Ambulances stood ready in the pre-dawn hours to transfer 67 patients to the new hospital. The highly coordinated event, which concluded at 9:10 a.m., went off seamlessly thanks to the help of IMH health care consultants, community partners in law enforcement, fire and rescue, transport services and dozens of BayCare team members.
"I am extremely pleased with how the process went today with all patients being safely transported from the legacy hospital to the new hospital," said South Florida Baptist Hospital President Karen Kerr. "We planned for this transition for more than a year and it's wonderful to see the payoff of all the work that went into this extraordinary task."
Plant City native Wanda Garrett was among the patients transferred to the new hospital during today's move. She visited South Florida Baptist Hospital's legacy emergency department on Thursday after experiencing chest pain and underwent a cardiac catheterization shortly after arriving at the new location, the first patient to receive the treatment there. Garrett has been watching the new hospital's construction and is happy for the community to have a new facility.
"I was awake at 4:30, up and excited to go. I think I was more excited than the employees. I wanted to see the new building, though not really under these circumstances. I always thought about a tour, but not as a patient," Garrett laughed. "But they needed this new building, especially for the work they had to do on me."
Michael Sutherland, a Lutz resident, will soon have surgery on a leg that was partially amputated years ago. He has undergone several surgeries at South Florida Baptist Hospital, and noted every patient experience with BayCare has been extraordinary.
"This has been a difficult part of life, but it has been made much easier by the care [I received]," said Sutherland. "The compassion and professionalism of the staff here—I couldn't recommend this hospital more. Everybody here has been amazing."
Areas of specialization include general surgery, orthopedic surgery, urology, imaging, cardiac catheterization, emergency care and labor/delivery. The hospital also features an 85,000-square-foot medical arts building with space for physician offices, as well as outpatient and diagnostic services such as imaging, rehabilitation and lab services, allowing patients to consolidate their health care needs in one location.
The $326-million South Florida Baptist Hospital is the newest of BayCare's 16 hospitals serving West Central Florida.
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 16 hospitals, including a children's hospital, and hundreds of other convenient locations throughout the Tampa Bay and West Central Florida regions. The system is West Central Florida's largest provider of 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. In 2023, BayCare was ranked in the top quartile of large U.S. health systems by Fortune/PINC AI based on clinical outcomes, operational efficiency and patient experience. 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. For more information, visit www.BayCare.org.
About South Florida Baptist Hospital
Since 1953, South Florida Baptist Hospital has served Plant City and surrounding areas as a not-for-profit community hospital. The progressive, acute care facility offers a full range of diagnostic, rehabilitative, surgical, therapeutic and women's services, including obstetrics. The 146-bed South Florida Baptist Hospital, part of BayCare Health System, is located at 3202 N. Park Road, Plant City, Fla. 33563. The new, state-of-the-art hospital, which opened in August 2024, replaced the original facility on Alexander Street in Plant City which served the community for more than 70 years. For more information, visit SouthFloridaBaptist.org.
SOURCE South Florida Baptist Hospital
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