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Manatee Memorial Hospital, which is marking its 70th year, is expanding its reach with new free-standing emergency rooms.

Officials mark the opening of the newest, Manatee ER at Bayshore Gardens, 5506 14th St. W., with a ribbon cutting 10 a.m. Thursday

The event, which is open to the public, will include tours of the 10,884-square-foot facility, equipped with six exam rooms, three rapid medical spaces, full-service laboratory, X-ray and ultrasound areas. CEO Tom McDougal and U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan are set to offer remarks during the ceremony.

The new ER will officially open to patients on Monday, March 27, and will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week to provide care for all ages.

“We are honored to be extending Manatee Memorial’s community outreach by opening our first freestanding emergency room for Manatee County,” McDougal said in a news release.

“No matter what the emergency, the new Manatee ER at Bayshore Gardens is equipped to handle everything from minor conditions to stabilizing treatment for major conditions such as heart attack and stroke,” McDougal said.

Manatee Memorial opened its first free-standing emergency room in Bradenton on May 11, 2022, in Sun City Center, at 16504 S. U.S. 301.

Two weeks ago, Manatee Memorial broke ground for its third free-standing ER near the intersection of Manatee Avenue West and 75th Street West. That ER is scheduled to open in early 2024.

Manatee Memorial’s sister hospital, Lakewood Ranch Medical Center, in 2022 opened the ER at Fruitville, 6760 Fruitville Road, Sarasota.

Doctors Hospital of Sarasota opened its first facility in Manatee County, a stand-alone emergency room, in 2018 at 8500 State Road 70 E., near Lakewood Ranch.

What’s the difference between an ER and an urgent care center?

Here’s what the Mayo Clinic Health System says:

“An Emergency Department treats life- or limb-threatening health conditions in people of all ages. It is the best option when you require immediate medical attention.

“Urgent Care is the middle ground between your primary care provider and the Emergency Department. If you have a minor illness or injury that can’t wait until tomorrow, Urgent Care is the way to go.”

Manatee Memorial Hospital, originally named Manatee Memorial Veteran’s Hospital, opened its doors Feb. 23, 1953, as a 100-bed hospital.

The Bradenton Women’s Club started fundraising activities in 1939 for a new hospital to replace Bradenton General Hospital, which was outdated, inadequate and cramped.

But those plans were interrupted by World War II and didn’t see new life until after the war, when on Aug. 13, 1946, President Harry S. Truman signed the Hill-Burton Act into law. The law provided construction grants and loans to build hospitals around the country.

With federal support, a $400,000 county bond and resident donations, efforts resumed in 1947 to build Manatee Memorial Veteran’s Hospital.

In May 1954, the hospital won full accreditation by the Board of Commissioners of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospitals

On July 1, 1963, the state Legislature renamed the medical center to Manatee Memorial Hospital.

“Confusion over the inclusion of ‘veterans’ in the name led many to believe the hospital was a Veterans Administration facility — for military only. The hospital, however, kept its commitment to veterans,” Kevin DiLallo, the then-hospital CEO, said in a Bradenton Herald guest column in 2018.

The Manatee County Veterans Memorial is still located on hospital property near the Bradenton Riverwalk.

Manatee Hospitals and Health Systems, Inc., a nonprofit Florida corporation, purchased Manatee Memorial Hospital in 1984.

In 1995, a subsidiary of Universal Health Services, Inc., based in King of Prussia, Pa., purchased the hospital.

The range of medical services provided today includes emergency medicine, cardiac, cardiovascular, stroke, surgical,orthopedics, outpatient and inpatient radiology services, rehabilitation, respiratory care, sleep services, oncology, wound care and women’s and children’s services, including Manatee County’s only Level II neonatal intensive care unit.

“Not surprisingly, many of the 2,200 current employees were born at the hospital and have children and grandchildren also born there. Manatee Memorial Hospital has been a beacon of community health; ever improving, continuously advancing and always serving the growing needs of the community for seven decades,” a hospital news release said.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare workers around the country gained new appreciation and respect from the public for their life-saving efforts and for their courage and dedication during a time of great uncertainty.

Manatee Memorial and Lakewood Ranch Medical Center became the first Bradenton-area hospitals to receive the COVID-19 vaccine and start inoculating staff on Dec. 23, 2020.

Manatee Memorial initially received 1,300 doses of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine about 9:30 a.m. and by 1 p.m. was already inoculating staff members.

For more information on the hospital, visit manateememorial.com.

The Bayshore Garden Center is an institution in North Fort Myers. The winner of The North Fort Myers Neighbor’s annual reader’s poll for countless years for both Best Nursery and Best Landscaping, the pleasant, plant-filled business is a source for both plants and information on gardening and landscaping.

The new owner is Terry Chepy, who has taken over from Jan Johnson and Joe Scott who decided after many successful years to retire from the business.

Originally from East Lansing, Michigan, Chepy said it was their top pick in buying a business.

Chepy said he looked all over Michigan for a business to acquire, but then he heard Bayshore Garden Center here was for sale.

He and his family have been frequent vacation visitors to the Fort Myers area. “I then decided, why not look at a place I wanted to be, for the next 10 or 20 years, or the rest of my life? I love the area.”

He came first in February to look at the business, and was impressed with what he saw. “Actually, I fell in love with it (the business) and the people in the area.”

He’s now working at the center seven days a week, saying that getting up every morning and getting to work is a joy. “It feels more like a hobby than work.”

All but one of the previous staff members are still at the center. “They are the most knowledgeable group of professionals I’ve ever been involved with; that’s why people like to come here.”

The staff is helping him get to know local customers. “The local customers have been friendly and very accepting,” he said. “I really appreciate that.”

He said the business was run so well, it really didn’t need an overhaul when he took over. “I’m trying to maintain what they (the previous owners) have done over the years.”

When you enter the center off Bayshore Road, you see the friendly outdoor kiosk that serves as the cashier’s stand, and many plants and trees on display. The size of the center is misleading – a horizontal layout, there are thousands of plants in different varieties and numerous trees for sale. “We have 20 to 25 different types of palm trees and dozens of types of citrus trees,” Chepy said.

They even have Florida peach trees. “I tried one of the peaches — my first Florida peach — and it was delicious,” he said.

One thing he hopes to promote to customers is many free services. For one, they offer free landscaping evaluations at your home. “For example, if someone wants help with a landscape design, we can take it from nothing to a complete, fully designed and installed landscape.”

They also invite customers to bring in problem plants. “We can tell you what’s wrong, it could be anything from disease to nutrient deficiency to too much or too little watering.”

They also have brochures from a Citrus Care Guide to those on caring for plants in general.

He also plans to restart the popular free gardening topic classes in the future.

A Cape Coral resident, married to wife Sharon, he is the father of two. An avid tennis player and golfer, he hopes to do more of those in the future, but right now his business is his priority.

Bayshore Garden Center is at 5870 Bayshore Rd. Hours are Monday through Saturday 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The phone number is 543-1443.

North Fort Myers News

One Boston family new to Sarasota is bracing to ride out their first hurricane — 10 days after moving to the Suncoast.

"We just literally came down ... and we get the worst hurricane Sarasota has had in 100 years," said Mike Cahill, who moved to the area with his wife and 26-year-old son.

As some residents rush away from the coast to escape Hurricane Ian's devastating weather conditions, Cahill tried to join them. He said he called several hotels further from the ocean.

"I checked hotels two to three hours southeast and they were all booked," he said, adding that he looked in Arcadia and Okeechobee.

2 p.m. Live Updates:Hurricane Ian still on track to hit Sarasota County, historic flooding possible

Related:Venice now looks like Florida landfall for shifting Hurricane Ian

The Herald-Tribune called several hotels across Sarasota and Manatee County to check for availability — every single one was completely booked, including The Carlisle Inn & Conference Center near Fruitville, a Days Inn off of 301 and 41, and a Best Western on Cortez Road West.

As of Tuesday morning, Manatee and Sarasota issued mandatory evacuations for both Level A and Level B zones. Florida officials expect more orders within those counties and the Tampa Bay region.

As locals fled their homes, Interstate 4 and Interstate 75 were busy with evacuees, according to several social media posts from Sarasota and Manatee County residents and state officials.

“We’re going to start having traffic issues,” Kevin Guthrie, the Florida Emergency Management Director said on CNN Monday night.

He said the state is likely to employ an “emergency shoulder use” strategy to add more lanes in an effort to ease heavy traffic volume along I-4 and I-75.

Florida Department of Transportation Secretary Jared Perdue also said his agency has the ability to open the shoulder of the interstate to vehicular traffic.

"As soon as travel speeds get below 40 miles per hour, we typically are able to do that," he said.

Emily Maddy was preparing to join bumper-to-bumper traffic southbound on I-75 Tuesday afternoon.

She lives in Bayshore Gardens in Bradenton, now under a mandatory evacuation order. Her husband, who works at the Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport, will ride out Ian as part of the airport's emergency crew, but she's struggling to decide where she'll take shelter.

"I'm supposed to be heading down to North Port soon, but now the area I was going to shelter in is in an evacuation zone as well," Maddy said in a Facebook message.

Hurricane Ian:Sarasota-Bradenton closings and cancellations due to the storm

Cindy Schultz, a Bradenton resident, said she’s considering evacuating with her family to Orlando after her work closed at 1 p.m. Tuesday, but she is struggling to find an affordable hotel.

“I'm also worried about spending the night stuck on the interstate," Schultz said.

For some, they didn't notice a difference on the road. Sarasota resident Kendalle Anderson left for Orlando Tuesday morning and said she was surprised to see "pretty normal" traffic leading up to Hurricane Ian's landfall.

"There really wasn't any at all. We were shocked," she said. "There was one fender bender but was only 15 minutes of back-up."

At a Tuesday press conference, FDOT Secretary Jared Perdue said the department suspended certain tolls to aid in the evacuations, including the Alligator Alley toll and many of the toll facilities in the Tampa Bay region. Depending on Ian's path, FDOT could expand toll suspensions throughout the state.

Along US-41 from Bradenton to Sarasota, there were little to no lines at several gas stations Tuesday.

Perdue said that all of Florida's ports also have adequate gas supplies.

"They're well positioned to quickly reinstate operations following the storm and keep fuel supplies moving," he said.

When word got out last November that Kmart was closing its store at 7350 Manatee Ave. W., the last Kmart in Manatee County, rumors began to swirl almost immediately that Target might be interested in that location for one of its stores.

The rumors turned out to be true.

“I can confirm Target has plans to open a store in Bradenton. Located at 75th Street and Manatee Avenue, the store will be approximately 49,000 square feet. As we get closer to opening the store, we’ll have more specific details to share – including how the shopping experience will be tailored to serve local guests and the grand opening date,” a spokeswoman for Target said in an email on Tuesday.

The proposed Target would be the second in Manatee County. The existing store is located at 6150 14th St. W., in Bayshore Gardens.

There is also a Super Target at 101 N. Cattlemen Road in the University Town Center shopping district. Sarasota has several other Targets, including at 5350 Fruitville Road and at 8401 S. Tamiami Trail.

In February, workers took down the iconic K from the facade of the former Kmart building on Manatee Avenue, leaving an empty building and lots of questions about what might be coming next.

At the same time, just on the south side of Manatee Avenue and 75th Street West stood an empty parking lot where a Lucky’s market had been planned, on the site where a former Albertson’s supermarket was demolished.

Lucky’s pulled out of plans to build at the intersection after it lost Krogers as an investor. Ultimately, Lucky’s filed for bankruptcy and closed many of its stores. A WaWa store, which won city approval in 2018, was also planned for the intersection but has yet to be built.

The COVID-19 pandemic has made a difficult time for large box retailers even more difficult with national brands Tuesday Morning, J.C. Penney, Neiman Marcus, J.Crew and Stage Stores, and Steinmart all filing for bankruptcy this year.

The decision by Target to takeover the former Manatee Avenue Kmart space means that at least one down-on-its luck Bradenton retail location will be spared what is frequently happening in many other big box spaces.

“What is happening with the big boxes is that they are being repurposed with smaller tenants. Some are becoming fitness facilities, others are becoming entertainment venues, and some are becoming mixed use. Some are being turned into storage facilities,” Janet Robinson, commercial director for Coldwell Banker Commercial NRT, told the Herald earlier this year.

The friction between Key West and some communities at the other end of the island chain is generally a dull but persistent sort of discord, muttered under the breath but rarely debated publicly.

Key West, to some, is the intrusive diva whose showy excesses and pouty demands make life difficult for those around her, despite their dependence on her income.

But that quiet conflict between communities has grown louder and more public in recent weeks, as county officials consider whether to assume responsibility for Poinciana Gardens.

Key West’s assisted-living facility has been struggling financially since its opening in July 2018, when only nine of its 106 units were occupied — and those residents were paying $3,000 per month for apartments.

Rents were much higher than anticipated under the original management company, making the brand-new units too expensive for most Keys seniors.

In 2019, the Key West Housing Authority, which owns the property, found a new management company that lowered rents and increased occupancy, but the facility continues to operate at a loss that the housing authority can no longer afford.

County Commissioner Craig Cates wants the county to take over operation of the facility from the housing authority with additional financial support from the city of Key West.

Cates in May called the arrangement “a no-brainer” due to the money it would save the county in the long run.

Monroe County is spending $1.2 million a year to operate Bayshore Manor on Stock Island, which currently houses only 11 residents.

“If we can move the Bayshore Manor residents to Poinciana Gardens and close Bayshore Manor, we’ll have more than a million dollars a year to put toward Poinciana Gardens,” Cates said in May. “Plus, we’ll get back the Bayshore Manor property on College Road. Plus, we’re currently spending about $250,000 to rent office space at the Professional Building and other locations in town. We can move those offices to the Bayshore Manor property that we already own to save another quarter-million dollars a year. To me, it’s a no-brainer. I hope the other commissioners see it as clearly. There’s also space available at Poinciana Gardens to have senior day care services and other activities bring in additional revenue.”

But not everyone agreed.

Resentment, dissent and political threats became apparent in recent weeks, with some Upper Keys community groups opposing the proposal, wondering why their taxes should fund something their seniors won’t use.

“This isn’t about Upper Keys vs. Key West; or Poinciana Gardens vs. Rowell’s Marina, which the county bought, but Key West doesn’t use,” County Commissioner Mike Forster told the Keys Weekly on Tuesday. “We’re not going to divide the Keys. We’re going to take care of each other. But I want to know the appetite of Key West for this project.”

Forster said he would not vote in favor of Cates’ proposal “if Key West is only putting up $400,000 the first year, then $300,000 the second year, then $100,000 the third year. We need the city of Key West to be a full partner in this with us.”

Commissioner David Rice agreed, saying, “My hope is to continue these services for our seniors with three groups — the county, the city and the housing authority — all working together, and I’ve gone from hopeful to optimistic that County Administrator Roman Gastesi is making good progress with his discussions and negotiations,” Rice said.

Commissioner Eddie Martinez said he would back Cates’ proposal.

“Our seniors are not disposable,” Martinez said. “Also, Poinciana will operate in the black when run properly, and it will be. So there should be no issues. If we move Bayshore Manor residents to Poinciana Gardens, and move some county offices to the Bayshore property, it will all be offset. Are you willing to dispose of your parents? Or anyone else’s? I don’t think so. I wouldn’t either. Search your heart and just do what is correct.”

The county commission will hear the latest from Gastesi and consider their options at their meeting on Wednesday, July 21.

Until then, the group of Key West residents who fought for 20 years to get an assisted-living facility built, is hoping the commissioners will see fit to serve the senior citizens of Key West however possible.

“The basic thing here is they need to not let our elders down,” said Joan Higgs, a former administrator at Bayshore Manor and a founding member of the Florida Keys Assisted-Care Coalition, which got the facility built. “Somehow this has become about politics instead of about taking care of our seniors. The county will protect coral reefs and old buildings, but not our elders? Their refusal to support this would be completely outrageous and inhumane, and I’ve never seen that from our county commissioners.”