Shands at UF announced plans Friday to build a guesthouse for patients’ families.
The guesthouse will be walking distance from Shands on the old Rush Lake Motel property, which is being demolished.
David Guzick, president of UF&Shands Health System, said that on certain weekends, when everything is sold out, he gets calls from family members of patients looking for somewhere to stay.
“Many of our patients travel for significant distances — more than a daytime trip,” Guzick said.
The $30 million project is expected to be completed by late 2014 or early 2015. The project is still awaiting city approval.
Bradley Pollitt, Shands vice president of facilities, said the guesthouse would have about 150 rooms.
“We have people who end up sleeping in the lobby sometimes, which is not good for them,” he said.
If the patient is in Shands for four or five days, the family will need somewhere to stay and will be able to stay in the guesthouse, Guzick said.
“If you can imagine your loved one in the hospital staying overnight, and you’re worried about them, it’s very difficult to be four miles down the road in a hotel,” Pollitt said.
