HCA Florida Lawnwood Hospital Opens New Level III NICU Expansion

FORT PIERCE, Fla. (September 1, 2023) – HCA Florida Lawnwood Hospital, a 435-bed full-service acute care facility and part of HCA Florida Healthcare, the largest healthcare system in the state, today announced the opening of it’s Level III NICU expansion.
 
Lawnwood Hospital's NICU opened in 2009, serving the Treasure Coast community for more than a decade. Located in one of the fastest-growing counties in the state, the NICU is growing by five state-of-the-art suites bringing the total unit bed count to 20.
 
“This expansion allows us to serve even more premature babies, giving the best possible start in life,” said HCA Florida Lawnwood Hospital Chief Executive Officer Eric Goldman. “The renovated space includes the latest technology required for providing the highly specialized care required in a neonatal intensive care unit.”
 
The $6.3 million expansion and renovation of the hospital’s previous Level II and Level III NICU increased unit square footage to 1,463 and added 17 jobs to the facility.
Lawnwood Hospital’s expanded NICU is located on the hospital’s highly-secured second floor. The newly renovated space features a soothing color palette and natural light. Freeform shapes are complemented by calming patterns paired with photography of adorable baby animals.
 
The newly expanded space offers:
•            10 Level III spacious rooms, each with a crib or isolette
•            Comfortable gliding chairs for parents and caregivers
•            Centrally located nurse and physician workspaces for quick access to patients
•            In-unit overnight neonatalogist sleep suite
 
“We are committed to ensuring our tiniest patients thrive,” said HCA Florida Lawnwood Hospital NICU director Marissa O’Dowd, RN, BSN, CPN. “We have a team of board-certified, fellowship trained neonatologists and highly-trained nurses in our NICU. The new space provides our clinical team with state-of-the-art equipment to provide the highest level of care for our patients, including those facing extremely complex medical issues.”
 
Lawnwood Hospital’s NICU is now the largest on the Treasure Coast, with 20 beds, including two isolation rooms.
 
Renovation of the unit started in October of 2022. Level II and Level III NICU operations were not impacted during construction.
 
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PHOTO ID: HCA Florida Lawnwood Hospital celebrates grand opening of NICU expansion with a ribbon-cutting. From left to right: Dr. Alex Koetzel, Marissa O'Dowd, Dr. Michael Bakerman, Dr. Heather Smith, Karen Giovengo, J. Gaines, Dr. Gisela Diaz, Cheryl Nail, Eric Goldman, Sasha Bass, Renee Cross, Alex Masmela