March 26, 2019
West Columbia, S.C. – Lexington Medical Center began treating patients in its new tower today, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. At 545,000 square feet, the project is the largest hospital expansion in South Carolina history.
Videos, photographs, sound bites and information about the new building can all be easily downloaded on an online media kit at LMCExpansion.com.
The tower features patient rooms, operating rooms, educational space for staff and community members, and enhanced dining options, and expands 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 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.”
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.
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.
