HEALTH
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full-service hospital, the treatment
of a seriously ill patient
could be delayed while the
patient is being transferred to an
appropriate facility,” Cantrell
said. “Critically ill patients who
come to one of our EDs emergency
departments, on the
other hand, can be seen right
away and have immediate
access to all the capabilities of a
full-service hospital.”
Residents question the ability
of an ambulance to get through
heavy traffic from western Port
St. Lucie to the St. Lucie Medical
Center. “We definitely need
something closer to us,” said Port
St. Lucie resident Nancy Dowd.
In St. Lucie County, EMS
transports to hospitals increased
25 percent from 2003-2006,
Robitaille said, adding that “in
2006, western Port St. Lucie
generated 35,797 visits to an
emergency department and
Martin Memorial saw 5,873
emergency department patients
from the area, in spite of being
15 miles away.”
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Construction on a $4.1 million, 12 to 15 bed full-fledged emergency room will begin in
October inside the Martin Memorial medical complex on St. Lucie West Boulevard.