Baptist Medical Center South to Place Last Steel Beam in New Patient Tower on April 21 at 4 pm

Jacksonville, Florida, April 15, 2008 -- On April 21, 2008, at 4 pm, Baptist Medical Center South will host its board of directors, medical staff, employees, volunteers and donors for a Topping Out Ceremony to celebrate as the last steel beam is put into place in a new patient tower. The building is expected to be complete in June 2009, although one Medical Surgical Progressive floor will open in March 2009. Construction began in June 2007.

The eight-story tower will house 62 inpatient beds and an additional 10-bed, level II Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU). A level II NICU can take care of babies born as young as 32 weeks with a higher acuity than is provided in a newborn nursery. Babies requiring ventilation, surgery or who have other, more critical needs would continue to be transferred to Wolfson Children's Hospital's level III NICU, as they are now.

The new tower also will include 10 new labor delivery recovery postpartum (LDRP) rooms and will attach to the current labor and delivery unit in the main hospital. The fourth and fifth floors will be comprised of medical/surgical beds. Part of the new patient tower will be shelled-in space that is available for future outpatient and surgical services growth.

Ron Robinson, FACHE, administrator of Baptist South, says, "When we opened Baptist South, there were already access issues to health care which existed in our community. This expansion will help us meet the needs of our current patients and future growth in south Duval and north St. Johns counties, while attracting new physicians and allowing us to offer additional health care services."