Orlando Regional Medical Center
Orlando Regional Medical Center (ORMC), is a 808-bed tertiary hospital in downtown Orlando, Florida and is the flagship medical center of Orlando Health. ORMC is home to Central Florida’s only Level One Trauma Center, which is one of only six in the state. It is Florida’s first Level One Trauma Center to have an accredited Chest Pain Center and is supported by Central Florida’s only hospital-based emergency air rescue transport service. ORMC specializes in trauma care, critical care, emergency care, cardiology, orthopedics and neurosciences. Additionally, ORMC provides diagnostic and laboratory testing, medical and surgical services, intensive and progressive care, and wound management. ORMC also operates one of the state’s regional burn and tissue rehabilitation centers and houses other services including epilepsy monitoring and an in-patient acute rehabilitation program at its Lucerne Pavilion. ORMC provides a wide range of medical services to treat memory disorder, epilepsy and is home to specialty centers, including the Orlando Health Rehabilitation Institute (OHRI), which includes the Brain Injury Rehabilitation Program (BIRC) and outpatient surgery services. As one of the state’s six major teaching hospitals, ORMC offers graduate medical education in several specialties, including emergency medicine, OB/GYN, orthopedics, pediatrics and general surgery. Fellowship programs include colon rectal surgery, critical care surgery, pediatric orthopedics and hematology/oncology.
Emergency and Trauma Care
ORMC is home to Central Florida's only Level 1 Trauma Center, which offers a level of expertise and care beyond that of a typical emergency department. ORMC is also home to the area’s only air ambulance service. The Air Care Team, founded in 1985, is comprised of three medical helicopters that service a 90-mile radius that includes 10 counties in Central Florida. Since its inception, the Air Care Team has flown over 19,000 patients and 1.2 million accident-free miles on their rescue and transport missions. ORMC is widely known for its Level 1 Trauma Center, which sees more than 85,000 patients per year including 3,400 major trauma cases. ORMC’s life-saving surgical and medical care is available, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Graduate Medical Education
ORMC is one of the state's six major teaching hospitals and the only designated teaching hospital in Central Florida. ORMC offers seven ACGME-accredited residency programs: Emergency Medicine, Internal Medicine, OB-GYN, Orthopaedic Surgery, Pathology, Pediatrics and Surgical Education. ORMC also offers ten fellowship programs: Administrative/Research, Emergency Medical Services, Ultrasound, Hematology/Oncology, Pediatric Orthopedics, Orthopedic Trauma, Pediatric Sports Medicine, Colon Rectal Surgery, Surgical Critical Care and Surgical Trauma. Medical students from universities across the country, including Florida State University, University of Florida and University of South Florida, come to ORMC to complete their medical education and training.
ORMC specializes in the following areas:
- Colon and Rectal Surgery
- Critical Care
- Emergency Medicine
- Endoscopy
- Gastroenterology
- General Surgery
- Heart and Vascular Services
- Infectious Diseases
- Level One Trauma Care
- Minimally Invasive Surgery/Robotics
- Neurosciences
- Orthopedics/Sports Medicine
- Research
- Weight Loss (Bariatric) Surgery
- Brain Injury Rehabilitation Center
- Spinal Cord Rehabilitation
Services at ORMC
Heart and Vascular Center
ORMC is one of the most advanced and comprehensive centers for heart and vascular medicine in Florida. ORMC utilizes the latest technology and treatments for fighting heart and vascular disease, and offers diagnostic and interventional procedures, surgery and rehabilitation.
ORMC’s Heart and Vascular Center provides:
- Comprehensive heart care
- Accredited Chest Pain Center
- Minimally Invasive procedures
- Non-invasive procedures
- Rehabilitation
- Research
- Surgery
- Support groups
Cancer Care
ORMC is affiliated with MD Anderson Cancer Center Orlando, which provides Central Florida with one of the region’s most comprehensive and specialized cancer programs – from screening and early detection, to diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation.
Critical Care
Led by board-certified intensivist, ORMC’s Critical Care units provide patients with intense treatment, close monitoring, and patient-focused care. Care is provided through professionals from various disciplines, including specialized nurses, respiratory therapists, physical therapists, dietitians, pharmacists, case managers and chaplains. The Critical Care units are equipped with the latest and most advanced monitoring technology available, including the only robot-assisted monitoring unit in the area. The RP-7 robot has a human-like stature with a video monitor acting as a face, and is located in the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Using a special laptop, a specially trained physician controls the robot’s digital cameras to zoom and focus on a patient to help determine the best course of treatment. This method is often used to reduce potential infection and allows physicians to virtually be in two places at once.
Neurosciences
ORMC offers services to diagnosis and treat neurological disorders. Neuroscience is a specialized area of medicine that diagnoses and treats conditions that affect the neurological system (i.e., brain, spinal cord, nerves). ORMC has one of the state’s only Memory Disorder Centers, a dedicated Stroke Center and a variety of experts knowledgeable in treating epilepsy, brain aneurysms, multiple sclerosis, spine disorders and brain tumors. ORMC also offers a specialized continuum of care for patients with brain and spinal cord injuries to take them from diagnosis through rehabilitation and into recovery.
Areas of specialty include:
- Brain Injury Rehabilitation Center (BIRC)
- Clinical Neuropsychology
- Epilepsy Care
- Memory Disorder Center
- Parkinson’s Disease Management
- Neuro-Oncology Center (brain tumors)
- Neurosurgery
- Spine Care
- Stroke Center
Orthopedics and Sports Medicine
ORMC’s Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Program offers diagnosis and treatment for patients with bone or joint pain. These programs focus on therapeutic services in general orthopedics, joint replacement, physical rehabilitation, orthopedic trauma, hand and upper extremity surgery, foot and ankle surgery, sports medicine, and surgery of the spine. Services at ORMC include minimally invasive joint replacement, bilateral hip replacement to arthroscopy surgery.
ORMC offers the following diagnostic and therapeutic services:
- General orthopedics
- Joint replacement
- Physical rehabilitation
- Orthopedic trauma
- Hand and upper extremity surgery
- Foot and ankle surgery
- Sports medicine
- Spine surgery
Surgery
The surgical team at ORMC utilizes innovative approaches, including minimally invasive surgeries that use tiny incisions to image-guided technologies that enhance precision for selective procedures. ORMC is equipped with two Endovascular Surgery Suite Operating rooms that are designed to create the optimal operating environment for the surgeon, staff and patient. ORMC also uses the da Vinci® Surgical System. This robotic system offers the latest advancement for minimally invasive incisions which decreases blood loss, and helps ensure shorter recovery periods. For patients needing thoracic surgery or prostate or gynecological treatment, the da Vinci System may be an alternative to traditional surgery.
Surgery areas of specialty include:
- Cardiovascular and cardiothoracic surgery
- Colon and rectal surgery
- Emergency surgery
- General surgery
- Gynecology
- Laser surgery
- Minimally invasive and laparoscopic
- Neurosurgery
- Ophthalmology
- Oral and maxillofacial surgery
- Orthopedic
- Otolaryngology (Ear Nose and Throat Surgery)
- Plastic surgery
- Podiatry
- Robot-assisted surgery
- Surgical oncology
- Thoracic surgery
- Urology
- Vascular
- Weight loss surgery (Bariatric)
Rehabilitation
The Orlando Health Rehabilitation Institute (OHRI), located on the downtown campus of ORMC, offers a continuum of rehabilitation services to patients and healthcare providers. The OHRI focuses on the rehabilitation of patients following episodes of hospitalization and to prevent acute episodes of future hospitalization. The Brain Injury Rehabilitation Center (BIRC) and the Spinal Cord Center are a part of OHRI. The OHRI team of rehabilitation clinicians includes physical therapists, nurses, occupational therapists, speech language pathologists, registered dietitians, spiritual care professionals, neuropsychologists and recreational therapists who work together to help each patient reach or exceed rehabilitation potential. This clinical team also includes two physiatrists (doctors who specialize in physical medicine and rehabilitation) as well as access to doctors in all areas as needed by patients. In addition, OHRI provides social work and case management services, providing support to the patient and family/caregiver throughout the patient’s stay, and facilitating a safe and effective transition into the community after discharge.
The rehabilitation program offers:
- Adolescent orthopedics
- Amputee care
- Balance/Vestibular dysfunction
- Biomotion functional capacity evaluation
- Brain injury rehabilitation
- Outpatient rehabilitation
- Community outreach
- Ergonomic/Work station assessments
- Hand rehabilitation
- Neurological rehabilitation
- Spinal cord rehabilitation
- Sports medicine
- Wheelchair evaluation/fitting
History
On November 5, 1918, a small, 50-bed community hospital named Orange General Hospital opened its doors to Central Florida. The hospital opened with two of its four floors completed, one functioning operating room and no gas, electricity or air conditioning. Over the next decade, Orange General continued to add physicians and specialties to its services, growing alongside the city of Orlando. By the early 1940’s Orange County was home to more than 70,000 residents and Orange General was at capacity every day. The hospital converted the dining hall into 15 patient rooms. The hospital also replaced a two-story wing with a new four-story wing with 34 rooms, one operating room and more space for wards. By 1945, Orange General had become the third largest private hospital in the state. Originally built to hold 100 beds, the hospital now held 263 beds and bassinets. The hospital board approved a massive $1 million building project to expand the hospital, but it was impossible to raise the funds needed. In 1946, the hospital changed its name from Orange General Hospital to Orange Memorial Hospital. This would be the first of many name changes. In 1948, the hospital created Florida’s second Cancer Control Clinic, where patients were seen by a six-doctor committee.
1950 - 1980
In 1951, Orange Memorial Hospital was designated one of Florida’s first teaching hospitals by the American Medical Association. The designation as a teaching hospital was, and continues to be a big draw for physicians. Many projects that began in the 1950’s were completed in 1962 when the new A & B wings were finished. This project brought the bed count at Orange Memorial to 600. The expansion added new maternity areas, laboratory and pharmacy departments, additional surgical suites, a recovery room and a central supply area. In 1964, the hospital created the first “Cardiac Arrest Team,” to respond to cardiac emergencies. In 1967, the C wing was completed, bringing the total number of beds to 800. Classrooms and a new 320-seat auditorium were also added. In the early 1970’s, the hospital saw an increased need for specialized equipment to care for babies weighing less than 3 lbs at birth, or “neonates” as they were called at the time. Thanks to significant financial support, Orange Memorial opened one of only six regional neonatal intensive care units in Florida. In 1975, an $8.5 million expansion project added outpatient surgery facilities, a 40,000 square foot outpatient rehabilitation building, multilevel parking garage, the Central Florida Radiation Center and renovated the existing physical plant. The hospital had grown from a small, one-building facility into a major metropolitan hospital, serving hundreds of thousands of Central Florida residents. In 1977 the hospital would again change its name, this time to Orlando Regional Medical Center. The new hospital name was also became the company name, as Orange Memorial Hospital and Holiday Hospital consolidated to form one company, Orlando Regional Medical Center, Inc. The building that Arnold Palmer Hospital now resides in was formerly Holiday Hospital. The newly consolidated hospitals quickly began to focus on updating their facilities and services, including adding linear accelerators, a CT Scanner, and opened the new ORMC Emergency Department, nearly tripling the number of emergency beds.
ORMC was designated a regional trauma center in 1981 and won approval to install a helipad on the roof. Before that, the helicopters would land on Orange Avenue in front of the emergency entrance, blocking traffic. In 1982, ORMC again restructured and established the Orlando Health Network, Inc. This holding company was an umbrella for Orlando Regional Medical Center, the ORMC Foundation and Healthnet Services, Inc. ORMC remained the flagship of the new parent company. The ORMC emergency department was quickly gaining notoriety and in 1983, ORMC was designated a Level I Trauma Center. Following this designation, ORMC developed the Air Care Team helicopter rescue service. The Air Care Team has continued to be a life-saving resource and asset to the Central Florida Area. Throughout the 1980’s, ORMC continued to develop as a world-class teaching hospital, and by 1987, had developed affiliations with 40 universities and community colleges. One significant partnership was with the University of Florida College of Medicine. The resulting affiliation allowed an exchange of residents, faculty and senior medical students, and highlighted ORMC’s academic credibility and strength as a teaching institution.
ORMC Enters the Digital Age
Advancements in technology allowed ORMC to continue to add treatments and services that were “firsts” for the nation. Computers were playing a more integral part in patient care and were beginning to change the outcomes of many illnesses. In 1984 ORMC welcomed SARA, which stands for “System for Anesthetic and Respiratory Analysis. SARA is a sophisticated monitoring system that regulates the levels of anesthetic gases used during surgery. Another major advancement benefitted ORMC’s NICU was the introduction of ECMO (Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation) treatment in 1989. This specialized technique drastically increased the chance of survival for very sick and premature babies. Also in 1989, ORMC became one of only 10 U.S. hospitals to use the Nuclear Medicine Imaging system, which used radioactive isotopes for rapid, accurate, three-dimensional views of the body.
In May 1991, ORMC began the biggest expansion project to date. The remainder of the original 1918 hospital building was demolished, along with 8 other buildings on the campus. A total of 306,000 square feet of new space was built and other buildings on the campus were renovated to meet a more modern standard. Nearly every major department at ORMC was rebuilt, including the emergency department, surgical suites, laboratory, radiology, intensive care unit and cardiac care unit. The construction added a 235,000 square foot, four-story tower to ORMC that increased the number of operating rooms from 14 to 19. The Level I Emergency/Trauma Center increased from 26 to 41 patient stations in a 23,000 square foot area. The Trauma Suite was expanded to handle up to six patients at a time in the event of large scale traumas. The Pharmacy was doubled in size to 7,000 square feet and a pneumatic tube system was installed to connect critical care areas, the pharmacy and the Lab.
In an effort to becoming the premier medical centers in the Southeast, ORMC instituted an “Operational Excellence” program designed to trim costs by $32 million over three years. ORMC also surveyed the community to measure the impression of nearly every aspect of the hospital. The results of that survey in 1992 led ORMC to change the corporate name to Orlando Regional Healthcare System (ORHS). ORMC would now be the flagship medical center under the ORHS corporate umbrella. The company continued its technological shift in 1994 by transferring clinical information to a computerized system. The system connected each hospital that is part of ORHS and allowed data from one hospital to be accessed by clinical staff at another ORHS hospital.
Building for the Future
In 2008, Orlando Regional Healthcare, ORMC's parent company, was renamed Orlando Health. In 2009, it was announced that Lucerne Hospital, a smaller independent hospital within Orlando Health, would become the Lucerne Pavilion, a part of ORMC. The separate buildings now form one hospital. Also in 2009, Orlando Health announced one of the largest expansion projects to date, the expansion of ORMC. The new construction and renovation will help consolidate clinical services and lay a foundation for future development around the hospital. The anticipated cost of construction is between $125 and $150 million. Enabling work for this project began in October 2011. Official groundbreaking on the project is set to take place sometime in 2012.