Mission accomplished

June 04, 2019
Lakewood Ranch Expansion Completed

The expansion at Lakewood Ranch Medical Center is complete!

New and expanded services at Lakewood Ranch Medical Center are making it easier to get the comprehensive, quality care you need close to home. “The hospital has been growing at a tremendous rate over the past several years,” says LWRMC CEO Andy Guz. “This expansion increases our capacity to care for patients in the community. It also enables us to offer a higher level of clinical expertise and broaden the specialized services we offer.”

Making room for more surgeries

One of the major enhancements is the addition of two new, fully equipped operating rooms, and shell space for two additional rooms to be added in the future. “Since 2010, our surgeries have increased by 67 percent,” says Guz. “We needed to add more space for patients and physicians.”

To improve safety and minimize the risk of infection, the operating rooms are equipped with Indigo-Clean™ operating light fixtures, which use LED visible light to continuously disinfect the air and surfaces. Patients can prepare and recover from medical procedures in expanded pre- and post-surgical areas. Also, a freshly renovated waiting area provides a comfortable space for family and friends to be close to their loved ones.

New robotic and expanded cardiac services

As more patients seek out minimally invasive care options, the hospital has started a robotic program with the introduction of the da Vinci® Surgical System for procedures in general surgery, gynecology and urology. Benefits can include decreased pain, scarring, trauma and blood loss, and quicker recoveries.

Less-invasive cardiac care is also being offered in the newly added, second Heart Catheterization Lab, which can be used for diagnostic tests and procedures like coronary interventions for heart attack treatment. “Having a second lab allows us to take care of more patients and also allows us to add a service line in electrophysiology,” says Guz. This medical specialty can address heart rhythm issues, such as atrial fibrillation (AFib), bradycardia, tachycardia and others.

Breast Health Center and new office wing

As part of the expansion, a new administrative office wing has been built for hospital support services, and the Breast Health Center has been relocated to a new space in Medical Office Building 1, next to the hospital. Also, a 3D Mammography System has been acquired for advanced breast cancer screening, and breast care navigation services have been added to support patients throughout treatment and recovery.

“One of the most important things we were able to do was to not significantly disrupt or discontinue any service we had during the construction,” says Guz. “We were able to do the expansion in a staged way and keep services open for patients.”

Also, throughout the expansion, the focus on quality and safety has not wavered. In Fall 2018, the hospital earned an “A” Hospital Safety Grade from The Leapfrog Group for meeting the highest safety standards in the United States. “We’re pleased to be providing more services, and we’re committed to providing high-quality, high-safety care,” says Guz.

Enjoying your MRI? Yes, it’s possible with new technology.

New and innovative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) equipment is working to take the stress out of MRI procedures with immersive video technology that can transport patients out of the imaging suite to a relaxing environment of their choice. The advanced equipment also provides 50 percent faster service, 60 percent higher resolution, and adds prostate imaging, cardiac MRI/MRA and breast biopsy services.

The hospital is also now offering a low-dose, 80-slice CT scanner and a brandnew suite for faster scanning. This technology upgrade allows for cardiac scoring, and has a higher table weight limit of 600 pounds to make testing accessible to more patients.