services Osceola County School District employees and dependents who have enrolled in the county’s healthcare plan. The agreement is the first of its kind for RosenCare, which has saved Rosen Hotels & Resorts close to $400 million since its inception in 1991.

RosenCare was approached by the School District of Osceola County to oversee its Center for Employee Health’s operations with several goals in mind, to include: 1) to improve the outcomes of care for the plan’s participants; and 2) identify ways to reduce costs for district member’s overall healthcare including out of pocket costs.

“We are incredibly appreciative for the partnership with RosenCare,” said School Board Chairman Clarence Thacker. “This is a novel approach of taking success in the private sector and modeling it to see if we can achieve the same results in the public sector.”

RosenCare was conceived out of Harris Rosen’s own experience with rising healthcare costs within his hotel company, which currently features a portfolio of eight award-winning Orlando properties. Rosen Hotels & Resorts through RosenCare is known for its state-of-the-art 12,000 square-foot onsite medical center and its comprehensive in-house healthcare program.

The plan has been recognized nationally within the healthcare industry and by top employer organizations as a superior model for providing quality healthcare at a significantly reduced cost to the employer and its employees. Profiles showcasing the plan’s success have been featured in national media outlets including Forbes magazine and CNN. Upon review by its peers, RosenCare received three prestigious World Health Care Congress Awards in Washington, D.C. in 2018, including one silver and two diamond awards, the highest honors for Harris Rosen’s lifetime achievements in healthcare.

The innovative program has delivered time-honored positive results by implementing the most current, effective forms of preventative healthcare with the company’s associates and dependents, now totaling more than 6,000. The plan focuses on five tenets: access, quality, service, cost and innovation. RosenCare also brings a unique customer service-orientation to its program, resulting from Rosen’s 45 years of success owning and operating his Orlando hospitality company.

“RosenCare began as a way for us to combat rising healthcare costs and to give our associates a better quality of healthcare and improved benefits,” said Rosen, who funnels savings from his healthcare program to fund college scholarships for his company’s associates and their dependents, as well as to fund numerous philanthropic projects benefiting underserved communities in Orlando. “The simplicity and cost-savings for the employer and employee make it a mutually-beneficial option that can be easily replicated across any industry. The beauty of this program is that, despite the savings, benefits are not sacrificed at all.”

RosenCare has partnered with Healics, an industry leader in preventative health and wellness programs, who will manage the center’s daily operations while implementing the success strategies set forth by the RosenCare team who will be overseeing the entire operation. Additionally, independent insurance agency RosenSure has been awarded the broker services contract. RosenSure’s employee benefits consulting division works with organizations to improve their overall employee benefits. It emphasizes developing high-quality medical plans that eliminate barriers to care and that use myriad cost-containment strategies to improve population health outcomes.

The Center for Employee Health is located on Simpson Road in Kissimmee and provides comprehensive medical services to the district’s employees and their dependents. During the transition from the current provider to RosenCare, the center will close at noon on September 14, 2019, re-opening on October 1, 2019.

For more information about the School District of Osceola County Center for Employee Health, visit SDOCemployeehealthcenter.net. For more information about RosenCare, visit Rosencare.com.

Media Contact:
Janice Abrew-Coriano
JAbrew@RosenHotels.com, (407) 832-6880

ORLANDO (May 13, 2019) — Runway to Hope, Central Florida’s largest and premier charity event, is excited to announce Daymond John, Lindsay Arnold, and Joey Fatone as the celebrity co-hosts for The Adam Michael Rosen Foundation Presents Runway to Hope’s 2019 Spring Soirée.

Shark Tank star, Daymond John, has come a long way from taking out a $100,000 mortgage on his mother’s house and moving his operation into the basement. John is CEO and Founder of FUBU, a much-celebrated global lifestyle brand, and a pioneer in the fashion industry with over $6 billion in product sales. He is an award-winning entrepreneur, author of four best-selling books, and has received over 35 awards. John is celebrating his 10th season on ABC’s four-time Emmy winning show, Shark Tank, where he demonstrates his marketing prowess and entrepreneurial insights with millions of viewers each week.

Dancing with the Stars champion, Lindsay Arnold, began dancing at the age of four, when her mom began searching for a hobby she would ultimately enjoy. Her first television debut began on season nine of FOX’s So You Think You Can Dance, which led to her current professional dancer role on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars. Along with Hamilton sensation, Jordan Fisher, Lindsay won Season 25 of Dancing with the Stars, having also placed 4th, 3rd, and 2nd in other seasons.

Joining them will be Runway to Hope veteran and hometown favorite, Joey Fatone. Fatone first rose to fame when he joined the record-shattering boy band *NSYNC and has since become a prominent personality in his own right, with projects spanning TV, film, and theatre. He danced into our hearts with a successful stint competing on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars with Kym Johnson; has become a popular game show host and a fan favorite in films including On the Line, My Big Fat Greek Wedding and more. Additionally, Fatone has been a hit onstage in both off-and on-Broadway productions.

The true stars of the evening though are the 165 cancer warriors affected by pediatric cancer who are escorted on the runway, hand-in-hand, by local and national celebrities. This year, The Adam Michael Rosen Foundation, formed in honor of Adam Rosen, son of Trisha Rosen and Orlando philanthropist and hotelier Harris Rosen, will be the presenting sponsor for the event. Unfortunately, Adam passed away last November after a battle with a rare type of brain cancer.

Runway to Hope is honored to have been recognized 14 times in its nine-year existence as Central Florida’s Best Charity Event.

The Adam Michael Rosen Presents Runway to Hope’s 2019 Spring Soirée takes place Saturday, May 18, 2019 at Rosen Shingle Creek. Tickets and sponsorships are available at runwaytohope.org.

For more information, please contact Laura Lockner at laura@runwaytohope.org or call 407-497-9121.

About Runway to Hope

The mission of Runway to Hope is to support families primarily in Central Florida fighting pediatric cancer while seeking a cure. Founded by Mark and Josie NeJame in 2010, the organization has created new and innovative programs by completing and extending million-dollar pledges to each of the three pediatric oncology departments within Central Florida’s children’s hospitals: AdventHealth for Children, Nemours Children’s Hospital and Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children. In addition, Runway to Hope has established a Family Assistance Program, which provides direct aid and assistance to the families of children battling cancer, when they experience emergency situations, have unmet basic needs, or are without funds to take care of necessary family expenses.

Orlando Charity to Present Ninth Annual Fundraiser May 18, 2019 at Rosen Shingle Creek

ORLANDO (April 2, 2019) – The Adam Michael Rosen Foundation announces that it is partnering with Central Florida’s premier pediatric cancer charity event, Runway to Hope’s Spring Soiree, to help Orlando families with children fighting cancer. The foundation honors the life and legacy of Adam Michael Rosen who passed away from brain cancer this past November at 26. The son of Trisha Rosen and Orlando hotelier and philanthropist Harris Rosen, Adam bravely fought a two-and-a-half-year battle against Gliomatosis Cerebri, a rare malignant brain tumor.

Runway to Hope, founded in 2010 by Orlando attorney Mark NeJame and his wife Josie, is honored to announce that its renowned premier annual event now will be known as The Adam Michael Rosen Foundation presents Runway to Hope’s Spring Soirée.

“The hope and strength Adam displayed during his battle with cancer now drives the mission of the foundation that bears his name,” said Harris Rosen. “Adam was a passionate supporter of many meaningful causes. I’m grateful that through his foundation, Adam’s legacy of courage in the face of adversity and an unbridled enthusiasm toward helping those in need will persevere through partnerships with impactful charities such as Runway to Hope.”

This year marks Rosen Hotels & Resorts’ sixth year as an event sponsor. This new initiative expands the Rosen company’s support of Runway to Hope’s mission and its commitment to help Central Florida families battling pediatric cancer. This year’s gala will be held on Saturday, May 18 at the AAA Four Diamond Rosen Shingle Creek.

Runway to Hope’s annual event welcomes a glittering assembly of local and national celebrities for a one-of-a-kind gala. The evening’s highlight is an inspiring and heartwarming fashion show, featuring more than 160 incredibly brave children, who are fighting – or have overcome – their pediatric cancer. They walk the runway in outfits donated by Bloomingdale’s, while escorted by local and national celebrities, overjoyed by the cheers and tears of an adoring crowd of 2,400 attendees. The children have the night of their lives, forgetting for a brief time about chemotherapy, radiation, daily doctor visits, surgeries and pain. It is an evening of celebration, allowing these wonderful children a night to simply be children.

Adam Rosen was a charming presence at Runway to Hope’s annual fundraiser, where he lit up the runway as a celebrity escort known for his dapper attire, stylish bowties, dazzling smile and most importantly, heartfelt devotion to the children and families impacted by cancer.

Trisha Rosen, Adam’s mother and a longtime Runway to Hope supporter, said it is fitting that her son’s legacy will benefit Central Florida families facing similar battles. “I know that Adam will be with us during this year’s Spring Soiree, and that warms my heart,” she said. “Through the support of his foundation, his fight will go on on behalf of the children helped by Runway to Hope and I can’t think of a better way to honor his life.”

In February, Harris Rosen and his foundation also honored Adam with a $12 million gift to the University of Florida, the cornerstone of an ambitious fundraising commitment to advance innovative brain tumor immunotherapy research and care at UF Health and to launch an unprecedented partnership for the development of novel brain tumor treatments.

Mark and Josie NeJame were inspired to create Runway to Hope after the birth of their two daughters. Having raised millions of dollars, the charity initially provided funding for pediatric oncology programs at the three Central Florida children’s hospitals where the programs were were absent or underfunded. Since then, the non-profit has expanded to also provide direct financial assistance to local families battling pediatric cancer through the its Family Assistance Program. Josie NeJame commented, “We are so touched that Runway to Hope was chosen by the Rosen family and foundation as a way to be able to continue to honor Adam. Together we keep his love, spirit, legacy, and courage alive through The Adam Michael Rosen Foundation presents Runway to Hope’s Spring Soiree. We believe that his contagious smile and kind heart continues to beam down upon us.”

Runway to Hope is honored to have been recognized as the “Best Charity in Central Florida” more than a dozen times in publications including Orlando Style, the Orlando Business Journal and Orlando Magazine, among others.

For more information including sponsorship opportunities with Runway to Hope and The Adam Michael Rosen Foundation presents Runway to Hope’s Spring Soirée, visit www.RunwaytoHope.org or contact Laura Lockner, Executive Director, Runway to Hope, laura@runwaytohope.com, 407-802-1544. For more information about The Adam Michael Rosen Foundation, visit www.facebook.com/AdamMichaelRosenFoundation.

The Harris Rosen Foundation investment supports a multipartner collaboration focused on leading-edge brain tumor immunotherapy

ORLANDO — The University of Florida has received a $12 million gift from Orlando hotel magnate Harris Rosen and The Harris Rosen Foundation to advance innovative brain tumor immunotherapy research and care at UF Health and to launch an unprecedented partnership for the development of novel brain tumor treatments.

The Rosen gift is the cornerstone of a $100 million fundraising commitment to support the ReMission Alliance Against Brain Tumors, a groundbreaking, collaborative initiative led by UF that will unite world-leading neuro-oncology physicians and scientists in dynamic research and clinical trials.

The gift was announced Friday, Feb. 22, before the inaugural ReMission Summit for Brain Tumors at the Rosen Shingle Creek Hotel in Orlando. The UF-organized Summit brings together more than 100 experts in neuro-oncology, tumor immunology, genetics, artificial intelligence, neuroimaging and bioinformatics to form an elite research community focused on achieving transformative outcomes for patients with brain tumors over the next decade. The ReMission Summit also serves as the public forum for the debut of the ReMission Alliance, a multi-institutional research collaborative focused on the advancement of novel immunotherapies for adult and pediatric brain cancer.

“I am extremely grateful that Harris Rosen and his family share our vision to make a transformative impact on outcomes for patients with brain tumors,” said Duane Mitchell, M.D., Ph.D., co-director of UF’s Preston A. Wells Jr. Center for Brain Tumor Therapy and director of the ReMission Alliance. “Their support of our research, patient care initiatives and the ReMission Alliance will allow us to leverage the power of the immune system to combat invasive brain cancers to dramatically improve the lives of brain tumor patients, here at UF and abroad.”

The ReMission Alliance’s work builds on the success and growth of UF’s Preston A. Wells Jr. Center for Brain Tumor Therapy and collaborative research partnerships fostered over several years by Mitchell and his colleagues. Over the past five years, the center has undergone dramatic growth and established itself as a leader for brain tumor treatment and research. Along with William Friedman, M.D., co-director of the Preston A. Wells Jr. Center, Mitchell and his team will support several bold research projects and clinical trials coordinated with principal partners from among the world’s best research institutes and hospitals.

“Thanks to the generosity and support of Harris Rosen and his family, we are able to pursue research breakthroughs that result in real change,” UF President Kent Fuchs said. “I am confident that, together, we can advance the work necessary to provide extraordinary outcomes for patients suffering from malignant brain tumors and improve their survival rates and quality of life. The ReMission Alliance embodies UF’s commitment to the greater good.”

This work — to organize multidisciplinary, collaborative research efforts among groups of skilled researchers and physicians — resonated deeply with Harris Rosen. His son, Adam, who received care at UF Health, died in November after a prolonged fight with brain cancer. Harris was impressed by the UF Health clinical team’s professionalism, skill and commitment to making Adam and his family as comfortable as possible.

“It was obvious how dedicated they are to improving the quality of life for their patients,” Rosen said. “The team at UF is already doing extraordinary work, and the Alliance will enhance their progress and improve outcomes for patients well beyond Florida. A collaboration like this is difficult and lofty, but my family and I support this vision to rewrite the story of brain cancer.”
The Rosen gift will bolster ongoing research efforts at UF Health and provide vital seed funding for the ReMission Alliance. The suite that houses the UF Health Neuromedicine practice at the UF Health Neuromedicine Hospital and the neuro-oncology laboratories within UF’s Evelyn F. and William L. McKnight Brain Institute will be named in honor of Adam Michael Rosen. This investment by the Rosen family adds considerably to the UF Health Cancer Center’s growing resources to combat deadly malignant diseases. Mitchell serves as co-leader of the UFHCC Cancer Therapeutics and Host Response, or CTHR, program.

“Programs like the CTHR bring researchers from numerous UF colleges, departments, centers and institutes together, working in tandem to advance the development of new cancer therapies for resistant cancers,” said Jonathan D. Licht, M.D., director of the UFHCC. “Initiatives at the Cancer Center have become a centerpiece of UF Health’s overall research portfolio, which includes approximately $200 million per year in NIH funding and totals $450 million in sponsored program expenditures.”

David Nelson, M.D., UF’s interim senior vice president for health affairs, added his appreciation for the Harris Rosen Foundation gift.

“This contribution to the groundbreaking work and collaboration that our team at UF Health is undertaking is a significant vote of confidence that our efforts will make a profound impact on the people and communities we serve,” Nelson said. “Our physicians and researchers are fueling scientific discovery while developing new, promising pathways for patient care. Through the collaboration that this gift catalyzes, our impact will be even greater.”

These transformative commitments demonstrate how UF, as one of just a handful of global comprehensive universities, is positioned to leverage its research expertise and academic excellence to create lasting impact in the health care field and address major societal challenges.

Harris Rosen is the founder, president and chief operating officer of Rosen Hotels & Resorts. His company owns eight hotels and resorts in Central Florida, including the 1,501-room, AAA Four Diamond Rosen Shingle Creek.

Company’s Innovative Self-Funded Healthcare Program Recognized for Providing Superior Benefits at a Cost-Savings of $340 Million

ORLANDO (June 12, 2018) – Rosen Hotels & Resorts in Orlando and owner Harris Rosen, Florida’s largest independent hotelier and company founder, recently won three awards at the recent World Heath Care Congress in Washington, D.C.

The company’s innovative self-funded healthcare program was recognized with three 2018 Health Value Awards:

• Lifetime Achievement, Health Benefits Innovation – Diamond Award – Harris Rosen
• Lifetime Achievement, Public Leadership – Diamond Award – Harris Rosen
• Large Employers – Silver Award – Rosen Hotels & Resorts

More than 350 healthcare organizations and employers competed to be named the best and brightest in the nation to improve health outcomes, reduce costs and implement innovative health industry practices. The judges’ criteria included a value proposition, longitudinal data to support better health outcomes at lower cost; performance metrics, credible methodology, purchaser testimonials, scalability, durability, disruptive approach and willingness to assume financial risk. Winners were announced at the 2018 World Health Care Congress in Washington, D.C., on Sunday, April 29, and were sponsored by World Congress, the Validation Institute and the Health Rosetta Institute.

Rosen is the founder of RosenCare®, a superior self-insured healthcare model co-created with Rosen associates Frank Santos, Jonni Kimberly, Ashley Bacot, Dr. Ronald Ryan and Kenneth Aldridge which has saved the company $340 million since its inception in 1991. The program is unparalleled in the Central Florida region and has sparked the interest of members of Congress, an Army Surgeon General and top executives from companies both large and small.

The trio delivered a keynote speech about RosenCare’s success at the World Health Care Congress in hopes the exposure would help educate the healthcare industry on effective alternatives.

“RosenCare began as a way for us to combat rising healthcare costs and to give our associates a better quality of healthcare and improved benefits,” said Rosen. “The simplicity and cost savings for the employer and employee make it a mutually-beneficial option that can be easily replicated across industries.”

Rosen’s Director of Risk Management and President of RosenSure, Inc., Rosen Hotels & Resorts in-house insurance company, Ashley Bacot, has been instrumental in attracting national attention for the RosenCare model with visits from the Chairman of the Congressional Subcommittee on Health, among others. Bacot spoke at the event on the program’s efficacy, along with Director of Health Services Kenneth A. Aldridge, Jr., RN, BSN, MS-H.S.A. who oversees daily operational aspects of the Rosen Medical Center, A Place for Healing and Wellness. Aldridge oversees the health plan’s Third Party Administrator (TPA), Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) and other healthcare related initiatives along with strategic planning.

Through their collective efforts, RosenCare has reduced the Rosen Hotel & Resorts’ healthcare costs by $340 million since the program’s inception in 1991 and has the potential to reduce the nation’s healthcare costs by an estimated $1 trillion per year.

“The beauty of this program is that, despite the savings, our benefits are not sacrificed at all,” said Rosen.

Out-of-pocket costs for associates on the RosenCare plan are minimal. Most (approximately 90%) of prescription drugs are free, and the most a covered associate would have to pay for a specialty prescription would be $30. Same-day appointments are available and transportation to the Rosen Medical Center is free. Even with excellent coverage, the healthcare costs for RosenCare are about one half of the national average. RosenCare has even been partially credited for the company’s low associate turnover (possibly the lowest in the hospitality industry). The associate turnover rate is in the low teens, compared to the hospitality industry average of 50-80 percent.

The financial benefits of a healthcare model like RosenCare extend beyond the company’s bottom line and well into the local community. With the multi-million dollars in savings in healthcare, Rosen has been able to create numerous charitable initiatives through The Harris Rosen Foundation. These include providing hundreds of college scholarships to his associates and their dependents, as well as to hundreds of youth in underserved Orlando neighborhoods. In addition, it has enabled Rosen to build the Rosen College of Hospitality Management at the University of Central Florida – now ranked the number two hospitality college in the world – and the Jack and Lee Rosen Jewish Community Center; and recently to rebuild more than 100 hurricane-devastated homes in Haiti.

“The RosenCare model is good for employees, good for companies and good for the community,” said Rosen. “We owe it to ourselves to explore its viability on a national level.”

For more information, visit RosenCare.com

World Health Congress Noting $340 Million Savings as a Result of Self-Funded Program

Media Contact:
Janice Abrew-Coriano
JAbrew@RosenHotels.com
(407) 832-6880

ORLANDO (April 27, 2018) – What does an Orlando hotelier know about solving the current healthcare crisis? Apparently, quite a bit!

Harris Rosen, Florida’s largest independent hotelier and founder of Rosen Hotels & Resorts, is well known to many as an entrepreneur and an avid philanthropist. A surprising addition to that list is the fact that he has also become a bit of a healthcare expert. Rosen is the founder of RosenCare®, a superior self-insured healthcare model co-created with Rosen associates Ashley Bacot and Kenneth Aldridge which has saved the company $340 million. The program is unparalleled in the Central Florida region and has sparked the interest of members of Congress, an Army Surgeon General and top executives from companies both large and small.

The trio is scheduled to deliver a keynote speech about RosenCare’s success at the World Health Congress, held in Washington, D.C. from April 29-May 2. Rosen hopes the exposure will help educate the healthcare industry on effective alternatives.

“RosenCare began as a way for us to combat rising healthcare costs and to give our associates a better quality of healthcare and improved benefits,” said Rosen. “The simplicity and cost savings for the employer and employee make it a mutually-beneficial option that can be easily replicated across industries.”

Rosen’s Director of Risk Management and President of RosenSure, Inc. – Rosen Hotels & Resorts in-house insurance company, Ashley Bacot, has been instrumental in attracting national attention for the RosenCare model with visits from the Chairman of the Congressional Subcommittee on Health, among others. Bacot will speak on the program’s efficacy, along with Director of Health Services Kenneth A. Aldridge, Jr., RN, BSN, MS-H.S.A. who oversees daily operational aspects of the Rosen Medical Center, A Place for Healing and Wellness.  Aldridge oversees the health plan’s Third Party Administrator (TPA), Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) and other healthcare related initiatives along with strategic planning.

Through their collective efforts, RosenCare has reduced the Rosen Hotel & Resorts’ healthcare costs by $340 million since the program’s inception in 1991 and has the potential to reduce the nation’s healthcare costs by an estimated $1 trillion per year.

“The beauty of this program is that, despite the savings, our benefits are not sacrificed at all,” said Rosen.

Out-of-pocket costs for associates on the RosenCare plan are minimal. Most (approximately 90%) of prescription drugs are free, and the most a covered employee would have to pay for a specialty prescription would be $30. Same-day appointments are available and transportation to the Rosen Medical Center is free. Even with excellent coverage, the healthcare costs for RosenCare are about one half of the national average. RosenCare has even been partially credited for the company’s low turnover (possibly the lowest in the hospitality industry). The employee turnover rate is in the low teens, compared to the hospitality industry average of 50-80 percent.

The financial benefits of a healthcare model like RosenCare extend beyond the company’s bottom line and well into the local community. With the multi-million dollars in savings in healthcare, Rosen has been able to create numerous charitable initiatives through The Harris Rosen Foundation. These include providing hundreds of college scholarships to his employees and their dependents, as well as to hundreds of youth in underserved Orlando neighborhoods; in addition, it has enabled Rosen to build the Rosen College of Hospitality Management at the University of Central Florida – now ranked the number two hospitality college in the world – and the Jack and Lee Rosen Jewish Community Center; and recently rebuilding more than 100 hurricane-devastated homes in Chantal, Haiti.

“The RosenCare model is good for employees, good for companies and good for the community,” said Rosen. “We owe it to ourselves to explore its viability on a national level.”

For more information, visit RosenCares.com.