CLEARWATER, Fla. (April 15, 2004) - Construction is nearly completed on a new parking garage on the Morton Plant Hospital campus. Part of the 2nd Century Master Plan, the parking garage offers extensive parking for patients visiting the Donna and Wil Ptak Orthopaedics and Neurosciences Pavilion.

Located on the corner of Jeffords Street and South Fort Harrison Avenue, the 180,000 square-foot parking garage contains six floors of parking and a total of 491 parking spaces. Elevators will move patients between the floors, and patients can directly access the new pavilion from the ground and third floors. The parking garage should be completed in mid-May.

"Providing adequate parking is always an important consideration when you're constructing new facilities," said Philip K. Beauchamp, president and chief executive officer, Morton Plant Hospital. "This new parking garage will add almost 500 new parking spaces to the hospital campus, as well as provide easy access to our new orthopaedics and neurosciences pavilion."

The Donna and Wil Ptak Orthopaedics and Neurosciences Pavilion should be completed in June. Services to be offered in the pavilion include outpatient rehabilitation, audiology services, and outpatient surgical facilities for arthroscopy and other outpatient orthopaedic procedures. A newly developed neurosciences center will also provide treatment of many neurological disorders, including stroke follow-up, balance function and movement disorders, and Parkinson's disease. The new pavilion will also house several physicians' offices, a sleep disorders clinic and a café.

Established in 1916, Morton Plant Hospital is a 687-bed facility dedicated to improving the health of all it serves through community-owned health services that set the standard for high quality, compassionate care. Morton Plant Hospital is located at 300 Pinellas Street, Clearwater, Fla., 727-462-7000.

Contact: Beth Hardy

Morton Plant News Bureau

727-298-6199 Phone

727-419-4471 Pager