BIGER AND BETTER

South Lake Hospital has announced major expansion plans. This fall, construction begins on the hospital’s emergency department. Additional exam rooms and several new observation rooms will nearly double the emergency department’s treatment capacity.

The hospital will also construct a freestanding emergency department and an urgent-care facility in the Four Corners area, as well as a health pavilion where U.S. Highway 27 intersects with the northbound entrance to Florida’s Turnpike. The pavilion will include an urgentcare facility, outpatient imaging, and laboratory and rehabilitation services.

“We’re expanding our services so patients in all areas of South Lake County have improved access points to health care,” says South Lake Hospital President John Moore. “These plans are driven by current needs and projected future needs based on the accelerating growth of our county.”

Trivia Time

Can you name the Lake County hospital that originally opened in 1933 to provide medical services for handicapped children? Here’s a hint: The hospital was located in Umatilla and closed in January 1999. Please make an educated guess before looking at the answer below.