Just last year, ForestbrPark Medical Center Southlake was in the news for a good reason. It was namedbrthe seventh most beautiful hospital in the United States, according to SoliantbrHealth, a staffing company that holds an annual contest to rank the 20 best-lookingbrhospitals in the country. Rankings are based on landscape and architecture, asbrwell as unique features and photogenic qualities.
More than 388,000 votes (overbrone and a half times the votes from 2014) were cast in the contest. Forest Parkbrhospitals in San Antonio and Ft. Worth also made the list, coming in at No. 3brand No. 14, respectively. To earn seventh place, the Southlake facility receivedbrmore than 10,000 votes.
Forest Park Southlakebropened in 2013 with six intensive care-unit beds, 12 operating rooms and 54brprivate, luxury inpatient rooms. The hospital is more like an upscale hotelbrwith plenty of natural light, interior mood lighting and even water features.
Its website states: “ForestbrPark Medical Center is a different kind of hospital. Designed for warmth.brDesigned for comfort. Forest Park Medical Center is that rare hospital thatbrputs patients first.”
So, it was naturally abrshock when news surfaced that Forest Park Medical Center had collapsed. Thebrhospital chain is broke, its operators unable to pay rent. Forest ParkbrSouthlake owes at least $3.4 million, according to reports.
But still, Charles Nasem,brCEO of the Southlake facility, said in a statement that the hospital'sbrfinancial crisis won't impact operations.
“We do not expect this tobraffect operations at Forest Park Southlake and we will continue to deliver thebrtop one percent patient experience to our patients,” he told the Star-Telegram.
Other Forest Parkbrlocations have not fared so well. The Dallas and San Antonio hospitalsbrshuttered last fall, according to the DallasbrMorning News and the San AntoniobrExpress-News. More than 300 people lost their jobs as a result. And lastbrSeptember, the Frisco hospital filed for Chapter 11, citing that it owed atbrleast $8.5 million. Will the Southlake hospital survive the turmoil? Time will tell.