b>Arlington Memorial Hospital Readies For Largest Expansion In Its 47-Year History
ARLINGTON, Texas, Dec. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Arlington Memorial Hospital (AMH), the hub of community health care in the Arlington - Mansfield - Grand Prairie area, is expanding to meet the increasing health care needs of the growing communities around it. Representatives from the hospital and its parent organization, Arlington-based Texas Health Resources (THR), announced plans today for a $76 million surgical tower - the largest one-time construction in the facility's 47-year history.
"This is the next great step for Arlington Memorial," said Oscar L. Amparan, president of the hospital and executive vice president of Texas Health Resources. "The city of Arlington and the surrounding communities have counted on Arlington Memorial for almost half a century. Arlington Memorial and THR are committed to providing patients and their physicians with facilities, technologies and services that are advanced, convenient, comfortable and family-friendly." Amparan was appointed president of AMH in June.
The new six-story surgical tower, approved by both the AMH and THR Boards of Trustees, will increase the hospital's size by more than 200,000 square feet, adding 16 operating rooms for inpatient and day surgery, plus 48 private patient rooms. Groundbreaking for the tower is scheduled for Feb. 9, with completion expected in September 2007.
Texas Health Resources President and CEO Doug Hawthorne said the expansion, which is part of an overall 10-year, $1.5 billion growth plan for the 13-hospital system, follows THR's mission to improve the health of the people in the communities it serves.
"There is a direct correlation between the health of people in a community and their access to care," Hawthorne said. "We believe it is essential to provide access to advanced care near where people live and work. This much- needed expansion will enable Arlington Memorial to continue to be the center of health care in the community."
Arlington Memorial's central Arlington location positions it as the nexus for health care services to the communities of Arlington, Grand Prairie and Mansfield. These three communities have experienced significant population growth during the past few years, and Arlington Memorial is stepping up to the challenge of supporting the needs of this fast-growing and diverse population, Amparan said.
"These additions of new operating rooms, private patient rooms and new technology are exciting news for the community and our medical staff," said Dr. Stephen Lenhoff, chief of the medical staff at AMH. "We will be able to offer our patients some of the most advanced procedures available in this region."
Amparan thanked the hospital's partners for supporting the new project.
"The strength of the Texas Health Resources system, the ongoing generosity of community-minded donors and Arlington Memorial's long-established relationships with physicians make this expansion possible," Amparan added.
Contractors for the project include architectural firms HKS for the new construction and LBL, which will work with HKS on the renovation aspects of the project. The construction company is Centex.
About Arlington Memorial Hospital
Arlington Memorial Hospital has provided quality health care since 1958. Comprehensive services include emergency care, The Heart Pavilion with cardiovascular services, critical care units, a dialysis/aphaeresis unit, oncology, orthopedics, digestive health, The Women's & Children's Center, a level III neonatal intensive care unit, surgical suites and a pediatric unit. Other specialty areas include the mammography center; outpatient rehabilitation, including physical, occupational and speech therapy; a fitness center for cardiac rehabilitation; and the Arlington Memorial imaging center.
About Texas Health Resources
Texas Health Resources is one of the largest faith-based, nonprofit health care delivery systems in the United States. The 13-hospital system is the largest in North Texas in terms of patients served and includes Arlington Memorial Hospital, Harris Methodist Hospitals and Presbyterian Healthcare System. For more information about Arlington Memorial Hospital and Texas Health Resources, visit http://www.texashealth.org.
Arlington Memorial HospitalCONTACT: Valarie Wallace, Public Relations of Arlington Memorial Hospital,+1-817-548-6505; or Kent Best, Public Relations of Texas Health Resources,+1-817-462-6385
Web site: http://www.texashealth.org//