When Baptist Health South Florida set plans to rebuild Homestead Hospital, execs decided to go first class. The new 120-bed facility, which is costing Baptist $135 million, replaces an aged, overcrowded building with little capacity to survive the region's occasionally violent hurricanes. In addition to being built to withstand a Category 5 storm, the new facility is designed with IT in mind. Features will include a direct connection between radiology department and the rest of the hospital, allowing doctors to view, say, an X-ray from any floor on the hospital. Prescription ordering is automated and can be done online. All rooms will now have Internet access for patients and visitors, as well. The hospital has also installed what execs have dubbed a "baby LoJack" system, in which anyone trying to take tagged infants out of the hospital will set off alarms. Along the way, Baptist is also acquiring up-to-the-minute testing equipment for Homestead, including a $1.5 million 64-slice CT scanner. Though it's investing heavily, Baptist expects to lose a full $30 million this year on the new and old facilities, but it has its eye on building future revenue as nearby suburbs keep growing.
To learn more about the new hospital:
- read this piece from The Miami Herald