Wendy Brandon is excited about the future of medicine in Lake Nona as both a resident and the CEO of the community’s first full-service hospital opening early March 2021.
More than a hospital, the new facility located next to the UCF College of Medicine will provide unique educational opportunities, comprehensive medical specialties, 24-hour emergency services, a healthy café open to the community, and more.
When it opens, UCF Lake Nona Medical Center will add specialized care for adults to the world-class services already available in Medical City, joining the Orlando VA Medical Center and Nemours Children’s Hospital. UCF Lake Nona Medical Center will also be an extraordinary resource to neighboring communities within Orange and Osceola counties.
“The opening of UCF Lake Nona Medical Center will provide a closer option for adult patients in our community who currently have to travel much farther for hospital care,” Brandon said. “Also, with a superior children’s hospital like Nemours less than a mile away, it is a real benefit for our patients, especially to the families who will give birth in our hospital. We are also blessed to have the dedicated resources of the VA Medical Center to serve those who have served our country.”
There is a natural synergy between the new teaching hospital and neighboring medical facilities. Brandon stated, “Lake Nona will truly become a Medical City, providing care for the whole family.”
In her role, Brandon is part of something few people in the medical industry have the opportunity to do – build a hospital from the ground up. UCF Lake Nona Medical Center has already recruited its leadership team and is now hiring managers, supervisors, charge nurses, clinicians, and support staff who will help provide exceptional care and service.
“It’s a great honor to have been selected for this role and as exciting as it has been to create the facility, the most gratifying work starts now – building our team who will take care of our community. It will be a real dream come true for me when we open and start taking care of patients,” Brandon said.
A variety of specialists will be available at UCF Lake Nona Medical Center, including internists and general surgeons as well as subspecialties in gynecology, obstetrics, oncology, orthopedic surgery, vascular surgery, neurosurgery, spinal care, and cardiology. One specialty, obstetrics, plans to offer a variety of classes for expectant families because, as Brandon explained, “Mom is often the one to receive education about what to expect before, during, and after delivery, but we think it’s important to educate spouses and siblings, too.”
This is just one example of a calling for Lake Nona – to care for the community through timely education on relevant health and wellness issues led by the hospital’s physicians and clinical experts.
“Our community is known for prioritizing health and wellness; people choose to be more active and engaged in personal well being here, and that is wonderful. However, there are times when those we know or even those with celebrity status are diagnosed with or lost to a disease like cancer, stroke, or heart attack, and it creates a heightened sense of awareness,” Brandon said. “When such moments spark concern in our community, who better to answer questions about screenings, symptoms, the latest treatments, and selfcare than renowned specialists here in Lake Nona focused on delivering quality care and education? We want our community to know they have access to that level of expertise every day.”
The hospital is well on its way to creating a hub for physicians in Lake Nona where they can practice full-time and collaborate with academics. Third- and fourth-year students at the UCF College of Medicine will also have the opportunity to learn from experts at the hospital during rotations with various specialists. But the positive impact goes beyond teaching the future generation.
Brandon explained that when physicians have an opportunity to describe how and why they do something, it helps to perfect their skills to a detailed degree. And with the academic influence, physicians and students have the opportunity to collaborate based on the latest research and literature in their specialty.
“I’m confident that having dedicated experts inside our hospital who also have a passion for teaching will serve to make the care our patients receive even better,” Brandon said.
If you drive past the UCF Lake Nona Medical Center campus today, you’ll see a beautiful building that appears to be almost ready for its first patients. Although empty now, it will soon come to life – and the heartbeat? Brandon confirmed that will be the mission-focused team who are, above all else, committed to the care and improvement of human life.
Visit ucflakenonamedicalcenter.com to learn more about the hospital and available career opportunities.
