[FONT=Verdana]Demolition has begun for a three-phase, $19-million project at Mease Dunedin Hospital in Dunedin, FL to create new operating rooms, a new critical care unit and other improvements. [/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana]"We're making it more of a specialty hospital," said hospital spokeswomanBeth Hardy, "with a focus on neurosurgery, orthopedics and spine care." [/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana]Phase I will include construction of the new critical care unit and respiratory department with 20 private patient rooms. The critical care and respiratory care areas will be adjacent to each other. Physicians and nurses will have 360-degree access to patients in the critical care unit, free of obstructions from wall connections. [/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana]Phase II and III will include construction and renovation of seven new, larger operating rooms, renovation of a 14-bed ambulatory care unit with three examination rooms, renovation of a 12-bay post anesthesia care unit and renovation of the sterile processing department. [/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana]The project, expected to be completed in 2010, will feature 4,000 square feet of new construction and more than 51,000 square feet of renovation. The contractor is Wehr Constructors of Louisville, Ky. The architectural firm is TRO Jung/Brannen of Sarasota. [/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana]Established in 1937, Mease Dunedin Hospital is a 173-bed facility at 601 Main St. The hospital has been recognized for its work in congestive heart care and its nursing care. [/FONT]