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HEALTHCARE REAL ESTATE, CONSTRUCTION, DESIGN & FACILITY PLANNING

'All the Sense in the World'
Gulf Coast Medical Center

Expansion Project Funded BY LOIS THOMSON
"The question was, why shouldn't we do this?" asked
Debbie Danto, MBA, LEED AP. And the answer was, she
definitely should. Danto, along with her 4th-generation
builder husband Craig, is a partner at Danto Builders,
and she recently passed the exam and is now a certified
general contractor in Florida.
Debbie started with Danto Builders in 2003, but went
full-time when she married Craig in 2005. Prior to join-
ing Danto, she worked in manufacturing-, construction-
and engineering-related industries. "I've been involved
in the construction industry and have become more and
more involved on the operations side and with the proj- Debbie Danto,
ects," she said; but it was when she went to a meeting at MBA, LEED AP
Broward Health that she realized there's a great advan-
tage to being a woman-owned business. "We're applying
for a WBE – women's business enterprise – but in order to get that certification, I had
to have my license."
Experience is key, and Danto has more than a decade's worth. She said, however,
that taking the exam was a good exercise in many different disciplines, not just build-
ing. "It covered the financial side and the legal side, OSHA and employment – you
name it, it includes everything that a business in construction needs to cover."
The exam extends more than 15 hours, and Danto admitted, "It's a strenuous
The Lee Health Board of Directors approved a $306,293,011 expenditure—the process. But I did it for great reasons, because we're focused on health care, and in the
final funding request for a major expansion of Gulf Coast Medical Center. This case of Broward Health, they set aside jobs for minority companies, so it made all the
amount includes construction costs, furnishings, equipment and information sys- sense in the world. We're already doing business with Broward Health, and we hope
tems required to complete the project, which will add 367,500 square feet to the this will make us even more competitive within their system, and allow us to partic-
existing 531,000-square-foot facility. In addition to the substantial increase in square ipate in jobs we wouldn't otherwise be able to."
footage, the project will add 268 new inpatient beds to the hospital for a total of 624. In addition to serving clients with their building needs, Debbie and Craig Danto,
The funding passed with full support from the Lee Health Board of Directors. and Danto Builders, take a personal interest in their clients and the community. For
The project also includes the relocation of the Trauma Center, now located at Lee that reason, on September 14, they're hosting their fourth annual Florida Design and
Memorial Hospital, and allows for the growth of several departments. Following the Construction Professionals Big Bad BBQ charity event benefiting Special Olympics.
completion of the project, specific, high-acuity services will move from Lee "Special Olympics is near and dear to my heart and my husband's heart, because we
Memorial Hospital to Gulf Coast Medical Center. Total cost of the expansion and both have family members with Down's syndrome," Debbie said. For details and to
renovation project is $347,598,082. purchase tickets, see http://www.specialolympicsbroward.org/dantobigbadbbq.
The Gulf Coast Medical Center expansion is expected to be completed by 2021.
For more information, visit www.dantobuilders.com or call (954) 229-2006.

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South Florida Hospital News southfloridahospitalnews.com September 2017 33