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A Hospital Reborn: South Broward Public Health District Marks Significant Progress In $88M Renovation Of 70-Year-Old Memorial Regional Hospital

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Hospital associate administrator Jon Pickett says a birthplace expansion is 60% complete.

Renovations and expansion of the trauma center and emergency room likewise are progressing, he says.

The hospital devoted $68 million to expanding the birthing center, redesigning a full floor to include all private rooms, a family lounge, classrooms for new parent classes and a simulation lab. The hospital says it leads Broward County hospitals in the number of babies born.

The system is spending another $20 million upgrading its Level 1 Trauma Center and emergency room to enhance its ability to deal with critical cases and mass casualty events. The hospital says its 94,000 ER visits in 2022 are the second highest number in Florida.

“This investment reflects the hospital’s commitment to remaining at the forefront of medical advancements and reflects our unwavering dedication to the community we serve,” says Peter Powers, CEO, Memorial Regional Hospital.

Completion of birth center work is scheduled for late 2024. The trauma center work will be completed in early 2025.

Memorial opened with 100 beds in a one-story building in 1953. It’s now among the larger hospitals in the state with 863 beds.

  • Orlando Health is building a $160-million Children’s Pavilion focused on specialized children’s care with an opening planned for 2026. The six-story building will be across from Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children and will bring more than 30 pediatric specialties together, with a goal of streamlining care for kids and their parents.
  • HCA Florida Healthcare opened a freestanding HCA Florida Mount Dora Emergency center in Eustis. The 11,000-sq.-ft. facility features 11 treatment rooms and a suite of on-site diagnostic imaging tools and will operate 24 hours a day.
  • UF Health is converting a former CVS pharmacy at in Eustis into a free-standing 24-hour emergency room with an expected opening in March. The system is also looking to break ground on an emergency room in Clermont, with an opening in late 2024.

 

Source: Florida Trend

CVS Considering $10B Purchase Of Oak Street Health

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CVS is reportedly looking to expand its healthcare offerings by purchasing Oak Street Health.

The acquisition would value Oak Street at more than $10 billion, Bloomberg News reported late Monday (Jan. 9), citing sources with knowledge of the matter who said talks between the two companies are ongoing. PYMNTS has reached out to both companies; CVS declined to comment and Oak Street did not reply.

The deal would further expand CVS’ move into the world of primary care. The pharmacy giant last year agreed to purchase Signify Health in an $8 billion deal.

Headquartered in Dallas, Signify has a network of 10,000 medical professionals in all 50 states and uses analytics and technology to offer in-home care to health plans, employers, physician groups and health systems.

“This acquisition will enhance our connection to consumers in the home and enable providers to better address patient needs as we execute our vision to redefine the health care experience,” said CVS Health President and CEO Karen S. Lynch. “In addition, this combination will strengthen our ability to expand and develop new product offerings in a multi-payor approach.”

Last year also saw the debut of CVS Health Virtual Primary Care, a virtual care solution available through a digital platform.

“The program connects CVS Health’s services, clinical expertise, and data for a more coordinated and consumer-centric health care experience,” CVS said in May 2022, adding it “enables consumers to choose care when and where they want, continuing CVS’ shift into primary care.”

The company was also considering the purchase of Cano Health, which operates primary care centers in eight states and works mostly with patients from the Medicare Advantage program.

Oak Street, founded in 2012, serves Medicare recipients and has locations in 21 states, according to its website. It specializes in preventative care, “including personalized wellness plans, integrated health services, and educational and social activities,” the website says.

And CVS isn’t alone in shifting more directly into healthcare. As PYMNTS noted in September of last year, “Big Retail” has helped usher the healthcare industry fully into the 21st century.

“For the Walmarts and the Amazons of the world, offering value care and virtual care creates a new avenue to connect payments to a broader ecosystem,” PYMNTS wrote.

To that end, Walmart joined forces with UnitedHealth Group in a deal that, among other things,  offers virtual healthcare services through a 10-year partnership. Amazon, meanwhile, announced last July that it was purchasing tech-powered primary care provider One Medical for about $3.9 billion.

 

Source: PYMNTS

CVS Plans To Get Into Primary Care By The End of 2022

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CVS just said that it plans to acquire or take a stake in a primary-care company by the end of the year, as competition heats up with Amazon and Walgreens.

 “The company wants to team up with a provider that has a strong management team and tech background and the ability to grow quickly,” said CEO Karen Lynch on the company’s second-quarter earnings call

CVS, best known for its many drugstores, has touchpoints across the health-care industry. It has acquired insurer Aetna and pharmacy benefits manager Caremark. Customers can get vaccines or urgent care at MinuteClinic outposts inside of its stores. And the company keeps adding more health services to those locations, too — it recently introduced therapy for mental health at some stores.

CVS doesn’t yet have doctor offices where patients can go for an annual checkup or appointments with a physician or nurse practitioner, though.

“CVS wants to change that by buying or partnering with a company.” said Lynch at an investor day last year.

At the time, Dr. Alan Lotvin, executive vice president of CVS Health and president of CVS Caremark, said he envisioned CVS standing out in primary care. The company wants to offer longer hours at its doctor offices so people can visit as early as 6 a.m., as late as 9 p.m., or on the weekends. It also wants to utilize simple, streamlined tech, so customers don’t have to fill out piles of paperwork.

Other health-care players have already made moves in the space. Rival Walgreens Boots Alliance is opening hundreds of doctor offices in partnership with VillageMD and became the majority owner of the company. Walmart has a small, but growing number of clinics where people can visit a doctor, dentist or therapist for a low price.

Amazon ratcheted up pressure by announcing last month that it would acquire primary-care provider One Medical for about $3.9 billion. The boutique health-care company has 188 medical offices across 25 markets, according to its latest quarterly results.

“CVS has a competitive edge with the size of its business,” Lynch said. “Nearly 4.8 million customers interact with the company each day at CVS locations. MinuteClinic visits increased 12% in the second quarter. CVS can build from the strong foundation that we already have.”

 

Source: CNBC