March 20, 2019
West Columbia, S.C.– Lexington Medical Center will host a celebration on Thursday, March 21, 2019 to dedicate the hospital’s new patient care tower. At 545,000 square feet, the project is the largest hospital expansion in South Carolina history. Members of the news media are invited to attend and cover the event, which is by invitation only. The celebration begins at 5:00 p.m. inside the atrium of the new tower, and will include remarks and tours.
“Lexington Medical Center is integral to our community and woven into its fabric – today and forever. The hospital’s mission is to meet the health needs of our community, and we’re committed to taking care of our families, friends and neighbors,” said Tod Augsburger, president & CEO of Lexington Medical Center. “We look forward to this new tower serving the people of the Midlands for many years to come.”
The first patients will be treated in the new tower on Tuesday, March 26, 2019.
The tower features patient rooms, operating rooms, educational space for staff and community members, and enhanced dining options, as well as expand the hospital’s Labor and Delivery, and Mother/Baby departments.
Six floors of Lexington Medical Center’s new patient care tower accommodate medical, critical care and surgical patients. Not only does the hospital operate one of the busiest Emergency departments in the state, it is one of the busiest surgical hospitals in South Carolina, performing more than 20,000 surgeries last year. Lexington Medical Center built eight operating rooms in the new tower and expanded its surgical recovery area.
Lexington Medical Center’s expansion project delivers an even better patient experience for expectant families. Welcoming more than 3,300 babies each year, the hospital is consistently recognized as one of the best maternity hospitals in South Carolina.
The new Labor and Delivery unit has a dedicated area for patients who come to the hospital in labor or those who need temporary evaluation. There are also six antepartum rooms for patients who may need extensive long-term monitoring, a completely dedicated Mother/Baby unit for postpartum patients, a Level 2 Special Care Nursery and a Newborn Nursery.
One of the best features of the new patient care tower is the 20-bed Special Care Nursery. The hospital’s tiniest patients have private rooms, which is a new model of care for Lexington Medical Center. Research has shown that private rooms for special care infants provide more bonding opportunities for mothers and their babies, offer a safe environment for education, lead to better outcomes for babies’ growth and lower infection rates.
Since opening in 1971, Lexington Medical Center has delivered more than 100,000 babies. To celebrate the legacy of welcoming thousands of bundles of joy into the world, the hospital collected more than 4,000 photos of babies born there throughout the years. The photos are now in a mosaic inside the new tower.
Members of the public can come see the baby mosaic beginning Tuesday, March 26. Go through the door of the hospital’s Main Entrance on East Hospital Drive.
A new parking garage adds more than 950 parking spaces to the hospital’s campus, and a central energy plant supports the service needs of the new tower. The three-year project also included the expansion and addition of support spaces, such as a physician on-call area, indoor and outdoor dining options, and an education conference center.
The reception begins at 5:00 p.m. inside the atrium of the new tower. Members of the news media should enter the hospital campus on East Hospital Drive. Pass the Emergency department on the left. Park in the parking lot to the right of the new tower. Remarks will take place at 5:45 p.m. Then, guests will be invited to take tours. News media who would like to attend should contact Lexington Medical Center Public Relations Manager Jennifer Wilson at 803-939-4512 or by email at jawilson2@lexhealth.org.
Media kits will be available to reporters on Thursday, March 21 and will include photos, video, interviews and information about the new patient care tower.
A photo of the new tower is attached to this news release.
Lexington Medical Center is a 607-bed teaching hospital in West Columbia, South Carolina. It anchors a health care network that includes five community medical centers and employs a staff of more than 8,000 health care professionals. The hospital is ranked best hospital in the Columbia Metro and #2 hospital in South Carolina by U.S. News & World Report and was named one of the “Best Places to Work in South Carolina” by SC Biz News, in partnership with the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce and Best Companies Group. Lexington Medical Cancer Center is an accredited Cancer Center of Excellence and has a clinical research and education affiliation with MUSC Hollings Cancer Center. The network includes a cardiovascular program recognized by the American College of Cardiology as South Carolina's first HeartCARE Center. The network also has an occupational health center, the largest skilled nursing facility in the Carolinas, an Alzheimer's care center and more than 70 physician practices. Lexington Medical Center operates one of the busiest Emergency departments in South Carolina, treating nearly 100,000 patients each year. The hospital delivers more than 4,000 babies each year and performs more than 25,000 surgeries. Its postgraduate medical education programs include family medicine and transitional year residencies.
