BayCare and Northwestern Medicine Announce Strategic Collaboration

Collaboration with the nationally recognized organization is key piece to accelerate BayCare's growth as an academic health system

CLEARWATER, Fla., June 5, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- BayCare, one of Florida's leading not-for-profit health systems, and Northwestern Medicine, Chicago's premier integrated academic health system, are embarking on a strategic collaboration to expand access to advanced medical treatments, enhance clinical research, and improve training and education for current and future physicians in West Central Florida.

By collaborating with Northwestern Medicine, a nationally recognized academic health system that includes Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, BayCare is securing a final key piece in its efforts to grow as an academic health system serving the region, which includes the Tampa Bay area.

BayCare has one of the fastest-growing graduate medical education programs in the nation and an established research infrastructure, creating a solid foundation for integrating academic advancement with patient care.

"This isn't the beginning, it's the next step in a journey we've been focused on for years," said Stephanie Conners, president and chief executive officer of BayCare. "West Central Florida deserves more access to academic medicine and by entering into a strategic collaboration with Northwestern Medicine, we will accelerate our trajectory as an academic health system."

BayCare and Northwestern Medicine will look to expand access to advanced medical treatments and research while creating new educational and training opportunities for physicians, residents, and students, enhancing BayCare's ability to attract, retain and train health care professionals to serve the growing needs of the region.

"We are focused on collaborating with likeminded organizations that are driven by providing patients with greater access to world-class compassionate care, closer to where they live and work," said Howard Chrisman, MD, president and chief executive officer, Northwestern Memorial HealthCare. "By collaborating with BayCare, we have the opportunity to train and educate the next generation of medical professionals and transform the clinical offerings to patients in West Central Florida."

As Chicago's premier integrated academic health system, Northwestern Medicine offers patients access to world-class, compassionate care at 11 hospitals and more than 200 diagnostic and ambulatory sites. The health system is anchored by Northwestern Memorial Hospital. For 13 consecutive years, Northwestern Memorial has been named to the Best Hospitals Honor Roll by U.S. News and World Report, with 11 specialties ranked nationally. Most noteworthy being, Northwestern Memorial is one of only three hospitals in the nation to receive a U.S. News rating of High Performing in all procedures and conditions.

Under the collaboration, BayCare will continue to grow as West Central Florida's leading not-for-profit academic health system, providing more than one-third of all services in the region, with 16 hospitals and hundreds of other locations. It is the region's largest provider of cardiac, behavioral health and pediatric services and its provider group, BayCare Medical Group, is one of the largest in the region. BayCare's diverse network of ambulatory services includes laboratories, imaging, surgical centers, BayCare Urgent Care locations, wellness centers and one of Florida's largest home care agencies, BayCare HomeCare. BayCare's mission is to improve the health of all it serves through community-owned, health care services that set the standard for high-quality, compassionate care. The collaboration will not change BayCare's ownership, leadership or the composition of its board of trustees, who are all volunteer West Central Florida leaders.

With a signed definitive agreement in place, leaders from both organizations are engaged in the first phase of the collaboration, which will focus on educational and professional development opportunities for clinicians and clinical research development.

"BayCare and Northwestern Medicine share a strategic vision to transform health care by investing in the development of tomorrow's health care leaders," said Sowmya Viswanathan, MD, chief physician executive of BayCare. "Our work together will enable us to provide even more innovative care in the compassionate, community-focused environment our patients want and deserve. More education, training and research mean more access and deeper expertise are available to our patients. And that's why we're here – to serve our communities."

BayCare and Northwestern Medicine announced the collaboration Thursday afternoon at Tampa Bay Park in one of the three office buildings that BayCare recently acquired. BayCare announced it was naming its 36-acre part of the office park the BayCare Academic Health and Research Corridor to reflect its plans to consolidate and grow its academic and research efforts at the location, including the collaboration with Northwestern Medicine. The acquisition for the Corridor increased BayCare's property holdings in west Tampa by 75%. The Corridor sits just west of three of BayCare's 16 hospitals: St. Joseph's, St. Joseph's Children's and St. Joseph's Women's.

About BayCare
To learn more about BayCare, please visit BayCare.org.

About Northwestern Medicine 
To learn more about Northwestern Medicine, please visit NM.org.

Media Contact Information:
Lisa Razler
System Public Relations Manager
BayCare 
[email protected]
813.924.2418

Chris King
Chief Media Relations Executive
Northwestern Medicine
[email protected]
312.926.0960

SOURCE BayCare Health System