BayCare to Construct New St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital by 2030

A nonprofit organization has unveiled its intentions to replace the current hospital and enhance specialized pediatric services.

BayCare Health System is set to construct a new St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital by the year 2030. The new hospital will be situated on the current campus near West Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, in close proximity to Raymond James Stadium. BayCare has not disclosed the financial details of the project or outlined any future plans for the existing hospital.

Alongside the new facility, BayCare aims to expand its range of pediatric specialty medical services within the hospital. This expansion will encompass pediatric graduate medical education programs, including teaching, research, and training initiatives.

“BayCare wants West Central Florida’s children and families to continue to have access close to home to the best in medical care that combines the latest treatment innovations with our unmatched compassionate care,” said CEO and president Stephanie Conners in a statement. “These investments will make that possible.”

BayCare operates a total of 16 hospitals in the Tampa Bay region. The proposal for the construction of a new children’s hospital received approval from the nonprofit’s governing board during a meeting held on Tuesday evening. Remarkably, this project marks BayCare’s fourth new hospital initiative within the past five years.

“This is really a significant investment from a capital perspective over a period of time,” said Keri Eisenbeis, BayCare’s chief of staff. “They have blessed this strategy.”

St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital is situated on the same campus as St. Joseph’s Hospital. Established in 1990, the children’s facility boasts a capacity of 219 beds. In the year 2022, it managed to accommodate nearly 35,000 emergency room visits, facilitated around 13,000 births, and conducted approximately 4,900 outpatient surgeries, as reported by BayCare.

BayCare is the region’s largest provider of pediatric services, with pediatric specialty clinics in Clearwater, Valrico, North Tampa, Riverview and Polk County. That demand is expected to grow in future years, said Sarah Naumowich, president of St. Joseph’s Children’s and Women’s hospitals.

“We feel it’s our responsibility as the largest provider to continue to develop to meet those needs,” she said. “In health care, to stand still is not an option when medical innovation is providing new opportunities every day to impact our patients’ lives.”