Construction of the new Surgical and Patient Bed Tower at Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood has moved into a phase that visitors can see from the curb. Starting Monday, Oct. 12, the hospital changed how people arrive on its campus at 3501 Johnson Street: Hospital Drive is temporarily closed, the main hospital entrance has moved, and valet parking is now free for every patient and visitor at each of the campus entrances.

Memorial counts the tower among the most significant projects in the hospital's history. Memorial Healthcare System put the total cost at $670 million when it announced the project, and its plans call for more than 400,000 square feet of new construction plus close to 50,000 square feet of renovated space inside the existing hospital.

What the new tower will hold

According to the hospital's construction page, the finished tower will add 22 operating rooms with larger preparation and recovery areas meant to shorten waits around surgery. The original announcement listed 21 new operating rooms, one of them a hybrid room built for advanced imaging during procedures, with additional space left empty for future growth.

The tower will also add 150 private, acuity-adaptable beds. An acuity-adaptable room is designed so a patient can stay in the same room as their condition changes, instead of being moved between units as they recover. The plans also include a new main lobby with a simpler arrival route and better traffic flow around the building.

The hospital has laid out the work in two phases. The first, the surgical tower itself, is expected to be finished in 2029. The second, a connector that ties the new building into the existing hospital, is scheduled for 2031. Memorial has said the project is being paid for through a mix of operating cash flow, debt markets and investments.

Why it matters in South Broward

Memorial Regional is part of Memorial Healthcare System, which is governed by the South Broward Hospital District. The Johnson Street campus includes a Level I Trauma Center, the Memorial Cancer Institute, the Memorial Breast Cancer Center and Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital. Memorial describes the expansion as a response to population growth in South Broward and rising demand for specialized care, with the goal of letting residents get surgery and inpatient care close to home rather than traveling to another county.

The hospital has stressed that every service on the campus stays open during the work. The Emergency Departments at both Memorial Regional and Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital remain open, and their entrances have not moved.

What changed on Oct. 12

For anyone with an appointment, a planned delivery or a family member in the hospital, these are the changes the hospital has posted:

  • New main entrance. Diagnostic imaging and hospital-based services now use a new main hospital entrance, open 24 hours a day. Campus signs point the way. Cars cannot pull directly up to that entrance, so there is a short walk from the valet drop-off.
  • Free valet everywhere. Valet parking costs nothing for patients and visitors. It runs around the clock at the main hospital entrance, the Memorial Regional Emergency Room and Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital and its Emergency Room. At the Medical Office Building it runs Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., and at the Memorial Breast Cancer Center and Radiation Oncology, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
  • Free shuttles. Complimentary shuttles connect the visitor parking areas with the main entrances 24 hours a day, with fewer shuttles running after 10:30 p.m. Stops may shift as the work moves along.
  • Hospital Drive closed. The road is closed for this phase. Memorial Cancer Institute patients whose appointments use the Hospital Drive entrance can leave the car with the free valet at the Medical Office Building, 1150 N. 35th Avenue, and cross over on foot.
  • New pickup point. Discharged patients are picked up at the Memorial Cancer Institute entrance on the open section of Hospital Drive, available at all hours.

Families headed to Labor and Delivery or Joe DiMaggio

Patients coming in for a scheduled cesarean section or induction should go to the new main hospital entrance. Anyone arriving for an emergency or unplanned delivery should use the Emergency Department entrance. The hospital suggests confirming arrival plans with the care team ahead of time and planning for the short walk from valet if you are carrying a car seat or bags.

Families visiting Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital are encouraged to use the free valet. Those who park in the visitor garage across from the children's hospital can take the shuttle to the door. Some pediatric appointments take place at 1131 N. 35th Avenue, and the hospital asks those families to leave extra time for traffic around the campus.

Before your next visit

Memorial asks everyone to arrive 15 to 25 minutes before a scheduled appointment to allow for the new traffic pattern, parking and the walk or shuttle ride. Patients with limited mobility are encouraged to use valet to avoid longer walks on temporary pedestrian routes. If you are not sure which entrance to use, call your doctor's office before you leave home.

Routes will keep changing as the tower rises, so the hospital updates a campus page with current maps, entrances, valet hours and shuttle stops, along with a downloadable navigation guide. Memorial Regional Hospital is at 3501 Johnson Street, Hollywood, FL 33021.

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