When Hurricane Charley cut a destructive swath across Florida in August, Lakewood Ranch Medical Center's Emergency Services Center was not yet open. Nevertheless, the newly assembled staff was ready to respond.

"We talked about it. We had our disaster plan in place and we offered our services to the surrounding areas," says Jean Lucas, RN, MSN, MBA, CEN, the center's Director of Critical Care Services. While no hurricane victims were sent to the center, many of the nurses volunteered to help the American Red Cross with its relief effort.

Lucas is not surprised. She interviewed more than 100 candidates to find the right mix of training, experience and personality traits to staff the Emergency Services Center and the Intensive Care Unit. She is confident her staff will respond compassionately and efficiently to any emergency they might encounter.

"I had the luxury to hire the best of the best. They hit the ground running," she says. The nurses are trained in either critical care or emergency services. Some are cross-trained in both areas.

In addition to their training and experience, Lucas says the emergency room staff has the essential character traits: "You must be able to think fast on your feet. You have to stay calm and focused and work methodically when responding to a medical emergency because if you lose your cool, that doesn't do anyone any good. Those of us who have been doing this a long time are better able to keep our composure."

The medical center officially opened on Sept. 1, and according to Teresa Rawe, DO, Medical Director of the Emergency Services Center, it was not a second too soon. She grew up in East Bradenton and has seen the area evolve from a rural farming community to a bulging suburb.

"Lakewood Ranch used to be nothing but cow pastures and orange groves, but even after the population grew by tenfold, there was no hospital for all these people," Rawe says.

Before the opening of Lakewood Ranch Medical Center, she adds, about 70,000 residents of the eastern portion of the county had to travel about 30 minutes to get to Manatee Memorial Hospital. And the closest trauma center is more than 45 minutes away.

	Teresa Rawe, DO, Medical Director of the Emergency Services Center
	Jean Lucas, RN, MSN, MBA, CEN Director of Critical Care Services 941-782-2100

Ambulances can get to the Emergency Services Center very quickly because it is conveniently located near major roadways. "We are just two stoplights off of I-75," says Rawe.

Equally important are the highly qualified staff and diverse medical specialties provided by the center's 200 physicians. The only procedures not yet offered are cardiac catheterization and open-heart surgery. Rawe expects them to be available within a year.

"Everyone on our staff is creative, flexible and eager to create a positive culture," says Lucas. "They really are the best at what they do."

According to Lucas, the staff really enjoys working together in the new facility. "It's spacious and bright with beautiful rooms and has technologically advanced equipment," she says.

The Emergency Department has 23 beds, 15 private rooms, two critical care/trauma rooms and a separate triage area with two booths. The Intensive Care Unit has 20 beds, two of which are reserved for patients who need kidney dialysis.

"The best part about it is everything is laid out to be patient-centered," says Lucas. "Patients can go directly to a room and we will register them at their bedsides. Our goal is to make the process as seamless as possible for our patients."