"It gives the community an anchor and access to health care," says Wendy Piascik, the hospital's vice president of patient care services. "People believe it's their hometown hospital."

Cape Coral Hospital opened in 1977 as a private, not-for-profit organization spearheaded by community leaders and local physicians. They felt residents of the Cape, North Fort Myers and Pine Island needed a hospital closer by, on the west side of the Caloosahatchee River, where growth was obviously headed.

The hospital's organizational structure lasted until about eight years ago when it was bought, following a period of financial difficulty, by Lee Memorial Health System in Fort Myers. Today, the operation is stronger than ever, and that's good news for patients.

The 281-bed, acute-care facility provides an array of ser-vices, including rehabilitation, pediatrics, obstetrics, oncology, general surgery, urology, endocrinology and gastroenter-ology. The hospital has the area's largest and busiest emergency department, and it is a state-designated, primary hospital to provide care in the case of a weapons of mass destruction event. She hopes it's never used in response to a major catastrophe, but it's there, says Piascik, "protecting the citizens of the community."

Aside from its health-care role, Cape Coral Hospital contributes to the economy. There are 1,355 employees, with an annual payroll of $51.3 million, making it the third largest employer in the Cape, behind the school system and the city.

Several medical-related service businesses have opened near the hospital and other Cape locations. And as the population grows, the hospital is expected to follow suit through expansion or new construction, Piascik says.

Beyond the dollars the facility funnels into the community, it's also an asset when it comes to promoting Cape Coral. "When we have a new investor or resident coming in, that's one of the necessary incentives," says Mike Quaintance, president of Cape Coral's Chamber of Commerce. "Without it, I think, Cape Coral would not be as successful."

There was a time when Cape Coral Hospital almost went away, at least in name. And that created quite a stir in town, Quaintance says. It was on the sale block and people feared it would be purchased by a chain operation and then re-branded.

But Lee Memorial dashed those fears when it purchased the operation.

Piascik, who started with the hospital a few years ago, was won over by its presence when she looked into the job. "The thing that impresses me is the very strong sense of community and people that the hospital have," she says. "It has maintained its compassionate feel for people coming here."

-Phil Borchmann