Media contact: Scott Samples
Public Information Coordinator
Phone: (772) 223-4920
Cell: (772) 708-3319
E-mail:  ssamples@mmhs-fla.org

STUART, Fla., Feb. 17, 2009 – Access to emergency health care, close to home, is on its way to residents of west Port St. Lucie.

The Martin Memorial Emergency Center at St. Lucie West, an off-site emergency department that is scheduled to open in fall 2009, will meet the critical medical services shortage currently facing residents of west Port St. Lucie by bringing them timely emergency care. The center will be located at the health system’s current facility at St. Lucie West and on Feb. 17, Martin Memorial held a groundbreaking ceremony initiating the renovations for the project.

“We are excited to be able to bring this level of care to residents of west Port St. Lucie,” said Mark E. Robitaille, president and chief executive officer of Martin Memorial. “Residents of the community have made it clear there is a need for medical services here and we are committed to providing that care.”

Located at 1095 N.W. St. Lucie West Blvd. in Port St. Lucie, the emergency center will be open seven days a week, 24 hours a day, but will not provide inpatient beds. It will be staffed and equipped to handle many of the same emergencies a hospital would, though patients with more severe injuries or ailments will be taken to appropriate facilities. Patients requiring inpatient admission will be transported to a hospital.

Martin Memorial’s St. Lucie West facility will be renovated to meet state standards for emergency departments. The facility already features ancillary services such as CT and MRI capability, as well as other diagnostic technologies, which will make the transition more convenient and less expensive.

The 9,100-square foot emergency center will feature 12 beds and provide a wide range of care. Off-site emergency departments traditionally see patients with less serious illnesses or injuries, which generally allows them to treat patients more quickly, but the physicians and nurses on staff will be able to respond to acute injuries and illnesses as well.

Martin Memorial Health Systems is a not-for-profit, community-based healthcare organization. It offers a continuum of care including preventative, primary and acute hospital care, as well as cancer and cardiac care, wellness and rehabilitation services. Its approximately 2,900 Associates and 400 affiliated physicians operate 12 different locations serving Martin and St. Lucie counties. To learn more, visit mmhs.com.