Promise Healthcare, Inc. Hosts Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony and Tours to Celebrate the Grand Opening of Promise Hospital of Florida At The Villages, J.L. Hurst Campus Promise's First Hospital in Its Home State

Online, June 2, 2011 (Newswire.com) - Promise Healthcare, a leading national long-term acute care (LTAC) hospital company, expands its industry presence today to 15 facilities in seven states with the grand opening of its first hospital built and managed in Florida, its home state. Corporate and senior management from the new Promise Hospital of Florida At The Villages, J.L. Hurst Campus were joined by state and local government and healthcare industry officials, management of surrounding hospitals, physicians and other healthcare professionals and business and community leaders for the official ribbon-cutting ceremony that was followed by the first tours of the 50,000-square-foot, 40-bed hospital.

The new campus, located at 5050 County Road, #472 (Rainey Trail) in Oxford, Florida has been dedicated in appreciation of J.L. Hurst, a longtime respected area resident who shared in Promise's commitment to expand quality specialized healthcare services in collaboration with other healthcare providers in the community and provided the land on which the hospital was built. According to Promise Hospital of Florida CEO Steven M. Klein, FACHE, the hospital will serve physicians and their patients living and working in The Villages and surrounding communities in Sumter and Lake Counties as well as Tampa, Orlando and Ocala.

Promise Hospital of Florida specializes in high acuity long-term hospital care for patients suffering from the most complex of medical conditions. The hospital's distinctive LTAC environment provides acute medical care and aggressive therapy services for patients with unresolved, acute, or catastrophic illnesses, as well as multi-organ disease processes who require an average length of stay of 25 days or more. Promise specializes in acute respiratory/pulmonary care (including ventilator management and weaning), infectious disease management (including long-term IV antibiotics), advanced wound management, complex medical management and treatment for multi-organ failure and post-surgical complications.

"We look forward to working collaboratively with all hospitals and healthcare providers in The Villages and surrounding communities as together we forge an even stronger comprehensive approach to patient continuum of care in our community as a noted epicenter of personalized healthcare excellence," said Klein.

Promise Hospital features all private rooms with 40 telemetry beds and private showers; 32 med/surg beds; an eight-bed Intensive Care Unit (ICU), four isolation rooms and a fully outfitted operating room suite with pre- and post-op anesthesia areas and full sterilization capabilities available to physicians to use should their patients admitted to Promise require them to perform interim surgical procedures during their hospital stay. All clinical wings as well as the ICU have full telemetry coverage for patient monitoring while in rooms or during mobile transport. Patient rooms feature 'Teknoflor' which has imbedded Nano-Silver technology that is anti-microbial and anti-fungal and provides other safety features that help to minimize potential patient and staff slipping/falling incidents.

Also onsite are two dialysis stations; a wound care suite for the treatment of patients with complex conditions, including Stage III - IV pressure ulcers, non-healing surgical wounds, infected surgical wounds, ulcerations of the skin caused by complications of diabetes and peripheral neuropathy; and a full-service respiratory program team of respiratory therapists who manage treatment for patients with complex respiratory needs such as ventilator management, COPD, emphysema, pneumonia and bronchitis.

The hospital's Physical and Occupational Therapy Gym -- which features a full kitchen, complete with working stove, sink and dishwasher and appliances such as a washer and dryer--is designed for therapists to help patients enhance their independence level by training them in cooking, personal hygiene, grooming, and other activities of daily living. It is where patients work to regain strength and endurance as well as interact with other patients to enhance motivation. Under the direction of board-certified physiatrists, up to three hours of therapy is provided per patient per day.

There is also a full-service in-house pharmacy, a Physicians Lounge And Dictation Area that provides physicians with a comfortable, functional private setting while charting or dictating their medical records; a private residence-style physician room with bed, private bathroom, and amenities that provides physicians with a respite during late evening calls that require the need for a physician to remain on-site; a family consulting room for private consultations with physicians; a multi-media room is available for training and education instruction; and a cafeteria is open to physicians, staff and visitors.

"The new hospital is modeled after our successful custom design/build of our LTAC hospitals in Bossier City and Vidalia, Louisiana incorporated with special design and patient care nuances with a Villages 'sense of place' and convenience for physicians and their patients," noted Peter R. Baronoff, CEO of Promise Healthcare. "We understand how important family members and friends are important to the healing process so having LTAC hospital services just a golf cart ride away should be extremely comforting to both patients and those want to visit frequently."
All nursing staff is ACLS certified using a primary RN nursing model for all patients and adherence to strict compliance of benchmark patient safety measures with a 2-3:1 patient to nurse ratio in its I.C.U. and 5:1 in its med/surg care. Its Main Nurses' Stations feature a complex, integrated computer system that increases security and the communication and efficiency between departments.

"At Promise Hospital critically ill patients with multi-organ conditions are afforded 'the benefit of extended time' to effectively hasten recovery and achieve personalized goals," added Klein. Patients can be admitted from almost any setting for most illnesses or injuries that require a longer hospital recovery period and require physical, occupational or respiratory therapies and/or complex wound care. In most cases, patients are transferred from intensive care units (ICUs), direct observation units (DOUs), general medical and surgical beds in short-term acute care (STAC) hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, assisted living facilities or from their home or physician's office.

"The addition of Promise Hospital to our already stellar healthcare community means significant benefits and advantages for our community," noted Dr. Gary Lester, Vice President of The Villages for Community Relations. "Promise Healthcare hospitals are known for their impressive clinical 'quality' scores that outperform national averages, especially for its successful ventilator weaning program. We very much look forward to the increased specialized healthcare services and collaboration, making our community's healthcare services second to none."

Promise Hospital of Florida is located at 5050 County Road, #472 (Rainey Trail), Oxford, FL 33484. For more information, admissions, and physician referrals and affiliation, call (352) 689-6400 or visit www.promise-villages.com. For employment opportunities, contact Katie Cowart at (352) 689-6402 or via [email protected].