BayCare Breaks Ground on New Hospital in the Heart of Wesley Chapel

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Dec 02, 2020, 18:03 ET

TAMPA, Fla., Dec. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- During a ceremonial groundbreaking event Wednesday, BayCare executives, elected officials, chamber members and community members celebrated the construction of BayCare Hospital Wesley Chapel, a new facility designed to meet the growing health care needs of the community.

BayCare Health System breaks ground on new hospital designed to meet the growing health care needs of residents in Wesley Chapel, Florida.

BayCare Health System celebrates construction of new hospital in Wesley Chapel, Florida, during groundbreaking event Dec. 2, 2020. Glenn Waters, BayCare Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer; Eric Obeck, BayCare Chairman of the Board; Mike Moore, Pasco County Commission Chair; Hope Kennedy, North Tampa Bay Chamber President and Chief Executive Officer; and Becky Schulkowski, BayCare Hospital Wesley Chapel Operations Director assist with the ceremonial turning of the dirt.

"While 2020 has been an unprecedented year for health care that has called for tough decisions and creative solutions, we are grateful to celebrate the long-term goals that brought us to this moment," said BayCare Chairman of the Board Eric Obeck. "I'm proud to be part of an organization that keeps setting the pace, even as we react to the coronavirus's impact on our daily business."

Inside the 318,000-square-foot hospital, BayCare will provide comprehensive medical services and health care resources including an emergency department, an intensive care unit with virtual-monitoring beds, diagnostic services such as imaging and lab, and physical rehabilitation.

BayCare will invest $246 million to give Pasco County residents a new choice for health care services in Wesley Chapel and will hire hundreds of team members to serve as the heart and soul of BayCare Hospital Wesley Chapel.

"Across our system, it is the nearly 30,000 people who work here that make BayCare a great place to work," said BayCare Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Glenn Waters. "At the same time, we are proud our patient outcomes are among the best as well."

2020 was the third year in a row that BayCare was named one of Fortune's 100 best companies to work for anywhere in the country. IBM Watson also named BayCare in the top 20 percent of high performing health systems across the country. The recognition reflects BayCare's commitment to providing community-owned health care services that set the standard for high-quality, compassionate care.

"To the leaders here planning new construction in the midst of a pandemic, I thank you. To the elected officials who have joined us today and who are balancing so many unforeseen challenges this year, I thank you," Waters said. "And to the local community members who have endured a year like no other, I thank you. We look forward to getting to know each other as BayCare grows along with Pasco County."

The new hospital is located at 4501 Bruce B. Downs Boulevard in Pasco County and is expected to open in early 2023.

About BayCare Health System
BayCare is a leading not-for-profit health care system that connects individuals and families to a wide range of services at 15 hospitals and hundreds of other convenient locations throughout the Tampa Bay and central Florida regions. Inpatient and outpatient services include acute care, primary care, imaging, laboratory, behavioral health, home care, and wellness. Our mission is to improve the health of all we serve through community-owned, health care services that set the standard for high-quality, compassionate care. For more information, visit www.BayCare.org.

SOURCE BayCare Health System