BayCare Unveils Vision for Pagidipati Children's Hospital at St. Joseph's, the Future Home of St. Joseph's Children's Hospital

The new facility is part of BayCare's strategic commitment to expand access to high-quality, specialized pediatric care across West Central Florida. Reinforcing BayCare's position as the region's leading pediatric health care provider, BayCare Kids and St. Joseph's Children's Hospital provide comprehensive inpatient and outpatient services to thousands of children and families each year.  

"Pagidipati Children's Hospital at St. Joseph's will transform pediatric health care across our region — pairing innovation with the compassionate, family-centered care our community has come to expect from BayCare," said BayCare President and CEO Stephanie Conners. "The new hospital will build on St. Joseph's Children's Hospital's legacy and ensure children and families receive the highest quality care for generations — right here in our back yard." 

A Design That Inspires Hope and Healing  

In working with its architects at Page, now Stantec, BayCare has sought to have every element of the new hospital be purposefully designed for children and families. Its bold, multi-color exterior and dynamic lighting — shifting with the seasons and holidays — welcome families with wonder and joy from the moment they arrive. These vibrant, color-changing features bring the building to life, with a subtle reminder that this is a place of hope and recovery for the children of West Central Florida and beyond. 

"Our vision for the new hospital is to elevate every aspect of care — blending state-of-the-art, child-focused design with advanced clinical programs across a wide range of pediatric specialties — to dramatically improve the experience for children and families," said Sarah Naumowich, president of St. Joseph's Children's and St. Joseph's Women's hospitals. "We are committed to expert, compassionate care and look forward to delivering it in a warm, thoughtfully designed environment that inspires comfort and reassurance — giving every child we serve the opportunity for brighter tomorrows."

Once inside, patients and families will find that the design blends clinical excellence with warmth and playfulness. Spaces encourage comfort, togetherness and discovery, with family-friendly features such as intuitive wayfinding, welcoming common areas, and environments that reduce stress while supporting healing. The goal: a hospital that feels less like an institution and more like a destination for care — where children feel safe, inspired and hopeful throughout their journey.  

St. Joseph's Children's Hospital Foundation is currently partnering with the Pagidipati family and other local philanthropists to accelerate the project, drive innovation and pursue the greatest impact for future generations.  

About St. Joseph's Children's Hospital 

BayCare's St. Joseph's Children's Hospital is nationally recognized for excellence in specialized pediatric care, including cancer, heart, emergency medicine and chronic complex conditions. It is home to the renowned Bayless Cancer Institute; the Patel Children's Heart Institute, a leading destination for congenital heart care in partnership with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center/Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh; the 24-hour Steinbrenner Emergency/Trauma Center for Children, staffed by the region's largest team of board-certified pediatric emergency physicians; and The Daniel J. Plasencia, MD, Children's Chronic Complex Clinic, a national model for legislation supporting similar programs across the country. St. Joseph's Children's Hospital is also a Level I Children's Surgery Center, the highest designation awarded by the American College of Surgeons, and one of only 55 in the United States. 

The new hospital will be named Pagidipati Children's Hospital at St. Joseph's in honor of a transformative $50 million gift from the Pagidipati family of Tampa — one of the largest donations in Tampa Bay history and celebrated as one of 2024's largest gifts in America. This extraordinary gift, made by Tampa business leader and philanthropist Sidd Pagidipati, along with siblings Rahul and Srujani, celebrates their parents' legacy as health care providers.  

For more information, visit BayCare.org/SJCH.  

About BayCare 

BayCare is a leading not-for-profit academic health care system that connects individuals and families to a wide range of services at 16 hospitals and hundreds of other convenient locations throughout the Tampa Bay and West Central Florida regions. Inpatient and outpatient services include acute care, primary care, imaging, laboratory, behavioral health, home care and wellness. Its 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. For more information, visit BayCare.org. 

SOURCE St. Joseph's Children's Hospital