Tenet breaks ground for Delray hospital expansion

Tenet Healthcare Corp. broke ground for a $79.4 million expansion of the Delray Medical Center, including a four-story patient facility with 96 private rooms.

It is the biggest expansion of the Delray Beach hospital since it opened in 1982.

Expected to open by early 2017, the new four-story, 96-room patient facility will include a cardiovascular clinic, endoscopy suites and a parking garage.

Delray Medical Center CEO Mark Bryan said the purpose of the expansion is to create more private rooms at the hospital.

As part of the construction project, 96 semi-private rooms will be converted to single-occupancy rooms. The hospital now has 493 beds at its 42-acre campus off Linton Boulevard.

To ensure faster treatment of trauma patients, the new four-story building will have a helipad with direct access to the emergency department by elevator.

The existing helipad at the Delray Medical Center, designated as a Level 1 trauma center, is located on hospital grounds. [Sun-Sentinel] – Mike Seemuth