Florida Hospital for Women Celebrates Grand Opening
The Florida Hospital for Women, part of the Adventist Health System and located in Orlando, celebrated its grand opening Thursday with a day of public festivities.
Construction of the twelve-story, 332-bed facility began in February 2014, overseen by general contracting firm Brasfield & Gorrie’s and architectural firm HKS Inc.
Florida Hospital For Women bills itself as “the latest in advanced technology in a hotel-like setting.” The hospital will provide services including obstetrics, maternal fetal medicine, gynecologic oncology, women’s surgery, neonatal intensive care, mammography, wellness and education, a lactation center, and digital mammography.
Florida Hospital includes eight campuses within Florida: Altamonte, Apopka, Celebration Health, East Orlando, Florida Hospital for Children, Kissimmee, Orlando, and Winter Park.
The Florida Hospital for Women grand opening ceremony featured inspiring messages, music, an interactive light show, and hot air balloon rides. An evening event featured live entertainment, including Haines City, Florida singer-songwriter and producer Sisaundra Lewis, who was featured on Season 6 of NBC’s The Voice. Lewis performed with a band and with singers from First Baptist Church of Orlando. During her set, Lewis sang praise music including Kim Walker Smith’s song, Spirit Break Out.
Our Father, all of Heaven roars Your name
Sing louder, let this place erupt with praise
Can you hear it, the sound of Heaven touching Earth
During the performance, audience members danced and took pictures with mobile phones. At one point during the event, which was livestreamed on the Florida Hospital website, a group of ladies in white robes holding lights lined the venue’s walls.
The ceremony, open to the public, included prize giveaways in addition to live entertainment.
The hospital’s surgery center, which will be located on the second floor of the new facility, is scheduled to open in January, 2017. The hospital plans to open its neonatal intensive care unit, which will occupy the 4th and 5th floors, one month later in February, 2017.
Artist rendering of the new Florida Hospital for Women facility.
"As the primary caregivers and decision-makers for families, we owe it to women to provide them with the most comprehensive, informed, advanced and compassionate care possible," said Dr. Lori Boardman, Chief Medical Officer and Executive Medical Director of Women's Health at Florida Hospital for Women.
The hospital aims to provide a "modern, soothing environment designed around the needs and preferences of women and their family members," according the hospital's website.
Details like customizable lighting and room temperature, headwalls that conceal medical equipment, and extra space to accommodate family members were incorporated into patient room design to.
"We asked women in our community and our own employees how we could design a hospital that not only meets, but exceeds expectations," said Kari Vargas, vice president of Florida Hospital Orlando. "We applied that feedback in designing the beautiful structure you see today."
At least two of the hospital’s floors will remain “shelled” in order to accommodate future growth.
Jared Wright is Managing Editor of SpectrumMagazine.org.
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