LEESBURG REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER OPENS NEW SHORT STAY WING

from Healthy Living January 2016

CARE FROM THE HEART

Leesburg Regional Medical Center (LRMC) continues to grow and expand to meet the needs of the community. The latest addition is the 24-bed Short Stay Wing recently opened to provide excellence in clinical care to patients who have not been admitted but can beneﬁt from extended evaluation and treatment in a comfortable, private, and safe environment. The private rooms provide patients and doctors with a comfortable place for conﬁdential conversations and for family members to visit without disturbing others.

LRMC, part of the Central Florida Health Alliance (CFHA), cares for more than 52,000 patients annually, which means the growth and improvement will continue.

Mayor Elise Dennison spoke brieﬂy at the ribbon cutting and open house event for the new wing and talked about the hospital’s humble beginnings.

“It has always amazed me that people many years ago had the foresight to look ahead and think about what could be in this city,” Dennison said. “Back in 1955 the Chamber of Commerce thought we should open a hospital, so they began fundraising. By 1963, there was enough money to open Leesburg General Hospital, and now Leesburg Regional Medical Center is outstanding with its services and its outreach to the community.”

Dennison went on to say she envisions the partnership between the hospital and the city continuing to grow as more people come to this area. “It’s an amazing hospital,” Dennison said. “It’s known throughout Florida as one of the best.”

Gerald Tucker, treasurer of the LRMC Foundation Board of Directors, was chairperson of the capital fundraising campaign for the Short Stay Wing. He spoke of his ﬁrst discussion about the campaign with Don Henderson, President and CEO of CFHA.

“Two years ago Don came to us with a request. LRMC needed to expand its emergency room with some short-stay rooms. These needs came with the Affordable Healthcare Act and the community growth, which meant more needs,” Tucker said. “Sometimes a little more time is necessary for the staff to make a proper assessment for patients. The answer is a short stay unit that’s comfortable, private, and provides state-of-the-art technology.”

Don Hahnfeldt, chairman of the CFHA Board of Directors, said every effort was made to bring LRMC into the 21st century with style and the latest technology. The updated look of the façade and the continued work on the inside of the hospital make it a source of great pride for the community.

“Our number one priority is to keep [people] strong and healthy,” Hahnfeldt said. “Without community support, without the doctors and staff here to make it great, it’s just bricks and mortar.”

CFHA is proud that both LRMC and sister

Short Stay Wing was generously paid for by our community as a gift to their hospital.”

LRMC is a community-owned, not-for-proﬁt hospital that provides open access to highquality medical care, regardless of a patient’s ability to pay for that care. Hahnfeldt said the board, management, and staff operate the hospital with one objective in mind: to provide excellence in health care for the community.

“We have been successful in doing that in a very challenging environment, when health care throughout the United States has been undergoing a transition. Because of the efﬁciency of this team we have not only been able to survive but excel in providing great care in one of the fastest growing and one of the most senior counties in the United States.”

“The opening of the new Short Stay Wing was a perfect way to celebrate a very successful year in 2015,” Hahnfeldt said, “and the best way to start the New Year with the additional opportunities that we look forward to pursuing in 2016.”