4-26-24 HCA 2-STORY TOWER

HCA Lake City Hospital completes two-story patient tower adding 65 new positions

HCA Tower ribbon cutting. - Photo: Submitted

Staff Reports - To support and grow vitally needed healthcare professionals, HCA Florida Lake City Hospital also donated $16,000 to local schools to supply resources and train students. Donations included:

Florida Gateway College - $5,000

RIVEROAK Technical College - $5,000

Columbia County Schools - $2,000

Suwannee County Schools - $2,000

Hamilton County Schools - $2,000

“This marks an exciting milestone for our hospital and the community we serve. The opening of this two-story tower is a testament to our commitment to providing care close to home for Columbia, Suwannee, and Hamilton County residents,” said Jill Adams, chief executive officer of HCA Florida Lake City Hospital. “This new facility will enhance our ability to meet the growing needs of our patients and ensure our community has access to the highest standard of care, now and in the future. We value our partnership with the local school systems and are proud to donate funds to train and foster skilled professionals to support the health and well-being of all.”

The 58,543-square-foot tower addition doubling the footprint of surgical services to 21,815 square feet. An enhanced waiting area and recovery room for surgical services are included to ensure patients have privacy and enhanced comfort during their recovery. The investment also includes new state-of-the-art equipment for surgical procedures.

The expansion also includes an increase in the size of the catheterization lab, which has imaging equipment to examine and treat the heart arteries and chambers. An additional procedure room and post-procedure spaces are available to improve procedure turnaround times for patients.

“This new space will greatly enhance our surgical capabilities, allowing us to serve more patients with our highly skilled team, advanced technology and increased capacity,” said Walter Long, chief operating officer of HCA Florida Lake City Hospital. “The thoughtful design and careful planning that went into this project will support our dedicated clinical teams and ensure we continue to deliver high-quality, patient-centered care.”

As part of the expansion, 28 new beds are included for the intensive care and surgical recovery units, with the potential for 12 future patient rooms. The tower project also includes transitioning to a new state-of-the-art laboratory services and increasing imaging support space within the main hospital.

This latest expansion project is one of many recent investments by the hospital to enhance the patient care experience and provide quality care to the community. Recently, HCA Florida Lake City Hospital invested $36 million into its emergency department, adding 18 new patient rooms, expanding parking and enhancing the cafeteria and dining area.