Delray Beach, Florida - Thursday, February 13, 2003: Delray Medical Center is pleased to announce the official opening of the Cardiovascular Specialty Unit, a new 29-bed addition.  The unit officially opened on February 4, 2003 increasing the hospital's bed from 343 to 372.  The 14,208 square-feet, $2.9 million addition houses eight critical care beds, twenty-three telemetry beds and a private family lounge and waiting area.

"Delray Medical Center's goal is to promote continuity of care," said Mitch Feldman, CEO of Delray Medical Center. "This means that our new, consolidated unit will allow patients to remain in the same unit from the time they're admitted until they're discharged.  Patients will be cared for by a consistent core of specialty trained cardiac nurses."

Designed to centralize and make access to cardiac care services more convenient for both patients and physicians, the new unit offers our patients some of the best care possible.  Patients' family members and friends can now wait in a bright and cheerful lounge.  The newly expanded family lounge and waiting area offers privacy, comfort and a pleasant atmosphere.

Delray Medical Center is rated in the top five percent in the nation for overall cardiac services according to the latest information from HealthGrades, a national healthcare rating firm.  Delray Medical Center's collective ratings of all cardiac services, including cardiac surgery, interventional procedures such as angioplasty, and treatment of heart attack or heart failure, place Delray Medical Center among the top five percent of hospitals nationwide. This is the third year in a row that Delray Medical Center has received a five star rating in cardiac services. 

Delray Medical Center was named to the list of the nation's 100 Top Hospitals by achieving excellence in quality of care, efficiency of operations and sustainability of overall performance according to the latest information from Solucient, a leading source of healthcare information.  Winners of the 100 Top award are hospitals that are committed to constant performance improvement, to bring better services to their patients, their families and their communities.  To learn more about Delray Medical Center services visit www.delraymedicalctr.com. For a free physician referral call 1-800-897-9789.

Tenet South Florida HealthSystem was ranked among the nation’s Top 100 Integrated Healthcare Networks in 2001 by SMG Marketing Group.  Tenet South Florida HealthSystem was also ranked by HealthGrades, a national healthcare quality solutions company, as the top-rated hospital system for cardiac care in Florida and earned a five-star rating, ranking Tenet in the top five percent of hospitals nationwide for cardiac care.  In addition to cardiac care, Tenet hospitals have received five-star rankings for neurosciences, pulmonary/respiratory care, vascular surgery, orthopedic surgery and obstetrics.  Delray Medical Center, Florida Medical Center, North Ridge Medical Center, Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center and Palmetto General Hospital have earned one or more of these five-star rankings.

Tenet South Florida HealthSystem hospitals are Cleveland Clinic Hospital, Coral Gables Hospital, Delray Medical Center, Florida Medical Center, Good Samaritan Medical Center, Hialeah Hospital, Hollywood Medical Center, North Ridge Medical Center, North Shore Medical Center, Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center, Palmetto General Hospital, Parkway Regional Medical Center, Pinecrest Rehabilitation Hospital, St. Mary’s Medical Center and West Boca Medical Center.  Tenet South Florida HealthSystem can be found on the World Wide Web at www.tenetsouthflorida.com.

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