Consumer Convenience Drives Expansion of Services Across Region

Central Florida continues to grow at unprecedented rates. So do residents’ expectations for connected, quality healthcare that’s near where they live and work.

“Consumers tell us they want convenient access to healthcare services so it’s easier to take care of themselves and their families,” says Greg Ohe, Orlando Health senior vice president for ambulatory services. To meet those needs, Orlando Health is expanding its range of facilities and services across the region.

“One of the biggest initiatives underway is our proposed affiliation with Lakeland Regional Health in Lakeland, Florida,” says David Strong, Orlando Health president and chief executive officer. “We have signed a letter of intent and expect the affiliation to be finalized in October.”

Like Orlando Health, Lakeland Regional Health is a private, not-for-profit healthcare system that has a long legacy of caring for its community. It includes Lakeland Regional Health Medical Center, Florida’s fifth-largest hospital and the nation’s busiest emergency room.

“This affiliation will create an integrated regional healthcare system that enables us to expand clinical programs, improve patient access and manage population health across the region, as we jointly work toward enhancing the clinical quality of the services we both provide our patients and communities,” says Strong.

Outpatient Imaging Services

Orlando Health Imaging Centers now offers advanced imaging services at six locations throughout the Orlando metro area. The newest location opened in May at the Orlando Health Medical Pavilion — Spring Lake, expanding access to outpatient imaging services in the Dr. Phillips area. Its Women’s Imaging Center features an upscale, spa-like environment with the highest level of personalized care, says Ohe. A private suite with gown warmers and beverage service ensures patients’ comfort, while state-of-the-art technology provides exceptional quality.

Next-day appointments are available at OHIC locations, which do not charge a facility fee. Besides the Dr. Phillips area, OHIC outpatient imaging services can be found in Ocoee, downtown Orlando, Altamonte Springs and Sanford.

Each location offers a variety of imaging services, including open and closed 3T MRIs, PET/CT, ultrasounds, digital X-rays, mammography with TOMO and DEXA (services vary by location). Medical Center Radiology Group oversees quality standards at all facilities, ensuring access to a range of board-certified and sub-specialty radiologists.

Advanced Cancer Care 

“A cancer diagnosis is a life-changing event and we know how important it is to patients to receive their cancer treatment close to home,” says Dr. Mark Roh, president of Orlando Health UF Health Cancer Center. That’s why Orlando Health has opened two freestanding cancer care facilities — one in Lake Mary and the other near South Lake Hospital — over the last 18 months.

Two more treatment facilities are scheduled to open next year — one on the Dr. P. Phillips Hospital campus and the other on the Health Central Hospital campus. The cancer center in Ocoee will feature a state-of-the-art ViewRay unit, one of only two in Florida, which uses magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to monitor tumors in patients undergoing radiation therapy.

Medical Pavilions

With a range of integrated services and physicians under one roof, Orlando Health Medical Pavilion — Spring Lake delivers one-stop shopping to consumers, says Ohe. “For the best experience, consumers want their primary care physicians near specialists and all of them close to diagnostic services, such as imaging and

labs. Patients want a café so they can eat something after a blood draw and a pharmacy to fill prescriptions after a doctor visit. They want one-stop shopping,” he says. “That’s what healthcare consumers will find at Orlando Health Medical Pavilion — Spring Lake.”

Located in the Dr. Phillips area, it’s the first such design in Central Florida and a rarity in the nation. The 60,000-square-foot pavilion opened in January and has offices for more than 30 physicians representing a dozen specialties. “This concept is something we really believe in,” says Ohe. Plans are underway for other medical pavilions in Orange, Seminole, Lake and Osceola counties.

Freestanding Emergency Rooms

Next year, Orlando Health will open a 78,000-square-foot freestanding emergency room and connected medical office building at Horizon West in West Orange County. The emergency room will feature 24 patient beds and direct access to diagnostic services on the first floor. Medical offices on the second floor will house family and internal medicine physicians, along with cardiology, gastrointestinal and OBGYN specialists.

The first of several planned freestanding emergency rooms, the facility will later include a 103-bed acute care hospital to offer localized inpatient care to the community. Other freestanding emergency rooms are planned in Lake Mary, Kissimmee and Lake County.

For more information about Orlando Health’s locations, go to OrlandoHealth.com/Locations.