There is already life at the new South Florida Baptist Hospital.
Though the hospital doors are not scheduled to open until mid-May, a preview event on April 21 drew a throng of people to take tours through the 424,000 square-foot facility.
“I’m impressed….It’s nice that they let us come in without having to be a patient,” Cindi Kalel commented.
Onlookers were able to view areas like the emergency department and the intensive care unit (ICU). Though the tours were self-guided, medical experts were available at points of interest to bring attention to specific features and answer questions.
The tours wowed visitors. The hospital is, “Very large, very state-of-the-art, and exciting!” said Jennifer Beauchamp. Several other visitors echoed her sentiments.
The interior hospital space includes an 85,000-square-feet medical arts building with outpatient services and doctor’s offices, 146 private patient rooms, 26 ICU beds, 8 operating rooms, and 7 labor and delivery suites. Among the specializations that will be offered are general and orthopedic surgery, cardiac catheterization, labor/delivery, emergency care, urology, and imaging. The shiny new cafeteria has indoor and outdoor seating.
David Davenport, Manager of Rehabilitation suggested another way the hospital offers health is the exterior of the project included landscaping a beautiful walking trail around the perimeter of the property.
“I have never worked on a project that had so much interest from the community. It means a lot to everyone in Plant City and they have shown it from the very beginning. We have had involvement from everybody in the community—board members, staff, the fire department, the police department….have been out here to show their support,” said Ryan Bittner, Lead Superintendent for the general contractor that built the new South Florida Baptist Hospital. This is a high compliment because Ryan has previously managed construction of hospitals around the world.
Guests also took opportunities to gather information on health screenings and various other hospital services when they visited a health village set up in the hospital’s parking lot for the event.
“I just moved here and I’m concerned about hospitals—coming from Nashville—with Vanderbilt and St. Thomas. So, it is good to know the new hospital is around the corner from where I live,” said Marjorie Workman.
The new $326 million facility will replace the current 70-year-old South Florida Baptist Hospital located on Alexander Street in Plant City. The hospital will remain a part of the not-for-profit BayCare Health System which manages 16 hospitals and hundreds of smaller service locations throughout West Central Florida. The new South Florida Baptist Hospital will employ more than 800 staff and 250 physicians—making it Plant City’s largest employer.
“The hospital has been very deliberate about trying to honor the legacy of the old hospital here at the new hospital….We understand what this hospital has meant to the community, and we want to make sure we honor that legacy here at our new facility,” said Cherie Miller, the hospital’s Communications Coordinator, A History Wall gives testimony to that purpose. Dozens of photos highlight the past of the old facility.
The hospital sits on a 50-acre campus at the intersection of Sam Allen Rd. and Park Rd. in Plant City. The location is less than one mile from Interstate 4, off exit 22/Park Rd. The address is 3202 N. Park Rd., Plant City, FL 33565.