Palms West Hospital expansion begins in January

LOXAHATCHEE — A second area hospital is growing its services and space - and creating more jobs.

In January, crews will start adding a fourth floor to Palms West Hospital's east tower, expanding labs and pediatric and adult medical/surgical areas.

The $16 million expansion, targeted for completion in early 2013, will increase the Southern Boulevard hospital's total number of patient beds to 204 from 175.

"We're responding to the needs of the community," said Palms West CEO Bland Eng.

That involves looking at occupancy rates, which industry standards seek to cap at 80 percent.

Palms West's rate spikes higher during the winter, when more people are in Palm Beach County. And capacity for the units slated for expansion average about 90 percent.

More dramatic, its pediatric rate of occupancy is 97 percent year round.

"We really just outgrew our pediatric unit," said Lisa Gardi, the hospital's marketing director.

Since collaborating with Miami Children's Hospital in October 2010, Palms West has pulled in more specialists, Gardi said. It has four pediatric general surgeons.

The new space will also generate new jobs: 50 hospital positions.

It's unclear how many construction jobs it will create, although local subcontracters will be sought, Eng said.

The Palms West expansion follows a $50 million expansion Wellington Regional Medical Center launched in September and targets for completion by late 2012. That work, which includes a three-story patient-care tower, will bring the hospital's total number of beds to 207. The expansion is expected to yield 100 permanent jobs.

The combined expansions confirm central-western Palm Beach County's growth - and might herald more, said Jaene Miranda, CEO of the Palms West Chamber of Commerce.

"Our area appears to be gaining ground from the standpoint of offering top-notch medical services," Miranda said. "If you're doing well, your companies invest in expansion. It's kind of just snowballing into something great for our community."

County commissioners approved Palms West's project in late October. Construction will add 43,199 square feet to the 229,131-square-foot hospital.

Palms West's most recent expansion, $14 million, was in 2005 and built the third floor of the hospital's east wing. The hospital is part of HCA Healthcare.