CEO Message
Dear Friend,
The year 2006 has very special significance for Palmetto General Hospital as we celebrate our hospital’s great history of serving our community for 35 years.
Palmetto General Hospital was originally the vision of 26 physicians practicing in Hialeah who recognized our rapidly growing community’s needs for a high-quality medical center. The nine members of our steering committee helped establish what would later become one of our region's leading hospitals.
Palmetto General Hospital opened its doors January 17, 1971, with just 50 beds, 70 doctors and 100 employees. As part of our commitment to our community and with the help and support of our employees, physicians and volunteers, we continued over the years to expand our facilities and services.
Today, our hospital serves more than 130,000 patients per year and has 360 beds, more than 550 affiliated physicians and 1,300 employees. We have the county’s third-busiest Emergency Department.
Thanks to our staff members’ dedicated service and commitment to excellence, we have received numerous awards and recognitions, such as being selected for six years as an America's Top 100 Hospital by Solucient, a leading health care ratings organization. The annual study identifies superior performance by hospitals in the efficient delivery of services, quality of care and value provided to their patients and communities.
Recently we were also designated a Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence by the American Society for Bariatric Surgery. In addition, we won Tenet’s prestigious Circle of Excellence Award, which honors those Tenet hospitals that have performed at the highest levels during the previous year in the areas of quality, service and operation performance.
Although we appreciate these prestigious honors, we are most honored and grateful for the opportunity to serve you and your loved ones during your time of need. As part of our commitment to excellence, we have continued over the years to expand our facilities and the services we provide. You might notice many new improvements and enhancements to our hospital.
This year we are also celebrating another critical moment in our history: the completion of our multi-million dollar expansion and renovation of our Emergency Department, Maternity Care Center, Critical Care Unit and Surgery Department. These expansions, coupled with the additions of our new Open-Heart Surgery Program, Bariatric Surgery Program and the South Florida Center for Advanced Gynecologic Care, will help raise our hospital to an even higher level.
Despite all these changes at Palmetto General Hospital, at least one thing has remained constant: the commitment of our medical staff, employees and volunteers to provide you and your loved ones with the best-possible service and meet your health care needs.
Our focus now is to continue to distinguish ourselves as a leader in providing health care services to our region. We’re committed to continuously search for new ways to improve the quality of our services and make our hospital the best place for patients to receive care, for physicians to practice and for employees to work.
On behalf of our Board of Directors, Medical Executive Committee and staff, I extend our sincere thanks for all your support of our hospital. We are committed to continuing to fulfill our health care mission of saving and improving lives in 2006 and beyond.
Ana Mederos, MBA Chief Executive Officer
Mission Statement
Mission Statement: To meet the needs of our patients by providing compassionate, quality service.
Vision: Palmetto General Hospital will distinguish itself as a leader in providing health care services and will be recognized for the passion of its people in providing quality, innovative care to the patients it serves in our community.
PGH Facts
• Year opened: 1971
• Number of beds: 360
• Number of employees: 1,500
• Number of affiliated physicians: 750
• Number of volunteers: 300
• Estimated number of patients served annually: 500,000
• 15 NICU Level II beds
• Strong market presence in a rapidly growing community
• Ideal physical location
• Diversity of services
• Teaching facility affiliated with Nova Southeastern University
• High ER volume - third busiest in Miami-Dade County
• Open-heart surgery program slated to begin in 2006
• Five-star maternity program by HealthGrades
• Top 100 Hospital recognition for six years
• Multi-million-dollar expansion of Emergency Department, Maternity Care Center, Critical Care Unit and Surgery Department
• Commitment to Quality initiative
PGH: Yesterday and Today
1971-1977: Added 180 beds
1979: Built 124,000-square- foot medical office building
1985: Added on-campus Same-Day Surgery Center
1990: Opened Maternity Labor & Delivery Unit
1991: Added medical mall and second medical office building
1993: Opened 30,000 sq. ft. Fitness-Rehab Center
1994: Built 48-bed Inpatient Psychiatric Unit
1996: Added 24/7 Pediatrics Emergency Room
2000: Opened “Just for Women” Outpatient Center
2004: Received approval for Open Heart Surgery Program
2004: Established Bariatric Surgery Program
2004: Established the South Florida Center for Advanced Gynecologic Care
2006: Named a Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence by the American Society for Bariatric Surgery
Palmetto General Hospital’s goal is to continue to lead the health care industry by rendering high-quality patient services and clinical care. To accomplish this, we will continue our commitment to a wide range of quality care services by retaining qualified physicians, staff members, advanced medical technology and facilities to provide responsive and compassionate patient care.
As an affiliate of Nova Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine and the American Osteopathic Association-approved traditional internship and family practice residency training program, Palmetto General Hospital's Graduate Medical Education Program facilitates ongoing continuing medical education programs for the medical staff.
Palmetto General Hospital is fully accredited by the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, the nation’s oldest and largest hospital accreditation agency.