NEW PEDIATRIC E.R. OPEN HOUSE AT ADVENTHEALTH WATERMAN ON DEC. 10

Emergency healthcare for kids just got better in Lake County.  AdventHealth Waterman is celebrating the grand opening of the new pediatric Emergency Room (ER) with an open house on December 10.  Patients will begin being admitted this Friday.  The opening marks the completion of the second phase of a 111,000-square-foot, $85 million expansion at the Tavares hospital.  
 
This construction project doubled the footprint of the emergency department and grew capacity from 35 to 58 beds, making it the largest ER facility in Lake County.  It will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.  
 
In addition to adding an eight-bed pediatric ER designed to be child-friendly and scare-free. This phase of the expansion also improved privacy and patient flow within the ER and added a 12-bed area for minor care for adults, such as treating lacerations, broken bones or flu symptoms. Patients in this area will receive rapid treatment, including physician evaluations and test results, and will be discharged to the comfort of their own home.
 
The community is invited to join AdventHealth Waterman for a celebration of this milestone with the whole family on December 10 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.  Attendees will have the opportunity to meet the medical team and tour the new pediatric emergency department. In addition, family activities during the celebration will include free photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus, ornament crafts, a live nativity scene, and more.
 
AdventHealth Waterman currently sees 67,000 patients each year in the ER, including 11,800 pediatric patients. Before this new unit was built, the closest pediatric ERs were in Ocala, Orlando and Gainesville.
 
Last May, Phase I was completed with the construction of the new four-story patient tower dedicated to emergency care, women’s services, pediatrics, inpatient rehabilitation and future growth.  
 
That first phase grew AdventHealth Waterman from 269 beds to 287 beds and added 38 new ER beds. With the completion of Phase II now, the hospital is opening an additional 20 ER beds which includes the new eight-bed pediatric ER.

The second floor of the patient tower is home to the 24-bed Center for Women and Children and includes gynecology, labor and delivery, postpartum care and inpatient pediatrics.
 
The third floor is still under construction and will soon bring a brand-new healthcare service to the Lake County community: a 12-bed inpatient rehabilitation unit that opens to patients on Dec. 13.

​The fourth floor is shelled for future growth. The patient tower was constructed to support an additional future expansion and could one day add two more floors, bringing the tower up to six floors.
 
This project is the largest investment in a healthcare facility in Lake County’s history since AdventHealth Waterman’s Tavares campus was completed more than 15 years ago.
 
AdventHealth Waterman is located at 1000 Waterman Way in Tavares.  To learn more, visit WatermanPedsER.com. Community members can RSVP for the December 10 celebration by calling 352-253-3634.

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