Bartow (Fla.) Regional Medical Center has started a $110 million expansion project as of Nov. 6.
Six notes:
1. The project will increase the hospital's bed count from 72 to 90, according to a Nov. 6 news release from Clearwater, Fla.-based BayCare Health System.
2. Bartow's population has increased by about 26% since the hospital's current location opened in 1999.
3. The first phase will expand the emergency department, adding 27 examination areas and increasing space in the sterile processing department.
4. The initial phase is expected to take 16 to 18 months.
5. As part of the project, the ICU will be expanded and relocated, and it will have additional patient rooms.
6. Full construction is expected to take a few years, the release said.