Baptist Health System Benefits

Baptist Health held a topping-out ceremony today on the 37-acre site in Conway to mark the completion of the main steel structure for Baptist Health Medical Center-Conway. Baptist Health president and CEO Troy Wells, civic leaders, community members, local physicians, and Baptist Health employees celebrated this milestone for the 111-bed hospital located on the west side of Interstate 40 in Conway.

"It's hard to believe that just one year ago we were here breaking ground for construction and now we are celebrating the topping-out for this facility," said Wells. "It was exciting then, but even more so now as we place the symbolic final beam for our new hospital."

Since construction began, the hospital has already increased in size to 264,000-square-foot and is now 111-beds after the expansion of the Women's Center added labor and delivery. The medical center is still on track to open in the spring of 2016 with eight operating rooms and a Level III trauma-center emergency room.

"While this topping-out represents the physical structure, it means much more to our community," said Jamie Carter, vice-president and administrator of Baptist Health Medical Center-Conway. "This three-story medical center will address the healthcare needs of Faulkner County and surrounding areas, which have experienced unprecedented population growth over the past 10 years."

Baptist Health System Florida

Baptist Health System Florida once again was recognized by U.S. News & World Report for being among the best, with two hospitals on the “Best Regional Hospitals” list. Baptist Hospital ranked as the No. 1 hospital in all of South Florida, tops among Miami-Dade, Monroe, Broward and Palm Beach county hospitals, and No. 6 in the state of Florida. Homestead Hospital also made the “Best Regional Hospitals” list, ranked at No. 7 in South Florida and No. 23 in the state.

The annual rankings take into account a variety of factors, including assessments in 16 specialties. The “Best Hospitals” rankings, which have appeared annually since 1990, recognize hospitals that excel at treating patients who need an exceptionally high level of care. U.S. News introduced a complementary set of ratings this year to evaluate hospitals in regional markets according to their performance in five more common conditions and procedures. The methodology for this year’s ranking also was changed to include a higher threshold for consideration as a high-performing hospital.

Baptist Health hospitals were recognized as high-performing in both complex care and routine care cases as well as in 10 specialties, procedures and conditions: Ear, Nose & Throat, Geriatrics, Pulmonology, Urology, Neurology & Neurosurgery, Heart Bypass Surgery, Knee Replacement Surgery, Hip Replacement Surgery, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Heart Failure.

“We are proud and honored to again be recognized for the outstanding work of our world-class physicians, nurses and staff members who continuously reach beyond the high standards Baptist Health has in place to provide the best-quality care to each patient every day,” said Brian E. Keeley, president and chief executive officer of Baptist Health. “This ranking reinforces and validates that those standards we strive hard to achieve have been met and exceeded.”

“You really can’t deliver great hospital products or great healthcare without all of the different pieces working together,” said Baptist Hospital Medical Staff President Michael Fili, M.D. “Nursing, pharmacy, physicians, administration: It really needs to be coordinated.”

“At Baptist Health, we are constantly seeking to improve our practices and provide the highest quality of care for our patients,” said Thinh Tran, M.D., MBA, corporate vice president and chief medical and quality officer. “We share best practices among our facilities and among our staff to ensure that we are doing the best for our patients as a healthcare organization. The U.S. News rankings help patients make informed decisions about their care, and we are proud to be highlighted among the best.”

Baptist Health hospitals earned more high-performing medals than any other healthcare system in the region. In addition, Baptist Health Neuroscience Center, Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute and Miami Orthopedics & Sports Medicine Institute were recognized for various specialties.

About Baptist Health South Florida

Baptist Health is the largest healthcare organization in the region, with seven hospitals (Baptist Hospital, Baptist Children’s Hospital, Doctors Hospital, Homestead Hospital, Mariners Hospital, South Miami Hospital and West Kendall Baptist Hospital) and nearly 50 outpatient and urgent care facilities spanning three counties. The not-for-profit, faith-based Baptist Health has approximately 16,000 employees and 2,200 affiliated physicians, and also includes Baptist Health Medical Group, Baptist Outpatient Services and internationally renowned centers of excellence. Baptist Health Foundation, the organization’s fundraising arm, supports services at all hospitals and facilities. Baptist Health was listed by Fortune magazine as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in America (#23 in the nation) and has remained on the list for 15 years. It was also recognized as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies for the fifth year in a row by the Ethisphere Institute.

Baptist Health System Miami

A development project on Miami Beach that would include a Baptist Health South Florida outpatient facility has been approved.

The city’s planning board voted 6-1 for the project on Tuesday. The project at 709 Alton Road was opposed by Mount Sinai Medical Center, the only hospital on Miami Beach.
South Beach Heights II, an affiliate of local developer Crescent Heights, plans to build the 122,000-square-foot building, which would include 175 parking spaces. Baptist Health System Miami to lease 36,900 square feet for medical uses, including medical offices, diagnostics, ambulatory surgery, physical therapy and urgent care. It would also offer a community center for free wellness classes.

"The 709 Alton Road/Baptist Health center will bring much needed, quality, medical care directly to the heart of South Beach," Crescent Heights executive Marisa Galbut said.

Baptist Health Chief Strategy Officer Ana Lopez-Blazquez previously said the facility would create 110 to 120 jobs. The non-profit health system has been expanding its outpatient facilities throughout South Florida for years.

The ground floor of the building would have 3,800 square feet of retail and restaurants.
"We are delighted with today's outcome, and we appreciate the planning board's thoughtful consideration and deliberation," Lopez-Blazquez said. "And, we applaud the board's approval to bring healthcare choices to the residents of Miami Beach. We have been a part of Miami Beach with primary care services, and we are looking forward to expanding our services to meet the needs of the Miami Beach community."

It would probably take two years to complete the building, Lopez-Blazquez said.

Mount Sinai CEO Steve Sonenreich said he respects the decision of the planning board and believes that the review process made the new facility more compatible with the surrounding neighborhood.
"Mount Sinai has been a trusted source of quality healthcare in Miami Beach for 65 years, and that commitment will continue to grow as we invest in a new state-of-the-art surgical tower and emergency department on our campus," Sonenreich said.