For Martin Memorial Health Systems, 2009 was a year of celebrating a milestone anniversary while creating new beginnings.
Martin Memorial commemorated its 70th anniversary with a public event in March. Just a month before, it began renovations on its facility in western Port St. Lucie where a freestanding emergency department officially opened in September. And in October the health system opened a state-of-the-art diagnostic imaging center in eastern Port St. Lucie. Here is a brief recap of some of the highlights for Martin Memorial in 2009: Martin Memorial celebrates 70th anniversary: Martin County Hospital officially opened its doors on March 8, 1939 with a ceremony featuring hospital authorities and the philanthropists who helped make it a reality. Seventy years later, Martin Memorial Health Systems celebrated seven decades of providing health care to residents of Martin and St. Lucie counties. Much has changed since the 23-bed hospital originally opened its doors on the banks of the St. Lucie River. The hospital and its staff of 17 admitted 389 patients in its first 11 months. In Fiscal Year 2008, there were a total of 119,853 patient visits at Martin Memorials two hospitals, including 19,589 total patient admissions. National Employer of Choice: Martin Memorial received recognition as a national Employer of Choice. That designation places the health system in an elite group of just 16 health care organizations from across the country that currently hold that title. Only 29 companies total have achieved that distinction since the designation was created in 2000. Employer of Choice, Inc. is an organization comprised of a national team of experts on employee retention and workplace trends. Health care organizations that achieve Employer of Choice designation tend to have higher patient satisfaction, greater productivity and lower turnover. Opening of Emergency Center at St. Lucie West: The Martin Memorial Emergency Center at St. Lucie West officially opened its doors on Sept. 1. It immediately began providing critical medical services to the fastest-growing region of the Treasure Coast, giving local residents access to timely emergency care that was not readily available before. The 9,100-square foot freestanding emergency department is open seven days a week, 24 hours a day and has 12 beds but does not provide inpatient beds. It is staffed and equipped to handle many of the same emergencies a hospital would, though patients with more severe injuries or ailments are taken to appropriate facilities. Judge rules in Martin Memorials favor to proceed with CON: Martin Memorial received initial approval from the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration in June 2007 to build an 80-bed hospital on 20 acres in the Tradition development of western St. Lucie County. That decision was appealed in July 2007 by the two HCA Inc.-owned hospitals in St. Lucie County. On July 31, Judge J.D. Parrish, an administrative law judge with the Florida Division of Administrative Hearings, upheld the states 2007 decision. That means Martin Memorial is waiting on a final order from AHCA to move forward on building the hospital. Cancer program earns accreditation with commendation: The Martin Memorial cancer program has once again been granted three-year accreditation with commendation from the Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons. Martin Memorials cancer program has been accredited by the Commission on Cancer for many years, but this is the second consecutive time it has received the commendation distinction, the highest possible level of accreditation. Auxiliary completes $1 million pledge for heart center: In October 2003, the Martin Memorial Auxiliary made a pledge to raise $1 million for a heart program that had yet to be created. Less than six years later, the health systems volunteer organization fulfilled that pledge with a $50,000 gift. It was the culmination of nearly six years of hard work and included the opening of the Frances Langford Heart Center in August 2006. Nearly $3 million in gifts provided: The Martin Memorial Foundation received three significant gifts in 2009. That included a $2 million gift from David L. Smythe who had provided a $500,000 gift the year before. Wayne and Marti Huizenga made a $1 million gift and the Alice F. and Cortland J. Knipe Charitable Trust made a $750,000 gift. All of those funds help ensure Martin Memorial can continue to provide exceptional care to residents of the Treasure Coast. Diagnostic Imaging Center opens in Port St. Lucie: The Martin Memorial Diagnostic Imaging Services at Port St. Lucie that opened in October provides the most recent generation of technologically sophisticated MRI and CT scanners, and the new imaging suites offers patient comfort features that are unique on the Treasure Coast. That includes a high-field open bore Magnetom Espree MRI system and 16-slice Somatom Emotion Spiral CT. To provide additional comfort, the exam rooms provide patients the ability to select special themes that fill the rooms with soothing lighting and music, as relaxing scenery is displayed on large flat screen monitors within their view.
