News Articles

As It Celebrates 50 years, AdventHealth Altamonte Springs Expands to Serve Seminole County’s Growing Population

June 19, 2023 | Altamonte Springs, Fla. | Melanie Ararat

Altamonte Springs hospital In 1973, AdventHealth Altamonte Springs, formerly known as Florida Hospital Altamonte, opened for Seminole County residents with three doctors, 104 beds, and mostly volunteers pitching in to help. Today, the hospital has 393 beds, 385 doctors, and 2,085 team members. Seminole County had a population of 122,000 in 1973, but it is now more than 485,000 and it continues to grow.

Amid its 50th anniversary this year, AdventHealth Altamonte Springs has a $50 million growth strategy in play to meet the needs of the community. Four construction projects are underway as part of the $50 million investment, which will not only renovate and expand the hospital, but also allow the hospital to provide patients with tertiary care, highly specialized medical care that involves advanced and complex procedures and treatments performed by medical specialists in state-of-the-art facilities.

“As we celebrate our 50th year anniversary, we are renewing our commitment to the community. Seminole County is much different today than what it was back in 1973," said Jeff Villanueva, CEO of AdventHealth Altamonte Springs. “The needs of the community have changed, and we're making the necessary changes so the community continues to have access to a wider range of services closer to home. This growth will allow our campus to provide a higher level of acuity and care for residents at all stages of their lives.”

The construction projects include:

Positron Emission Tomography - Computerized Tomography (PET-CT) Scanning Room — This new PET-CT scanning room separates dosed patients from undosed patients to ensure patients, team members and visitors are not exposed to radiation. It includes a hot laboratory where radioactive medicines needed to perform the scan tests are prepared. This imaging suite officially opened in December 2022.
Medical Oncology and Radiation Oncology Space — AdventHealth Altamonte Springs’ medical oncology and radiation oncology space is now bigger and better, providing a healing environment for patients and permanent clinic space for our physicians. The new medical oncology clinic has eight exam rooms, a lab and dedicated oncology research space, all in the space previously occupied by a tenant. The hospital-based radiation oncology practice has six renovated rooms. These new and refreshed spaces recently had grand openings at the AdventHealth Altamonte Springs Cancer Institute.
Mother Infant Unit Refresh (MIU) — A comprehensive overhaul of the MIU commenced in March. At the end of the project, there will be 11 expanded rooms, and the remaining 11 rooms on the unit will be fully renovated. The experience will be enhanced for patients, visitors and staff.
Endoscopy Project — Construction is scheduled to be completed by April 2024. Currently work is being performed in the old transport, radiotherapy (RT) and endoscopy prep and recovery areas. This phase is due to be completed in January. The second major phase of the project consists of renovating the existing endoscopy procedure rooms, which will become the new RT and transport departments as well as the new endoscopy staff lounge and ICU physician sleep rooms.

“We’re excited about these projects and the overall growth that is happening at AdventHealth Altamonte Springs,” said Stephen Szutenbach, project manager at AdventHealth. “Within these new, innovative facilities, patients and their families will continue to receive the excellent care they have come to expect over the last 50 years."

Construction will be completed by 2024.

More than 60,000 Youth to Set Up Camp in Gillette, Wyoming, for Week-Long Event Filled with Learning, Worship, and Community Outreach

More than 60,000 young people, hailing from more than 100 countries, will set up a tent and RV city August 5-11, 2024, as they attend the Ninth International Pathfinder Camporee at the Cam-Plex Facilities in Gillette, Wyoming. Themed “Believe the Promise,” the six-day camporee, held every five years, is sponsored by the Seventh-day Adventist Church in North America, headquartered in Maryland, and the Center for Youth Evangelism, located in Berrien Springs, Michigan.

Washington Adventist University Junior Secures Prestigious Summer Internship at Johns Hopkins University

The biology department at Washington Adventist University (WAU) is proud to celebrate the achievement of Charis McRoy, a junior under the guidance of Sam D. Perez, chair of the biology and chemistry department at WAU. McRoy, also a member of the honors college, has earned a summer internship at Johns Hopkins University for 2024, following her persistent applications.

There Is No Other Experience Like Studying Abroad

Pacific Union College business student Olivia Newman has been spending her junior year studying in Spain through Adventist College Abroad. The thought of traveling and appreciating a different culture excited her. From the beautiful architecture in Spain and her goal of improving in the Spanish language, Olivia chose to study at Campus Adventista de Sagunto.

Adventist HealthCare CEO Terry Forde Will Depart to Lead Health First in Florida

Terry Forde, president and CEO of Adventist HealthCare, headquartered in Montgomery County, Maryland, will step down from his role on Aug. 2, 2024, to become president and CEO of Health First, headquartered in Brevard County, Florida.

Walla Walla University Professor Shares on NBC News About Challenges of Keeping Octopuses

During the second week of April 2024, Kirt Onthank, professor of biology at Walla Walla University, was invited to share his expertise on octopuses on NBC News. Onthank contributed to a story about an Oklahoman family that recently welcomed 50 octopus hatchlings and has been garnering attention on TikTok.