Florida Hospital Fish Memorial breaks ground on new expansion project

The rain held out as Florida Hospital Fish Memorial officials and local dignitaries broke ground on a $100 million expansion project.

Holding shiny gold shovels, officials dug into blue and pink ceremonial sand, which symbolized the state-of-the-art, 20-bed labor and delivery unit that will be included in this expansion project.

'This is a big day for Florida Hospital Fish Memorial, but it is really an even bigger day for our community here in West Volusia. What we launched today has been in the planning stages for a couple of years,' Rob Deininger, Florida Hospital Fish Memorial CEO, said during the event. 'West Volusia has seen rapid growth, and we are committed to delivering the most advanced and efficient care possible in our communities. We are blessed to have the opportunity to begin this expansion project and build on our historic commitment for the future.'

During the groundbreaking celebration, guests used virtual reality goggles to experience what the interior of the new patient tower will look like once construction is completed. Additionally, attendees used an interactive 3D model to visually move around the building in real time.

In addition to birth care services, the four-story patient tower will also include enhanced cardiac, intensive care and surgical services. This construction project will also fully privatize all patient rooms at Florida Hospital Fish Memorial, while increasing the number of licensed beds from 175 to 225. The expansion will also significantly increase the size of Florida Hospital Fish Memorial's emergency department, while adding pediatric emergency care.

'The emergency department can be a chaotic place, and it is important to have a separate space for our pediatric patients and their parents,' Deininger said.

Construction is expected to be completed in 2020.