On the day that the beautiful, brand-new Lakeside Medical Center (LMC) in Belle Glade opened its doors to patients and a new beginning for the Lake Okeechobee region, a new life entered the world in The Birthplace, the hospital’s state-of-the-art labor and delivery suite. Baby girl Shaniya Canty, weighing 7 pounds and 2 ounces, made her debut along with Palm Beach County’s newest hospital. The 146,000 square feet facility, which features 70 private patient rooms, 16 emergency treatment rooms, 6 labor and delivery suites and 3 technologically sophisticated operating rooms, replaces Glades General Hospital and represents a new era for the Glades community.

Funded by the Health Care District of Palm Beach County, the Glades Health Care Foundation and private donations, LMC was completed four months ahead of schedule and more than $6 million under budget. According to Brian P. Gibbons, Jr., Lakeside Administrator, credit for that exceptional achievement belongs to Michael J. Gates, the District’s Senior Development Executive, who managed the project. Gates, who originally was a consultant to the District but joined the executive staff in order to oversee the hospital’s design and construction, attributes the successful completion of the hospital to an outstanding, “hand-picked” team and several other key factors.

Brian P. Gibbons, Jr., Hospital Administrator, and Michael J. Gates, Senior Development Executive. Photo credit: John Ricksen Photography

“Florida is rich with talent and we had the best people who understood and stuck to the mission,” Gates explained. “We were able to capitalize on the marketplace and get the best possible pricing. We sought and received designation from the state as a critical rural development need, which expedites the processes, and we managed the living daylights out of the project. Our achievement demonstrates that community-critical projects can be delivered successfully when they are undertaken with a clear vision and a well-organized, collaborative effort.”

That clear vision has produced a bright, fully modern hospital designed to precisely match the needs of the community. LMC features technological advances that facilitate the delivery of the highest quality care while considering the unique challenges of the population and location. A comprehensive diagnostic imaging center contains all-digital equipment, including a new mammography machine. Enhanced Information Technology will enable physicians at Lakeside to securely transmit digital images to specialists at other facilities, electronically taking the patient to the specialist, and to remotely monitor a patient’s condition from any location. Electronic medical records, bar code scanning, advanced telemetry systems and high-tech cardiac monitors are among the cutting-edge capabilities at LMC.

Gibbons says that the private rooms are one of the most significant features. “Individual patient rooms offer privacy, reduce infection and enhance dignity. Our facility is designed so that patients and the public never cross paths. In a rural community, where everybody knows everybody else, this is especially important.” Although LMC offers care in over a dozen medical specialties, clinical services focus on women’s health, infectious disease and pulmonology. “There is a prevalence of COPD and other smoking-related lung diseases here,” Gibbons explains. “We have a high incidence of teen pregnancy. Rural communities are often challenged by lifestyle diseases and we plan to emphasize primary care and patient education.”

Photo credit: John Ricksen Photography

Given the region’s history of hurricanes, LMC’s architects and planners built the new hospital for long term durability. “This was a critical issue,” says Gates. “The old building was over 60 years old and could not resist winds associated with powerful hurricanes. This building is a steel super structure, with tilt wall construction – a steel reinforced concrete exterior wall system – high impact glass, and is set on an elevated site requiring 14 feet of fill to reduce any likelihood of flooding. LMC is the only hospital made entirely with tilt-wall construction in the State of Florida.”

Providing access to progressive, clinically excellent care complemented by a beautiful, comfortable and efficient environment, LMC strengthens the entire community and enhances its appeal. “Having a new facility means that we can more effectively recruit physicians in a medically underserved market,” said Gibbons. “It means population growth and economic development for the region. Lakeside is more than a hospital; it’s a community center, with rooms for meetings and events. There’s room for growth and we fully expect to develop the campus to include a medical office building and a site for ancillary services.”

Perhaps most importantly, the new structure strengthens the ability of the staff to fulfill their commitment to the hospital’s mission. As a public hospital, Lakeside is a “safety net” hospital that provides care to anyone who seeks it, regardless of ability to pay. “Safety net hospitals are a critical resource, and it’s essential to keep them viable in their communities. For our staff, there’s a heightened sense of mission and a renewed sense of pride,” said Gibbons. “This hospital is a dream come true and a promise kept to the residents of the Glades. It’s perfectly designed to meet the needs of this region, and will provide all the services that our community demands. We’re grateful to this community, which had the foresight to be so deeply involved in their own healthcare future.”