Jackson South Community Hospital has opened its much-anticipated new medical tower building in south Miami-Dade County. The new spacious tower, along with the renovated hospital, is equipped with the latest in medical technology and designed to allow Jackson’s experienced medical professionals to meet the healthcare needs of the growing south Dade community.
The $102 million expansion added 167,000 square feet to the existing hospital, doubling its size, and was funded by a Miami-Dade County General Obligation Bond passed by voters in 2005. The project also included renovating Jackson South’s emergency room, which was completed in November, increasing its size to 22-beds. The larger ER is now better able to serve the community.
The south Dade community has grown and evolved in recent years and our goal at Jackson South is to be able to best serve the residents in the area. We strive to provide them with the healthcare services they need and desire close to their homes and in a comfortable, serene environment delivered by experienced medical professionals. While there are other hospitals in the southern part of the county, Jackson South is the only one that is part of the nationally acclaimed Jackson Health System, offering access to some of the best doctors and resources in the country.
The new Jackson South tower features a new hospital entrance; 48 new private patient rooms with large windows, some with a golf course view, and three rooms on each floor for patients with disabilities; 12 intensive care unit suites with mechanical lifts for lifting and turning patients; three endoscopy rooms, and a cardiac catheterization lab.It also holds eight interactive operating rooms, three of which are fully integrated, allowing the staff to broadcast procedures and communicate with doctors and hospitals via the Internet anywhere in the world. The operating rooms also feature boom technology, which consists of wires, connections, equipment and operating room consoles that are attached from the ceiling to provide a greater space for the staff to care for patients. A modern, high-tech pharmacy showcases IV rooms with controlled air flow for antibiotic and chemotherapy pharmaceuticals. In addition, there is a new cafeteria, kitchen and doctors’ dining room, as well as a garden area for the comfort of patients and visitors.
The new building was designed as part of the Miami-Dade Art in Public Places program. Local artist Leonel Matheu designed the building around an Everglades theme. Blades of grass images cover the first floor; blue water highlights the second; and flowers brighten the third.
In February, the hospital held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for area leaders and activists as well as a community celebration with a fun-filled afternoon and free tours of the new facility.
Renovations are also underway in the original hospital building to convert existing semi-private rooms to private rooms and to upgrade the dining areas, diagnostic imaging department and former critical care unit.
Jackson South continues to offer specialized care and a wide range of healthcare services including digestive health, emergency care, gastric sleeve surgery, maxillofacial surgery, urology, robotics, women health’s, orthopaedic and sports medicine, radiation oncology, general and laparoscopic surgery, and wound care.
