Building a healthiER Lake County

Florida Hospital Waterman announces plans to add 111,000 square feet of patient- care space to its hospital in Tavares.

PAID PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

Lake County continues to grow and Florida Hospital Waterman is expanding to meet the needs of the community. The hospital recently announced that it will more than double the size of the Emergency Department and build a 4-story tower for women’s services, pediatrics, and space for future growth.

“We have experienced substantial growth in our Emergency Department over the past several years,” said Abel Biri, Chief Executive Officer, Florida Hospital Waterman.

“As our community continues to grow, and more Lake County residents choose us for their care, we must expand to meet that demand. The expansion will help ensure we are well-positioned to provide the efficient, quality and compassionate care our community expects and deserves.”

The decision to make these changes were the result of calculating the increase in patients in 2016. The Emergency Department treated more than 65,000 patients even though it was intended to accommodate 50,000 annually with only 35 beds. The new expansion will include a total of 58 beds in the Emergency Department and a 24-bed women and children’s unit on the second floor of the tower. The structure will also be prepared to support an additional six floors in the future.

“The expansion and renovation of the Emergency Department and new patient tower mark the single largest investment in a Lake County healthcare facility since Florida Hospital Waterman’s Tavares campus was completed in 2003,” said David Ottati, President and Chief Executive Officer, Adventist Health System Central Florida Division North Region. “This is a substantial investment in our community and helps further our mission of providing whole-person, faith-based care.”

Patients coming into the Emergency Department are often facing their greatest time of need, said Floriano Putigna, DO, Emergency Department Medical Director. “They didn’t plan for this, so we must be prepared. More than 80 percent of the hospital’s patients originate in the Emergency Department, and Florida Hospital Waterman has placed a significant amount of emphasis on this area for a good reason.”

A state-of-the-art women and children’s center will occupy the second floor of the new patient tower. This area will include 24 beds for women’s services, including labor and delivery, post-partum care, and inpatient pediatrics. The current Center for Women and Children will become a medical-surgical unit.

“The new unit serves as a symbol of our dedication to provide expert care to our entire community,” said Lynn Kirman, Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer, Florida Hospital Waterman.

“Our partnership with Florida Hospital for Women and Florida Hospital for Children in Orlando means Lake County residents have access to some of the region’s most advanced and specialized care right here at home. We worked closely with area physicians and patients to design the new space to ensure it’s a welcoming and healing environment.”

In order to complete this project, the Florida Hospital Waterman Foundation has pledged to raise $5 million from community donations. The full cost of the project is more than $70 million.

“We are proud to invite our community to join us on this journey as we embark on a multi-faceted campaign to position Florida Hospital Waterman to meet the growing and future healthcare needs of Lake County,” said April Kauffman, President, Florida Hospital Waterman Foundation. “A community investment of $5 million from philanthropy will empower the hospital to breathe life into this project. The community has answered the calling to care in the past, and we know there are many among us who will boldly answer the call to partner again.”

FHWaterman.com

Thank you for your support!

The Florida Hospital Waterman Foundation invites the community to join in Building a HealthiER Lake County! Expansion will ensure a shared future of healthcare excellence for every person who chooses Florida Hospital Waterman Emergency Services in their greatest time of need.

The ambitious goal will require significant investment from community partners who also believe in the transformational vision. A community investment of $5 million from philanthropy will support Florida Hospital Waterman in this crucial project which will impact every member of the community at some point.

This is a pivotal year in Florida Hospital Waterman’s history and evolution, and now is the time to consider partnering with Florida Hospital Waterman Foundation to support the hospital Lake County residents trust for their care. For more information about the project and how you can get involved, or to donate online now, please visit www.BuildingAHealthiERLakeCounty.com. Florida Hospital Waterman Foundation thanks you for your support!

L-R: Dalton Yancey, Bobby Welter, Tavares Mayor Lori Pfister, Stuart Smith, Dr. Flor Putigna, Dr. Timothy Cheslock, Abel Biri, Senator Dennis Baxley, David Ottati, Dr. Sherryl Gordon, Lake County Commissioner Leslie Campione, Lake County Commissioner Wendy Breeden, Jerry Smith, Bruce Adams, and Bob Berry

Each year, Florida Hospital Waterman’s team of specially trained professionals at the Emergency Department, cares for more than 65,000 Lake County residents.

IN 2016: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

65,317 PATIENTS WERE CARED FOR THAT’S ONE PATIENT EVERY 8.3 MINUTES IN ONE OF 35 BEDS

13,345 ARRIVED BY AMBULANCE EVERY

39 MINUTES

15,443 WERE ADMITTED TO THE HOSPITAL AND

1,085 TRANSFERRED TO ICU

And that’s why Florida Hospital Waterman is Lake County’s most trusted hospital and your

#1 choice for emergency care.