Update July 2008
Construction is underway.
The new hospital and medical campus being built by the Health Care District will provide a regional health care delivery system for all Palm Beach County communities bordering Lake Okeechobee. Currently, Glades General Hospital is the only acute care facility in rural western Palm Beach County, an 800-square-mile agricultural region with a population of more than 40,000. Glades General, a 73-bed JCAHO-accredited hospital, was built in 1944 and expanded in 1965. The next closest hospital in Palm Beach County is thirty miles away.

The Health Care District acquired the hospital in May 2004 and invested more than $3.5 million to upgrade patient rooms and the emergency room and acquire new technology. In early 2006 the Health Care District Board voted to build a new hospital that would be centrally located in the Glades and deliver a technologically advanced level of care. The District acquired a 50-acre parcel of land on the southwest corner of US 441 and State Road 80. The hospital, yet to be named, will also be an economic stimulus to the region.

The Health Care District has committed $53 million toward the
$73 million project. The Glades Healthcare Foundation, a non-profit organization, is leading the fundraising campaign for the new hospital and for ongoing health programs in the western communities.

• Foundations and Steel Structure Complete
• Elevated Concrete Floors 95% Complete
• Tilt Wall Panel Casting Complete and Panel Installation 85% Complete
• Metal Stud Framing Started
• Electrical, Plumbing and Mechanical Systems Installations Started
• Hooker Highway Road Work Started
• Main Services Underway
• Spray on Fire Proofing 85% Complete
  

The foundations of the main hospital building are poured, the steel superstructure is in place and the construction team is in the process of installing the reinforced concrete wall panels- just one of the project's hurricane-resistant features. The new hospital is scheduled to open in early 2010.

The hospital will have 70 single occupancy inpatient rooms with additional family-friendly consultation rooms. The Emergency Room will have 16 treatment areas, three fast-track exam areas, and six private ICU rooms. A helipad on the campus surrounding the hospital will enable the District’s Trauma Hawk helicopters to transfer patients to a Trauma Center in Palm Beach County.

In addition, the campus will offer ample and secure parking facilities, a Palm Tran bus stop, and space for future facilities, such as medical office buildings. The central location of the hospital and link with Palm Tran are very important, given that nearly one in three Glades residents does not own or have access to a car.

As the project progresses, Glades General Hospital will continue to provide a 24-hour physician staffed Emergency Room and full complement of in- and outpatient services. Once the new hospital opens, Glades General Hospital will be retired. Staff and the advanced medical technology will be transitioned from Glades General to the new hospital.

You Can make a Difference!

If you have ever visited Glades General Hospital, you have witnessed the incredible level of compassion and care provided by nurses, doctors and staff to every patient, regardless of circumstances. To support this dedicated team, and advance healthcare in our community, Glades Healthcare Foundation is leading the fundraising campaign for the $73 million new regional hospital by inviting individual donors and organizations to contribute to the project.

Community, business and philanthropic leaders county-wide have joined our campaign leadership team and share our vision for the great potential the new hospital has as a cornerstone of our community as the Glades region grows and prospers. Thanks to our partners, and the generosity of people and organizations supporting the campaign, we have already reached 72% of our goal.

As we all excitedly watch the walls of the new hospital go up over the coming months, we invite you to join our campaign. If you would like to make a contribution to the new hospital, please contact Glades Healthcare Foundation at 561-833-8999 or gladeshealthcare.org. With your help, we will be well on our way to providing our community with a new regional hospital that will advance healthcare in the Glades for generations to come.

Contact Us:

• For donation opportunities:  If you would like to make a contribution to the new hospital, please contact the Glades Healthcare Foundation at 561-833-8999 or gladeshealthcare.org
• For other questions: Contact Robin Kish, Public Affairs Administrator, Health Care District, at 561-659-1270 ext. 5828.
• Subcontractors and vendors wishing to bid on the construction related portions of the project should contact Bill Hawthorne, with Skanska USA Builders, Inc. the District’s Construction Managers, at Bill.Hawthorne@skanskausa.com for pre-qualification and plan availability information.

Correspondence via E-mail:
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