At 142,000 square feet, the new Forest Park Medical Center on S.H. 114 between Carroll Avenue and White Chapel Boulevard is hard to miss. The three-story hospital and four-level parking garage officially opens June 10. An open house and ribbon cutting ceremony will be held May 29 from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

With campuses already open in Dallas and Frisco and three more under development in Fort Worth, Austin and San Antonio, Forest Park Medical Center is not new to healthcare. According to Charles D. Nasem, CEO of Forest Park Medical Center Southlake, coming to the City was a combination of timing and demand.

“We received many requests from the community over the past several years for a hospital in Southlake. We appreciate the support of the community and our partnership with the chamber and city officials, and look forward to seeing everyone at our open house on May 29,” he says, noting there will be 200 physicians and 150 nurses and other staff members onsite within the first year.

Spacious and open, the two-story lobby resembles a hotel more than a hospital. Floor-to-ceiling windows, whimsical artwork, intimate seating areas, a water feature, fireplace, and flat screen televisions are designed to provide a warm, comforting environment for patients and family. Patient updates and notifications will be displayed on the TV monitors. Also located on the first floor is a Starbucks coffee shop with café seating and a restaurant with self-serve salad bar, fresh sandwiches and hot entrees.

“The dining room looks like an upscale restaurant, not your typical hospital cafeteria, because we realize eating is comfort to people,” explains Kandace Cortez, director of PR and marketing.

But what Forest Park Medical Center prides itself on most is its state-of-the-art surgical facilities and using the most advanced technology in its offerings, which range from plastic surgery and spine surgery to gynecology and oncology. This includes 12 large operating “suites”  that include high-resolution video displays, touch-screen control, and digital information archiving integrated to reduce dependence on mobile equipment, increase patient flow, and improve patient outcomes.

Well-equipped with 54 private inpatient rooms; 10 VIP suites; six ICU beds;  two endoscopy/special procedure suites; and full-service imaging, MRI and CT scan; Forest Park Medical Center Southlake also contains emergency and intensive care departments that are staffed by physicians 24/7.

“We care about the comfort of our patients. From the minute they walk in the door and all the way through discharge, our patients and families experience five-star service. Forest Park Medical Center Southlake offers 10 VIP suites that have an extra room attached for family to spend the night, much like a hotel room,” states Nasem.

One of the most unique features of the new facility is its rooftop garden that is visible from nearly all patient rooms and accessible from patient floors. The rooftop garden is part of the organization’s sustainability efforts and one of the reasons the building is silver certified by the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program standards. Other environmentally-friendly construction methods used were FSC-certified wood, regional materials, recycled content, water use reduction, and energy efficient equipment

“Conforming to the LEED standards is not only good for the environment, but also reduces energy consumption significantly, which translates into more resources we can put into patient care. To achieve LEED certification, Forest Park Medical Center Southlake was built using sustainable materials and has efficient filtration and irrigation systems, as well as a recycling program,” adds Nasem.

The facility has room to expand with the needs of the community. The next project scheduled for development is a medical office building. Construction is scheduled to begin this summer and be completed spring 2014.

Forest Park Medical Center, a physician-owned, physician-run hospital system, focuses on providing unsurpassed surgical specialty care. By focusing on specific key areas of surgery and a keen emphasis on the latest and most effective technology in medical care, Forest Park offers cost effective care for patients and their employers and an efficient way of practicing for its physicians. Across the Forest Park system, overall patient satisfaction scores are 11 percent higher than the national average. For more information about Forest Park Medical Center Southlake, go to www.forestparksouthlake.com.