A New Patient Tower
The new Gloria Drummond Patient Tower is in its finishing stages. At last! After several years of construction, workers are now putting the finishing touches on what will be a great regional hospital, one that we all can be very proud of. It is being named in memory of Boca Raton Regional Hospital’s founder, Gloria Drummond. The Hospital has come a long way since its opening in 1967. It was born out of tragedy. In April 21, 1962, Robert and Gloria Drummond’s two children – Debra Ann and James Randal – were accidentally poisoned. By the time they reached the nearest hospital some 30 minutes away, doctors were unable to save their lives. The Drummonds, Boca residents, vowed to never let this lack of a local hospital result in the loss of other lives. They pulled together with other local residents and set out to establish a hospital in Boca. Thus began a saga that would culminate in what came to be known as the Boca Raton Community Hospital – (The Miracle on Meadows Road).
Founding Leader
Gloria’s steadfast commitment and leadership helped form the Debbie-Rand Memorial Service League, named in memory of her deceased children. This is the volunteer arm of the Hospital. Over a span of five years, a small cadre of 18 women volunteers grew to over 700 members. Their fundraising effort brought in hundreds of thousands of dollars through a variety of projects and special events ranging from charity balls, golf tournaments, bake sales and the establishment of a thrift shop. These efforts generated the seed money for the building of a 104-bed hospital which opened on July 17, 1967. Through the generosity of many community members, the Hospital continued to grow to meet the needs of the community. Over the next few decades, the population of Boca expanded, and the hospital grew to become the nine floor, 394 bed hospital on the present site. Just as Boca’s population has grown exponentially, so have advances in medicine and technology. To meet that growing need there has been strong, unrelenting financial commitment from our generous community.
The New Tower at Boca Raton Regional Hospital is expected to be fully completed and ready to see patients by June 2026. The Tower will include over 400 all-private, single occupancy patient rooms exceeding the latest safety standards for patient care. It will incorporate the latest in healthcare technologies and design principles that foster a more healing environment.
The nine-story Tower will welcome patients in an inviting new lobby with first floor access to retail dining, a conference and education center, a sanctuary, a public bistro and other conveniences for visitors. The Tower encompasses more than 427,000 square feet. Boca Regional will address an extraordinary community need with the opening of the new Center for Surgical Services. As the Hospital’s surgical volume and complexity continue to grow, larger and more sophisticated operating rooms (ORs) are essential to handle the robotic equipment and technology needed for advanced surgery as well as minimally invasive surgeries. Plans call for twenty brand-new over-sized contemporary operating rooms to be located on the second floor of the new patient tower. Pre- and post-operative units will be adjacent to the ORs for added efficiency. In addition. The Tower will house the new Center for Graduate Medical Education which will more than double the hospital’s existing education space and will help recruit top medical school graduates.
A New Power Plant
As construction planning progressed, it was recognized that the expanded campus needed nearly three-times more energy and utility support than the existing power plant could provide. The planners opted to construct a new central energy plant with much larger generators. It would supply needed normal and emergency power, fire protection and natural gas. The new two-story, 40,000-square-foot energy plant will fully support the campus wide expansion and renovations. The plant is built to withstand a Category 5 hurricane with wind speeds of more than 180 miles an hour. Its generators can also supply back-up power for up to 21 days in the event of electricity loss. This will allow the hospital campus to operate as a safe haven should buildings lose power and utility services.
As you ride by the almost finished construction zone, you can only marvel at the state-of-the-art hospital rising in front of our eyes. I for one can’t wait to see the opening of the finished hospital. In future issues of Viewpointe, I will provide greater details on the progress being made on these and other construction projects on the hospital campus. If you are interested in volunteering at Boca Raton Regional Hospital, please call 561-955-4098. A wonderful experience awaits you. There are many opportunities for you to help staff and patients. Your contribution will be greatly appreciated.
