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Benjamín León Jr.’s Legacy of Care and Giving

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FIU President Kenneth A. Jessell (right) with CasaCuba Executive Director Lydia “Lili” Betancourt Space, MS ’00 (left), recognizing Benjamín León Jr. (center) for his support at the CasaCuba gift announcement in January 2024.
FIU President Kenneth A. Jessell (right) with CasaCuba Executive Director Lydia “Lili” Betancourt Space, MS ’00 (left), recognizing Benjamín León Jr. (center) for his support at the CasaCuba gift announcement in January 2024.

By Samantha Vargas

For over six decades, the León family has dedicated their lives to providing healthcare to the residents of Miami-Dade County. In 1964, Benjamín León Sr. began the family’s legacy in healthcare by opening a small clinic for newly arrived Cuban exiles in Miami. The impact of this decision can be seen on the streets of Miami on any given day, as a fleet of vans donning the Leon Medical Centers logo transports patients from their homes to everything from important doctor’s appointments to exclusive salsa classes offered at Leon Medical Centers’ various locations.

Leon Medical Centers, founded by León Sr.’s son, Benjamín León Jr., is now one of the largest healthcare institutions in Florida. With this success, the León family has given back to the community through institutions that serve it, including Florida International University (FIU). Benjamín León Jr.’s investments at FIU have established the Benjamín León Jr. Family Center for Geriatric Research and Education at the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine and generously supported FIU CasaCuba’s capital campaign. His history of philanthropy extends to the Miami Dade College Benjamin León School of Nursing and La Liga Contra el Cancer, among others.

A Cuban American Home Away from Home

León’s latest commitment to FIU is a transformational $10 million gift towards constructing CasaCuba at the Benjamín León Jr. Building. This building will house CasaCuba, a Cuban American academic and cultural center fitted with exhibition and event spaces, classrooms, a forum space, and more.

With the construction of CasaCuba, FIU will be able to host more events aimed at amplifying research and inspiring discussions about Cuban history and culture, including public lectures, book presentations, and seminars. The university’s vast archival and museum collections, including Cuban art, music, memorabilia, and genealogical material, will also become more accessible to the FIU community, South Floridians, and international audiences. By sharing FIU’s wealth of resources with larger audiences, CasaCuba hopes to bring more awareness to Cuban stories and foster discussion and collaboration with other academic institutions from around the world.  

FIU President Kenneth A. Jessell has called León’s gift “the most significant contribution towards CasaCuba to date.” It carries weight due to both the gift’s size and León’s strong influence in the Cuban American community.

Having fled Cuba at the onset of the Cuban Revolution for Miami when he was just 16 years old, León Jr. has a personal interest in this project. CasaCuba will preserve Cuban American stories of exile and immigration, loss, and triumph for future generations and share them with the world. It will also celebrate Cuban American contributions to the culture and development of Miami.

Building the León Legacy

As an influx of Cuban exiles arrived in Miami in the early 1960s, there became a desperate need for businesses that catered to Spanish speakers, including medical clinics. Recognizing this, León’s father, Benjamín León Sr., and others founded Clínica Cubana in 1964, which quickly became beloved by Miami’s Cuban community. Years later, Benjamín León Sr. and his son would found Clínica Asociación Cubana and make history, pushing Florida legislators to establish and pass the Health Maintenance Organization Act of October 1, 1972. Soon after, Clínica Asociación Cubana was granted the first HMO license in Florida, transforming the way Floridians managed their health.

The León family has made it their mission to provide quality healthcare to Hispanic and Latin American communities, as well as another vulnerable and often overlooked demographic—seniors. Continuing his father’s legacy, León Jr. founded Leon Medical Centers in 1996 and opened its first location in West Flagler. Today, it has expanded into eight centers located throughout Miami-Dade County, reaching nearly 40,000 Medicare patients.

Opportunities for Faculty and Future Physicians in Geriatric Medicine

In 2008, León Jr. made a splash in higher education philanthropy, pledging $10 million towards creating the Benjamín León Jr. Family Center for Geriatric Research and Education at FIU. This gift also established an endowed Eminent Scholars Chair and made Leon Medical Centers’ facilities a teaching institution for FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine students.

Thanks to this endowed chair, Dr. Paulo H. M. Chaves, Leon Medical Centers Eminent Scholars Chair in Geriatrics and Director of the Benjamín León Jr. Family Center for Geriatric Research and Education, has been able to conduct research in geriatric medicine, shape the minds of future leaders in his field, and offer events that strengthen the center’s leadership in geriatrics research and education and the college’s overall profile. This includes the Leon Medical Centers Geriatrics Conference, a continuing medical education (CME) program that allows FIU faculty to connect with geriatric physicians and others in the field about relevant and timely topics in geriatric medicine.

Since beginning its operations in 2012, the center has opened new opportunities for FIU medical students to participate in the national academic discourse on geriatrics and aging. Through the Center’s annual Seminar Series on Aging and Health, participants hear from leading experts, engage in scholarly debate on health issues aging individuals face, and discuss geriatric medicine and gerontology research.

Leaving a Mark for Generations

In just 16 years, León Jr.’s investment in FIU has proved transformational for the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine. His initial gift has opened new avenues of research and sparked countless opportunities for FIU faculty and students to learn and grow within the world of geriatric medicine. With his most recent gift supporting CasaCuba, León will once again alter the course of university history. The gift will also uplift the Cuban American community, which has been vital to the growth of FIU and the entire South Florida region.