Florida Hospital Chosen to Partner with Bert Fish Medical Center

NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. - Nov. 12, 2014 - PRLog -- On November 10, the Southeast Volusia Hospital District Board of Commissioners voted in favor of Florida Hospital's proposal for the future of Bert Fish Medical Center. Now the work of building the future begins.

"The Board of Bert Fish, along with our employees and medical staff, are excited for the future with Florida Hospital," said Steve Harrell, CEO of Bert Fish Medical Center.

The agreement provides several benefits to the 112-bed New Smyrna Beach facility and southeast Volusia County residents by reducing taxes for residents and infusing the facility with funds for capital and service improvements.

“Our intention is to maintain the hospital as a strong, full-service facility, while strengthening the current services available and growing in new areas of care,” said Daryl Tol, Florida Hospital Volusia/Flagler CEO.

As part of the new agreement, Florida Hospital is offering to pay $40 million in upfront cash to acquire the net assets of Bert Fish Medical Center and invest another $35 million into the hospital. Florida Hospital expects to focus on several capital improvement projects at Bert Fish Medical Center, including enhancing the emergency department, surgical services, and hospital exterior, as well as privatizing patient rooms.

“Florida Hospital plays a vital role within Volusia and Flagler counties, and as the southeast Volusia area continues to expand, we strive to grow our relationship with the community and strengthen the health care services available to residents,” said Tol.

Under the Florida Hospital proposal, the New Smyrna Beach community would see a dramatic reduction in taxes. After seven years, Florida Hospital would reduce taxes by 70 percent. To eliminate the need for taxes altogether, Florida Hospital has proposed that the Southeast Volusia Hospital District Board of Commissioners use the proceeds from the sale of Bert Fish Medical Center to create an endowment to provide outpatient indigent care without needing to tax residents.

“Our organization follows through on our commitments,” said Tol. “If you review our history in Volusia and Flagler counties, you’ll see a track record of focused stewardship while improving patients’ access to care. We’ve opened two new hospitals in the area: Florida Hospital Flagler in Palm Coast and Florida Hospital Memorial Medical Center in Daytona Beach. In addition, we’ve built several outpatient facilities, recruited both primary care physicians and specialists to the area, and enhanced the technology available to patients locally.”

Within southeast Volusia County, Florida Hospital opened the New Smyrna Health Park, a $14.5 million outpatient facility on the southeast corner of I-95 and SR-44 in New Smyrna Beach, in September.

“The Southeast Volusia Hospital District recognized three years ago that Bert Fish Medical Center would need to partner with a larger heath care organization to continue to provide quality health services to the residents of Southeast Volusia,” said District Chairman Joe Benedict. “The Board has been diligently searching for a partner and we believe Florida Hospital will provide the needed expertise and resources to meet the needs of the future. We look forward to finalizing an agreement with them over the next few months.”

Now, the next steps involve the development of a letter of intent between Bert Fish Medical Center and Florida Hospital, as well as a due diligence process to finalized the details of the transaction and ensure the right agreement.

About Bert Fish Medical Center
Located in the city of New Smyrna Beach, Bert Fish Medical Center is a 112-bed, nonprofit acute care hospital serving Southeast Volusia County. Bert Fish Medical Center provides convenient access to services which include radiology/imaging services, an oncology center, a wound care center and one of the busiest emergency departments of any hospital its size. Bert Fish Medical Center is the only hospital in Florida to be a Planetree ™partner, joining over a hundred other hospitals around the country in focusing on a renewed spirit of patient-centered care. Please visit www.bertfish.com for additional information on services.

About Florida Hospital Volusia/Flagler
Florida Hospital Volusia/Flagler is a member of Adventist Health System, a faith-based health care organization with 45 hospital campuses and nearly 8,300 licensed beds in 10 states. With five hospitals in Volusia and Flagler counties, Florida Hospital is the largest hospital system in the area, with 788 beds, 4,800 employees, and 650,000 patients every year. Florida Hospital Volusia/Flagler’s mission is to extend the healing ministry of Christ, and in 2013, the hospitals collectively contributed nearly $104 million in benefits to the underprivileged, the community’s overall health and wellness and spiritual needs, and capital improvements.