6 minute read
HEALTH
by: Michael Sparks, Director Of Communications And Community Engagement, Gulf Coast Regional Medical Center
After the November 2019 unveiling of plans to expand Gulf Coast Regional Medical Center, the hospital then announced in October of 2020 that construction had already began on the sixty-two million dollar expansion, which would stand to create more than one hundred local jobs, as well as increase access to acute patient care not only in Bay County, but in the surrounding area as well.
“Ensuring our community has adequate access to high-quality care closer to home is a priority for us. Starting construction on this expansion puts us another step closer to that goal” said Brad Griffin, CEO for Gulf Coast Regional Medical Center. He continues on by saying, “From the impacts of natural disasters to the current pandemic, the need for healthcare access and increased bed capacity in our community is more apparent than ever. Our focus on strategic development projects is one way we are re-investing in our community and supporting the growing needs of our residents.”
During the construction phase, both the hospital and emergency department remained in full operation while the construction sites were properly marked. Any changes to traffic patterns at that time on the hospital campus were communicated through directional signage to assist hospital colleagues, patients and visitors to easily navigate on to their final destination.
With the approximately eighteen month long expansion project, the result included nearly sixty-seven thousand square feet as well as sixty new beds, bringing the Gulf Coast Regional Medical Center total bed count to 283. Two additional floors to the North Tower were also added along with a connector from the 3rd floor of the north tower to the main facility. The fourth floor now houses a medical and surgical floor featuring 24 private patient rooms and a fifth floor right below that houses a state-of-the-art twenty bed acute inpatient rehabilitation facility.
In addition to this latest expansion, Gulf Coast Regional Medical Center also invested in several other projects designed to improve access to healthcare in Bay County. For instance in June 2020, Panama City ER opened to the public. This twelve thousand square foot, $11.5 million free-standing ER is a fully functioning emergency room that has a full staff that includes nursing, respiratory therapists and emergency room physicians on a 24/7 hour basis. In fact in early 2020, the hospital also added an additional operating room that completed renovations of its post-partum unit, as well as expanded the emergency room’s ambulance canopy.
“Our goal has always been to try to take care of people locally and this is a step in the right direction to try and keep people local." Said Gulf Coast Regional Medical Center Chief Operating Officer, Holly Dean.
The year after Gulf Coast Regional Medical Center also had plans to begin renovation and expansion of its outpatient diagnostic facility. On November 7, the hospital also broke ground on its freestanding emergency department. Panama City ER which was scheduled to open in May of 2020, is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and had an estimation to serve 10,000 patients in its first year. As a fully functional emergency department, the ER had plans to include 11 private patient care rooms, a dedicated cardiac/ respiratory resuscitation room, a full hospital lab and diagnostic imaging services that include X-ray, CT scan and ultrasound.
“The resiliency of the Bay County community is inspiring.” Griffin said before continuing. “We are proud to be able to invest in our region’s recovery in this significant way and we continue to be extremely optimistic about the future. As our community’s rebuilding continues, we want our patients to know they can continue to depend on Gulf Coast Regional Medical Center to ensure they have convenient access to comprehensive healthcare services.” Along with emphasizing on the community being able to depend on Gulf Coast Regional Medical Center, Brad Griffin also made sure to note that this is another opportunity to recruit physicians and new talent to the area saying, “It will give us the ability to recruit new physicians and new talent to the area so in a lot of ways this is not just a win for Gulf Coast Regional Medical Center but also for the community and the surrounding area as a whole. “
History:
In the early 1970’s, there were three hospitals in Panama City that were a 100-bed Bay Memorial; 40-bed Lisenby Hospital and 30-bed Adams Hospital. All three facilities were aging and there was a lack of specialized care and no hospital had emergency departments. Concerned about the quality of care their patients were receiving, the two young Physicians took a bold risk and decided to buy Lisenby hospital and turn it into a high-quality medical center. Undeterred, Smith and Polyner convinced 19 other area physicians and local attorney Rowlett Bryant to join them in their venture. The group bought Lisenby Hospital in 1969, and immediately began making improvements, expanding the hospital to 50 rooms. It soon became apparent more extensive expansion was necessary to accommodate the rapidly growing community.
The group applied for a certificate of need for 100 beds. Rowlett Bryant assisted in the legal aspects of this endeavor. In the end the closing of Lisenby Hospital not only marked the end of an era, but also marked the dawn of a new era in healthcare in Bay County. Gulf Coast Regional Medical Center was then born. After much deliberation on whether to rebuild on the present site or build on a new location, the group decided there was a bigger need for a hospital on the north side of town. They purchased 150 acres on 23rd Street near Jenks Avenue. Architectural plans were drawn up with each physician specialist having a say in the design of his department, and the group began looking for financing to build the new facility. There, a new problem arose financially. The best option, they decided, was to have a hospital management company purchase the project. Bryant contacted Healthcare Corporation of America president Dr. Tommy Frist, Jr. and invited him to Panama City. Dr. Frist said he was impressed by the group’s determination to continue their plan despite the obstacles they faced. A deal was negotiated and construction began in 1976 and Gulf Coast Community Hospital opened its doors on January 3, 1977 as a state of the art facility offering the most modern services and technology available. After nine long years of work and care, Smith, Poyner and the founding members saw their dream become a reality.
Gulf Coast Regional Medical Center's mission above all else is their commitment to the care and improvement of human life. The idea for Gulf Coast Regional Medical Center came from this same desire – to improve the quality of healthcare for the families in and surrounding Bay County, Florida.
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