Back to home June 2012
Lee Memorial Health System
Cape Coral Hospital Celebrates 35 Years of Caring for the Community
When Cape Coral Hospital opened its doors to the community on July 5, 1977,
administrators were not prepared for the number of patients who would walk
through the door. The staff expected four or five patients to visit the emergency
department on a typical day. Within two days, more than 22 people sought
emergency care.
"We didn't know what to expect, but we knew the community needed an acute care facility," says Donna Giannuzzi, RN, chief patient care officer. Donna worked as a floor nurse when the hospital opened, and was on call 24 hours a day. "We did everything we could to accommodate patients," Donna says. "We have been through a great deal since then, but every time we have had a crisis, the hospital has endured."
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| Notable moments include: | |
|---|---|
| 1978 | The hospital seeks an expansion of 100 beds and adds a 3,000 square foot emergency department |
| 1981 | 80-bed expansion approved at a cost of $12 million |
| 1989-90 | Capital campaign and construction of 3,200 square feet cardiac catheterization lab; construction and equipment estimated at $1.9 million |
| 1990 | Opening of MRI center; construction begins to double the size of the Emergency Department |
| 1991 | Hospital receives state approval for $9.7 million, 107-bed expansion—for the sixth, seventh and eighth floors above west wing |
| 1993 | Auxiliary volunteers hit 1,000 |
| 1996 | Lee Memorial Health System buys Cape Coral Hospital |
| 2000-201 | Hospital continues to expand and receives numerous awards, including the 2004-2005 Consumer Choice Award, 2005 Distinguished Hospital Award for Patient Safety and the 2005 Women's Health Excellence Award |
| 201: | Updates continue, including the grand reopening of the gift shop, and renovations to the Emergency Department and cafeteria. The hospital has 291 beds. |
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"We are excited about the hospital's future," says Scott Kashman, chief administrative officer. "We are constantly looking for ways to improve our service to the community and ways to connect with our patients. Looking 35 years into the future, I see a state-of-the-art hospital that will continue to grow and change with the community."
"We are excited about the hospital's future," says Scott Kashman, chief administrative officer. "