Midwest Regional Medical Center has begun construction on expanding the hospital’s patient tower. The $25 million expansion will add a seventh and eighth floor consisting of 47,000 square feet that includes private and semi-private rooms. Completion of the project is expected by August 2010.

“The project was initiated in response to the demand for our services,” stated Page Vaughan, Midwest Regional Chief Executive Officer. “Our primary service area is eastern Oklahoma County which continues to grow, and as a result, we have an obligation to continue to meet the healthcare needs of our community,” said Vaughan.

The plans will add 102 beds to the medical center, increasing the total bed count from 255 to 357. The new floors will be used to treat medical and surgical patients.

The architectural firm commissioned for the expansion project is JHBR Architecture and M.J. Harris is the general contractor firm.

J. Guy Henson, City Manager for Midwest City, stated that the City's Hospital Authority is very pleased to have participated in this great project by securing the $25 million funding required for the project, which will be repaid by HMA in monthly installments. The financing for the project was made possible by BancFirst and First National Bank of Midwest City. He added, "We are very happy to have such a great partnership with the hospital and look forward to working with them for many years to come. They are a wonderful asset to our community."

One of the most evident areas of growth the medical center has seen in the past few years is in the emergency department. Emergency room visits continue to climb each year.

“The number of emergency room visits is fifteen percent higher than it was four years ago, and that translates to an additional 8,000 visits per year,” said Vaughan. Many of the patients coming to the ED are critically ill, meaning that they need to be admitted versus just treated and discharged.

The medical center has also grown in terms of medical staff. Fifteen physicians were added to the medical staff in 2008 and this year recruitment efforts are expected to add an additional seventeen physicians to the staff. Some of the more recent additions include specialists in neurosurgery, cardiovascular/thoracic surgery, endocrinology and nephrology. Many of the physicians joining the medical staff this year will be added to busy partnerships ranging from family practice to specialists such as pulmonology, orthopedics, OB/GYN and cardiology.

The recent addition of new equipment such as a 64-slice CT machine and the daVinci® Robotic Surgical System has allowed physicians to better serve their patients with cutting-edge technology. Midwest Regional was the first hospital in the metro to acquire the robotics surgical system, which offers a minimally invasive approach to surgeries leading to a quicker recovery time in most cases.

Vaughan stated that the medical center has comprehensive service lines including cardiac care, orthopedics and neurosurgery. Additionally, he added that the increase in medical staff along with a higher acuity patient base impacts the center. “The expansion is an opportunity for us to invest in our growing community to better serve our patients and the physicians who take care of them.”

The medical center expansion will also have a positive impact on the economy. Approximately two hundred and fifty positions will be created. In addition to nursing staff increases, ancillary departments such as laboratory, radiology, respiratory and nutrition will grow as well. The total payroll increase will be just under $1 million.

“I would like to thank our patients, their families, physicians and the community leaders who support our mission so well and allow us to expand with our community. Improved access and expanded services will be of great benefit to everyone,” said Vaughan.

A vital community resource since 1962, Midwest Regional Medical Center is a 255-bed acute-care hospital that is owned and operated by Health Management Associates (HMA). Located in Midwest City, Midwest Regional provides comprehensive medical care from diagnosis to treatment for a full range of illnesses, injuries, and disorders.