Rowlett Lakeshore Times > News
Expanding treatment: Medical center has grown with community
By Kenny Green, kgreen@starlocalnews.com, @Kenny_StarLocal on Twitter
As the city of Rowlett has grown, Lake Pointe Medical Center has expanded to meet the needs of the community. The medical center celebrated 25 years in the city last year and will celebrate its 26th anniversary on Feb. 11.
Lake Pointe opened its doors to serve the communities of Rowlett, Rockwall and Royse City with 67 employees and a staff of dedicated volunteers. Today, the hospital employs more than 800 staff and has more than 450 physicians on medical staff offering a range of leading-edge services to its patients. The medical center has grown significantly since 1987.
One employee, Doreen Riccelli, has seen the entire growth of the medical center since its inception. Riccelli began working at the facility a month prior to its opening.
"I actually began by helping stock things and get ready for opening," Riccelli said. "When it first opened we wanted to meet the needs of the community. We opened with a focus on community care. We had an ER and a CCU. We called it a CCU because we combined medical, surgical and neurological care. Since the community has grown, the medical center has doubled in size. I think the main reason we have continued to grow is because we are giving the community the medical care it needs."
Riccelli said she began her career working on the general medical floor before transitioning into a role as director of ICU. She currently serves as the hospital's director of education.
"I have noticed that as we have grown the focus has been on outpatient care. The number of hospital beds hasn't really expanded much. We have reached out to try and fill the community's needs," Riccelli said. "We are now a facility that accepts seriously ill patients. We are a stroke certified center and can perform open heart surgery."
The medical center has also expanded its assortment of services over the years, including the additions of a cancer center, a women's services center, a Level II and Level III neonatal intensive care unit and a day surgery center.
For information on Lake Pointe Medical Center visit http://www.lakepointemedical.com.
Lake Pointe opened its doors to serve the communities of Rowlett, Rockwall and Royse City with 67 employees and a staff of dedicated volunteers. Today, the hospital employs more than 800 staff and has more than 450 physicians on medical staff offering a range of leading-edge services to its patients. The medical center has grown significantly since 1987.
One employee, Doreen Riccelli, has seen the entire growth of the medical center since its inception. Riccelli began working at the facility a month prior to its opening.
"I actually began by helping stock things and get ready for opening," Riccelli said. "When it first opened we wanted to meet the needs of the community. We opened with a focus on community care. We had an ER and a CCU. We called it a CCU because we combined medical, surgical and neurological care. Since the community has grown, the medical center has doubled in size. I think the main reason we have continued to grow is because we are giving the community the medical care it needs."
Riccelli said she began her career working on the general medical floor before transitioning into a role as director of ICU. She currently serves as the hospital's director of education.
"I have noticed that as we have grown the focus has been on outpatient care. The number of hospital beds hasn't really expanded much. We have reached out to try and fill the community's needs," Riccelli said. "We are now a facility that accepts seriously ill patients. We are a stroke certified center and can perform open heart surgery."
The medical center has also expanded its assortment of services over the years, including the additions of a cancer center, a women's services center, a Level II and Level III neonatal intensive care unit and a day surgery center.
For information on Lake Pointe Medical Center visit http://www.lakepointemedical.com.
Copyright © 2013 - Star Local News