Five Questions

>>When Lee Memorial Health System acquired Gulf Coast Hospital and Southwest Florida Regional Medical Center in 2006 from Hospital Corporation of America, it also acquired the facility that was under construction on Daniels Parkway. In March, the new facility—Gulf Coast Medical Center—will open and Southwest Florida Regional will close. The four-story, 349-bed facility is an expansion of the existing Gulf Coast Hospital, projected to cost $285 million. Doug Luckett, who arrived in Southwest Florida in July 2005 as HCA’s market chief operating officer, joined Lee Memorial and will oversee the transition.

1. What are some of the biggest challenges you have in opening the new facility?

Not often do you shut down one facility and move into another. Most expand on their current campus. We have a very detailed move plan. We’ll slow down things like elective admissions and elective surgery about a week before our move date. The sister hospitals will take the emergency room [patient volume]. Lee County EMS has been a great partner in the plan to move patients; much of their resource will be taxed at the time. We have a plan for how to stage patients to make sure all the medications and dietary orders for each patient are maintained at both facilities.

2. In March, won’t you have a heavier patient load?

It depends what season looks like. We can’t really tell. The use rates are declining. In a contracting economy, sometimes people will hold onto their money instead of spending it for elective things. I’ve talked to people in real estate, retail, vacation property management, and nobody has an idea of what’s going to happen. I think our plan is going to be fine no matter what the volume.

3. What services will be at Gulf Coast Medical Center?