Bay Medical Sacred Heart announced today it is resuming inpatient care on January 2, 2019. As the hospital reopens inpatient and ambulatory services in stages, the initial focus will be on heart care, surgery, and trauma care.
“Bay Medical has served Bay County and the surrounding area for 70 years, and we’re proud of the role we’ve played in the growth and health of our city and Bay County,” stated CEO Scott Campbell. “We hope our return will be a significant sign of the renewal taking place across this region. We look forward to continuing to grow far into the future.”
The Area’s Only Trauma Center
Bay Medical is the only trauma center between Pensacola and Tallahassee. As a Level II trauma center, the hospital provides general and orthopedic surgeons, trauma surgeons, neurosurgeons, and multiple surgical and non-surgical specialists within 30 minutes or less, 24 hours a day. “Our clinicians understand the critical nature of providing this level of care and have the training to manage traumatic injury,” said Campbell.
Phase One: Inpatient Care, Surgical, and Heart Services
Bay Medical intends to meet the evolving needs of the community by appropriately matching services to the needs of the post-hurricane population. The hospital’s first phase of reopening includes 75 inpatient rooms, including 15 intensive care beds and 60 medical-surgical beds, as well as eight operating rooms and five heart catheterization labs.
“Ascension and Sacred Heart are extraordinarily grateful for the tremendous work and the sacrifices made by the faithful employees of Bay Medical Sacred Heart. These dedicated professionals have maintained emergency services for the individuals and families of Panama City and Bay County without interruption since Hurricane Michael, and they have played an integral role in our ability to re-open our inpatient facilities today,” said Tom VanOsdol, president and CEO of Ascension Florida.
Ascension has announced plans to fully acquire Bay Medical early next year from Ardent Health, which currently holds the majority interest in the joint venture company that leases the Bay Medical land and buildings. If approved, the deal will allow Sacred Heart to take over as sole operator of the hospital and its affiliated physician offices.
“Bay Medical is an essential provider of health services in Panama City and Bay County,” Van Osdol said. “As the community rebuilds, we will grow and transform along with community, offering a full continuum of vital health services in the way that best serves the needs of the individuals and families of the broader regional community. Ascension Sacred Heart has been blessed to serve individuals and families from across Northwest Florida for more than 100 years. We are committed to improving convenient access to the highest-quality and most advanced care, leveraging the strength and resources of the nation’s largest not-for-profit health system to improve and transform healthcare in Bay County and across the Panhandle.”
As the only local hospital providing open heart surgery, Bay Medical will continue to offer the heart diagnostic and surgical procedures for which it is best known, including angioplasty and stent placement to open clogged blood vessels in the heart.
“Our surgical suites provide the latest technology for orthopedic surgery and neurosurgery, as well as laparoscopic and endoscopic—minimally invasive—procedures. Our robotic surgical equipment offers patients a less invasive surgical option for certain procedures with dramatically reduced side effects and a quicker recovery. We also provide convenient outpatient surgery with the security of an acute care hospital’s resources,” stated Campbell.
Two ERs: Main Campus and on the Beach
Emergency services at the Bonita Avenue main campus have been continuous since Hurricane Michael. In addition to the main campus ER, Bay Medical has a freestanding emergency room located at 11111 Panama City Beach Parkway in Panama City Beach. Both locations provide 24-hour emergent care by board-certified physicians for life-threatening injuries and illnesses.
The main emergency department is equipped with three extra-large trauma rooms as well as 28 private treatment rooms, including specialized areas for pediatrics, ENT, obstetrics, orthopedics, and psychiatry. Additionally, an eight-bed fast track unit provides more rapid assessment and treatment of patients with illnesses and injuries that are not serious or life-threatening.
The second location, Bay Medical Beach ER, has 10 treatment rooms, including space for trauma, OB/GYN, isolation and seclusion. The facility is open 24/7, providing much-needed emergency care for tourists, vacationers, snowbirds and beach residents.
Physician Offices
In the days immediately following the hurricane, Bay Medical recognized that one of the community’s greatest needs would be access to physicians. “The patient care delivery system had to be redesigned because a number of medical offices were damaged beyond use. We moved quickly to reestablish space so that our employed physicians could care for their patients at our three open offices on the Beach,” Campbell explained.
To assist area physicians in finding help to tarp roofs and manage medical record retention, Bay Medical opened a community physician resource center with a clearinghouse of available rental space, remediation companies, and construction resources. The majority of physicians have now returned to their original offices or have secured long-term office space.
The Bay medical staff represents over 20 medical and surgical specialties serving the needs of the entire family, from primary care to cardiac surgery. For more information about physicians, call 850-770-3002.
