By HFT Staff

Lee Health recently relocated its Regional Trauma Center from Lee Memorial Hospital to Gulf Coast Medical Center in Fort Myers, Florida. To prepare for the trauma center relocation, Gulf Coast Medical Center underwent an extensive $315 million expansion that added 268 inpatient beds, bringing the hospital’s total bed count to 624 from 356. 

The project also includes an expanded emergency department and ICU spaces. Lee Health became the first health system in the state to move a trauma program. 

“We are committed to caring for our community, and by relocating our Regional Trauma Center to Gulf Coast Medical Center, we are ensuring that we have adequate treatment space to serve the trauma service needs of our growing population,” says Larry Antonucci, president and CEO of Lee Health. “Along with the additional space, Gulf Coast also offers a more centralized location to provide these services.” 

The trauma center serves the most complex and life-threatening cases. More than 90 percent of those cases are comprised of blunt trauma from falls, motor vehicle crashes and motorcycle crashes. The emergency department at Lee Memorial Hospital will remain open and will continue to serve the community 24 hours per day.