AdventHealth Connerton has been addressing the needs for critically ill patients for a decade — but it also has had to turn patients away because its beds were full.
An expansion expected to open later this month, will increase the hospital’s ability to serve patients and families in need.
AdventHealth officials had a ribbon cutting ceremony last week to celebrate the completion of a new wing at the hospital, at 9441 Health Center Drive in Connerton.
The $20.6 million expansion adds 30 beds, bringing the hospital’s total to 77.
It also increases the hospital’s ability to provide care for patients needing care for multisystem organ failure, complex wounds, sepsis, head trauma and other conditions.
“We cater to medically complex, critically ill patients, who need an extended hospital stay,” said Debi Martoccio, chief operating officer of AdventHealth Connerton.
“This is a very exciting chapter in our history,” she said.
“What this expansion will allow us to do is to care for more of these medically complex patients.
“At this time, with our limited beds, we’ve been at capacity since about 2012. We were having to turn medically complex patients away. There was a moratorium on the expansion of this kind of hospital,” Martoccio said.
But, the moratorium was lifted and the hospital was able to get a license to expand its number of beds, she said.
“Right now, we’re admitting about 650 patients a year. So we’re hoping to take that into the 700s,” Martoccio said.
Denyse Bales-Chubb, CEO of AdventHealth Tampa, told the crowd, “Today represents an important piece of the AdventHealth growth strategy over the next several years. Increasing access points and creating more capacity in our existing facilities is a realization of our promise to the community.
“This positions us well to take care of even more patients and families when they need us the most,” Bales-Chubb said.
“Patients who come to a long-term care facility have very serious medical needs. The team of caretakers here are family.
“It is a special brand of care that delivers our mission of extending the healing ministry of Christ. That’s the kind of care that I want for my family, and for yours,” Bales-Chubb said.
The specialty hospital is one of only a few long-term acute care facilities in Florida with an operating room and intensive care unit, according to hospital officials.
After the ribbon cutting, tours were offered so visitors could see the new wing before it begins offering care.
Patient rooms are equipped with modern technology and designed with patient comfort in mind. For instance, there are large windows, and a sofa in each private room easily converts to a bed, so visitors can rest there.
The 22,000-square-foot addition includes 20 progressive care unit beds and 10 critical care unit beds. It also includes a large board room, three nursing stations, a revamped chapel, a multipurpose room for staff education, a family consultation room, nurses’ stations and an employee breakroom.
The lobby even has a coffee bar for visitors, said Martoccio, adding she thinks that will be well received.
The decorating theme throughout the wing highlights trees, and that plays homage to the prominent role that timber and sawmills played in Pasco County’s history, Martoccio said.
Published November 13, 2019
