By David J. Clark, FACHE
As Broward Health celebrates its 85th anniversary, the system is not only celebrating its history as a nonprofit, safety net hospital system, but is also looking forward to future initiatives that will enable Broward Health to keep meeting the evolving needs of the community it serves.
Despite the challenges created by the pandemic in the past three years, Broward Health has forged ahead with strategic capital improvements like our new cardiac catheterization labs, a Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and even a new mobile health unit that drives healthcare to underserved members of our community. We are also finalizing the build-out of a new stereotaxis robotic lab at Broward Health Medical Center.
Thanks to strategic investments in real estate near our hospitals over the years, Broward Health is well-positioned to expand its footprint and add new capacities through both vertical growth and the construction of new facilities ranging from a freestanding emergency department and outpatient surgical centers to rehabilitation, clinical research and medical education facilities.
In the pipeline now we have a new radiology suite at Broward Health Imperial Point, thanks to a generous donation. Plans are in the works for a housing development for our graduate medical education program as well as executive offices and other multipurpose spaces near Broward Health Medical Center. Broward Health is planning additional projects including:
- Exterior facility improvements
- Signage and wayfinding improvements
- Interior patient care and ancillary area modernizations
- Patient bed expansion
- Service line upgrades, replacements, and improvement projects
For Broward Health, innovation and collaboration with industry partners, business leaders and local government is the name of the game. That’s why, through an unprecedented partnership, Broward Health is proud to work with Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital toward the common goal of expanding the availability of quality and accessible care.
Together, our systems will soon introduce adult and pediatric emergency services through a new, freestanding emergency department in Sunrise, Florida, an area recognized as medically underserved.
We know that access to nearby emergency care leads to better health outcomes, particularly for those with critical needs. This new 19,000-square-foot facility will be located in the northwest vicinity of Oakland Park Boulevard and North Pine Island Road and will have a significant positive impact on the adults and children who live, work and play in the surrounding areas.
Set to open in 2024, the facility will offer a full range of Emergency Department services including corresponding imaging services for adults and children.
There is much to do as Broward County’s population continues to grow larger, older, and more diverse. But we know working smart and working together, we can enhance the health of the people and the communities we serve.
David J. Clark, FACHE is Senior Vice President, Operations at Broward Health. He can be reached at (954) 473-7000 or djclark@browardhealth.org.
