CLEARWATER, Fla., (December 7, 2001)---As part of its commitment to delivering world-class emergency care to the community, Morton Plant Hospital has appointed a leadership team for Cantonis ER-1, its new $17 million, emergency care facility. Named to the ER-1 leadership team are Brian W. Cook, M.D., F.A.C.E.P., medical director and Donna M. Moran, R.N., BA, C.E.N., director of nursing.

"ER-1 was designed as an efficient and completely self-contained facility with a management team focused solely on providing emergency care services," said Philip K. Beauchamp, president and chief executive officer, Morton Plant Hospital and Morton Plant Mease Health Care. "This team has been involved in planning and designing an emergency care facility that combines leading innovations in health care in a family-centered environment. We are confident they will do an outstanding job of delivering emergency care that emphasizes greater privacy, dignity and convenience."

Dr. Cook will be responsible for administration and management of ER-1. Before joining Morton Plant, he served as medical director of Emergency and Urgent Care Services for St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Ann Arbor, Mich., with an annual volume of 92,000 patients. Dr. Cook also served on the board of directors for EPMG of New Jersey, which employs over 700 emergency physicians with managed contracts in 40 emergency departments.

As the director of the nursing staff, Moran will manage the emergency nursing team. Prior to her appointment, Moran acted as Interim Nurse Manager, Clinical Nurse III, Clinical Nurse II, Charge Nurse and Emergency Care Tech for Morton Plant Hospital. She also served as a coordinator/manager of the emergency department for Helen Ellis Memorial Hospital. Moran graduated with an associate of science in nursing from St. Petersburg Junior College and received a bachelor of arts degree in business administration from Bryant College in Smithfield, R. I.

Opened on September 5, 2001, the 37,000 square-foot facility more than tripled the size of Morton Plant Hospital's emergency department. It was designed to meet the needs of area residents with amenities such as 42 private, glass-front treatment rooms, children's waiting area, specialty coffee bar, televisions in non-acute treatment rooms and free valet parking. ER-1 is also the only emergency department in Pinellas County to have its own laboratory and digital radiology unit, which speeds turnaround times for diagnostic results. ER-1 has the capacity to treat approximately 80,000 patients annually.

ER-1 was made possible, in part, through $10 million in donations from the community including a significant gift from Michael G. and Anastasia Cantonis, $1 million from Jack and Ruth Eckerd, $1 million from the Morton Plant Hospital auxiliary and $1 million from the Rhoda Newberry Reed Foundation.

Established in 1916, Morton Plant Hospital is dedicated to improving the health of all it serves through community-owned health services that set the standard for high quality, compassionate care.

Contact: Beth Hardy/Phoebe Ochman

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