Making a Mark on Progress of the New Drummond Patient Tower

A key milestone was achieved on Boca Raton Regional Hospital’s visionary expansion and renovation program recently, but not before employees, executives and other workers got to leave their mark.

The traditional “topping off” ceremony signaled the completion of the new Gloria Drummond Patient Tower’s exterior structure. Attendees watched as the last steel beam was raised high above the ground by a crane. But first, they got to sign and leave messages on the beam, making their mark on history.

(Watch now: Two years after breaking ground on the new Gloria Drummond Patient Tower, a “topping-off” ceremony was held for the centerpiece of Boca Raton Regional Hospital’s campus expansion and renovation program.)

Workers will now concentrate on the next phase of the project, which includes electrical wiring, stairs, elevators, interior walls and features that exceed the latest safety standards for patient care.

The topping-off ceremony came a little more than two years after Boca Raton Regional Hospital broke ground on the tower, the centerpiece of the hospital campus expansion.

Initially planned to have seven floors, the building was reconceived with nine floors and additional space to better serve the community. The new tower will feature all-private patient rooms that take into account comfort, safety and space for the latest bedside technology.

With more than 427,000 square feet, the tower will expand the hospital to more than 1 million square feet. In addition to patient rooms, the buildout consists of 20 new operating rooms, two hybrid operating rooms with ceiling-mounted intraoperative MRI, a hybrid PET/MRI, a radiology suite, a public bistro, an intensive care unit, and a new grand entrance with a large canopy, skylights and fountains.

In other areas of campus, Boca Regional’s expansion is progressing rapidly. The sophisticated Abessinio Energy Plant is expected to be operational by summer, improving efficiency and make the hospital more resilient during hurricane season and other emergencies. And earlier this year, the new Toby and Leon Cooperman Medical Arts Pavilion opened across the street from the hospital, serving as home to outpatient surgery, physician specialty offices and our Orthopedic Institute.

“The expansion and modernization of the Boca Regional campus is extremely important to the future of healthcare in this community,” says Lincoln Mendez, the hospital’s CEO and North Regional Executive for Baptist Health. “It is a true nod to our storied past and bright future.”

Boca Raton Regional Hospital’s historic expansion and renovation is made possible in part through the remarkable generosity of donors, who have contributed more than $270 million toward the improvements. Although the campaign’s goal has been met, fundraising by the Boca Raton Regional Hospital Foundation continues to benefit expanded hospital services and technology. All funds raised locally stay local in support of Boca Raton Regional Hospital.