Tamarac Mayor Gomez shows her support for University Hospital’s new inpatient rehabilitation unit. L to R: Tamarac Mayor Michelle Gomez; Ben Harris, Chief Executive Officer for University Hospital; and Tamarac Fire Rescue Chief Percy Sayles.
By Sharon Aron Baron
Community leaders came together on June 22 to celebrate the announcement and participate in a tour of an inpatient rehabilitation unit at University Hospital and Medical Center — a 317-bed acute care hospital in Tamarac.
Located at 7201 N University Dr, University Hospital and Medical Center is known in the community for its robust surgical offerings, including joint replacement, spine and robotic surgery.
As part of the $16 million inpatient rehabilitation unit project, the hospital’s first floor will include a therapy gym and a state-of-the-art gastrointestinal laboratory (GI lab) adjacent to surgical services. The fifth floor, which recently served as the hospital’s COVID-19 unit, will include 25 private patient rooms.
“This is an exciting time as HCA Healthcare continues to invest in our facility and our community,” said Ben Harris, Chief Executive Officer for University Hospital. “The addition of our inpatient rehabilitation unit will provide expanded services to our patients and further the nearly 50-year legacy of our hospital.”
Attendees had the opportunity to strike the wall with a sledgehammer to help commemorate and signify the importance of the milestone.
They included: Broward County Vice Mayor Michael Udine; Tamarac Mayor Michelle Gomez; Former Tamarac Mayor and current University Hospital Board Member Beth Talabisco; Tamarac Fire Rescue Chief Percy Sayles; Tamarac North Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Peter Mason; HCA Healthcare Regional Vice President of Post-Acute Services for East and West Florida Divisions Randy Kitchen; and HCA Healthcare East Florida Division Assistant Vice President of Community Engagement Ellice Martinez.
The hospital’s new unit will provide expanded services to surrounding communities in May 2022.
“This is just the beginning, and we have more growth initiatives on the horizon,” said Harris. “We are committed to offering expanded services to our patients and community to ensure they receive access to the high-quality care they need and deserve,” said Harris.
University Hospital is part of HCA East Florida, the largest healthcare system in Eastern Florida and an affiliate of HCA Healthcare. The hospital recently received several awards from Healthgrades and was named among the top five percent of hospitals nationwide for patient safety.
Pictured (First Row L to R): Ben Harris, Chief Executive Officer for University Hospital; Broward County Vice Mayor Michael Udine; Tamarac Mayor Michelle Gomez; Marie-Paule Jacob Ampuero, MD; and Tamarac North Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Peter Mason. (Second Row L to R): Tamarac Fire Rescue Chief Percy Sayles; Former Tamarac Mayor and current University Hospital Board Member Beth Talabisco; Edward D. Hirsch, MD; and HCA Healthcare Regional Vice President of Post-Acute Services for East and West Florida Divisions Randy Kitchen.
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