Mail Distribution Services

This division provides most United States postal services, including certified, registered, insured, priority, and express mail. The department also delivers and collects all incoming and outgoing United States and interoffice mail, and applies postage for all outgoing United States mail. The department does not process CODs, sell stamps, or handle personal mail and nonprofit mailings. Employees are available to answer any questions regarding mail processing and handling.

The department currently has five full-time and two part-time employees. Routes include pick up and deliveries at the United States Post Office, the Coral Gables campus, more than 20 buildings on the medical campus (including the Miami Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Jackson Memorial Hospital), off-campus healthcare centers, including the Pain Center at South Shore Hospital; Pediatric Urology at Miami Children Hospital, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at Deering Hospital, and Primary Care Center at Miami Beach.

The Medical Mail Services department is located in the Support Services Building on 16th Street and 7th Avenue. Hours are Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The mailing address is Medical Mail Services (R16), PO Box 016960, Miami, Florida 33101.

Complete the Mailing Services Customer Satisfaction Survey

Interoffice Mail
The department processes two types of interoffice mail:

  • Individually addressed
  • Campus bulk mailings for general distribution.
  • Areas Served: In addition to serving the medical campus, the division picks up and delivers interoffice mail for the Gables campus, correspondence for the Marine School (RSMAS), the South, Koubek, and Knight centers. Other University of Miami locations are sent to Coral Gables for routing. Pickup and delivery schedules for individual buildings are listed in alphabetical order by building name.
  • Addressing: A correct and complete address, (name, department and locator code) should always be used. For medical and Coral Gables campuses addresses, the locator code is a vital part of the internal mail routing system. To ensure prompt delivery of interoffice and United States mail, regardless of your physical location, the locator code should be included in all correspondence.

View the entire locator code list.

Campus Bulk Mailings
For faster distribution of announcements, notices, and other bulk mailings, items must be sorted and bundled by campus and by locator codes. To facilitate the process, university-supplied labels, printed in locator sequence and listing the number of employees at each location, may be ordered from 305 243-6415. A copy of the proposed mailing plus an interdepartmental requisition for the cost of labels must be provided.

Incoming Mail
Each morning between 7:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. and each afternoon between noon and 1:30 p.m., incoming US mail is collected from the Flagler Post Office and delivered to medical mail services for sorting. At 8:30 a.m., delivery commences to the buildings. All mail picked up in the afternoon is processed or delivered by the morning of the next day.

  • Accountable Mail: Mail that requires a signature upon delivery (certified, insured, registered, express) is picked up daily with regular United States mail and signed for by mail carriers. The recipient's department is then notified so that the item may be picked up and signed for at the mail services office. To save time, faculty and administrators may send a memo authorizing the department supervisor to sign for all mail parcels. The items will then be delivered directly to the departmental mailbox. Items unclaimed after 10 days are returned to the sender.
  • Forwarding Mail: Because of high volume and constant address changes, the mail division cannot forward mail after someone relocates. For transfers within the medical school and to avoid avoid undeliverable mail problems include the new locator code in the required PDF form.

Outgoing Mail
The department processes all outgoing interoffice and United States mail. Postage is applied to all United States mail and charged back to established departmental accounts. The department does not handle stamped mail.

  • Preparation Guidelines: Since the United States Postal Service uses computerized equipment (OCRs) to speed processing and delivery, using the wrong size envelope or an address that is not electronically readable will result in the item being sorted by hand and postage surcharges applied. Some tips to avoid unnecessary delays include:
    • Size: Letter envelopes should not be smaller than 3½ x 5" or larger than 6 1/8 x 11 ½".
    • Addressing: Type addresses and avoid script, italics, or artistic typefaces that the OCR cannot read. Attention lines should be the first part of the address block, not typed above or below it. Print all capital letters and do not use punctuation (except dash between zip code and + 4).
  • Accountable Mail - The mail department processes three main types, along with express mail. Forms and labels are available.
  • Certified provides the sender with a mailing receipt and a record of delivery if a return receipt is used.
  • Registered mail is transported in locked pouches, affording extra security for valuable items like important documents, merchandise, and money, and provides proof of mailing and delivery.
  • Insured is mostly limited to third- and fourth-class mail for up to $600 of coverage. Parcels exceeding this amount should be sent by registered mail.

International Mail
Both air and surface transportation are available to most countries. Check with the department for specific mail rates or regulations, and follow these general preparation guidelines to ensure faster service.

  • Addressing: A foreign language address is permissible, provided the names of the city, province, and country are also indicated in English. The last line of the address block must show only the country name, written in full and in capital letters. The name and address of the sender and recipient should also be included inside the parcels.
  • Bundling: International mail should be bundled separately from domestic. Due to variances in rates, mail sent to Canada and Mexico should be separated from the rest of the countries.
  • Air Mail: All letters and postcards should be stamped Air Mail. All oversize envelopes and parcels should be marked Air Mail or Surface (Check with the department about second class by air).
  • Customs: The United States Postal Service requires that a Customs Declaration noting the contents of the package be attached to all oversize envelopes and parcels. Forms and instructions are available at the mail department's service window.
  • Special Services: Registered, insured, special delivery, and express mail services are available for international mailings, although some restrictions apply. Certified mail is not offered as an international service.

Other Services
The department offers other services, such as business reply mail, business stationary and publication postal design guidelines. Please contact the department for more information.

Location
Support Services Building on corner of 16th Street and 7th Avenue.

Staff

Javier Pacheco
Manager, Mailroom
305 243-6245
Email: JPachec2@med.miami.edu

Rafael Botet
Supervisor, Mailroom
305 243-6245
Email: i.botet@miami.edu