St. Joseph's Hospital-South Opens in Riverview

The first not-for-profit hospital in Southern Hillsborough County begins treating patients Monday, February 2

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Feb 02, 2015, 06:16 ET

RIVERVIEW, Fla., Feb. 2, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Southern Hillsborough County's first not-for-profit hospital officially opened its doors February 2 at 7 a.m., but its first patient was treated in the Emergency Department shortly after 5 a.m.

Mary Shepard had her son drive her to the Emergency Department before dawn because she was feeling ill. Team members were already up and running and brought her into one of the 32 private patient rooms located in the Emergency Department.

From private patient rooms with full bathroom and in-room family area to carpeted flooring and ceiling lights designed for patient comfort, everything at St. Joseph's Hospital-South is focused on patient experience. Natural light, calming colors and beautiful images fill every space, which expedites healing and creates a peaceful hospital stay. In addition to patient-focused design, it has a Labor and Delivery Unit and private Mother/Baby Suites. The $225 million hospital carries on the 80-year tradition of St. Joseph's Hospital and brings approximately 500 new jobs to the South Shore community.

St. Joseph's Hospital-South is complete with state-of-the-art health care technology, including six operating suites with two designated for women and two interventional radiology/cardiac catherization labs as well as suites for general, orthopedic, urologic and outpatient pediatric surgery. This Interventional Radiology/Cardiac Catherization lab is for treating heart disease as well as vascular disease such as blockages and leaks in the arteries and veins. St. Joseph's Hospital-South also offers a comprehensive range of in-patient and outpatient imaging services including CT scans, MRI, echocardiography, nuclear medicine, ultrasound, mammography, x-ray and fluoroscopy.

Shepard said she's been looking forward to the hospital opening for years. Her brother helped build the new facility and her daughter is going to be working with the hospital.

Shepard said, "The treatment I received was fantastic. There aren't any words to describe it. I arrived at 5 a.m. and even though they weren't supposed to open until 7 a.m., they saw me anyway. They treated me with respect and they were wonderful."

The $225 million hospital carries on the 80-year tradition of St. Joseph's Hospital and brings approximately 500 new jobs to the South Shore community.

Located in Riverview, FL, St. Joseph's Hospital-South features:

90 private patient rooms
22 private observation rooms
32-bed emergency center with 10 beds dedicated to fast track patients with minor ailments
Six operating suites with two designated for women and two interventional radiology/cardiac catherization labs as well as suites for general, orthopedic, urological (traditional, laproscopic and robotic) and outpatient pediatric surgery
16-bed Intensive Care Unit
8 Labor and Delivery Rooms
14-bed Mother/Baby Unit

The 360,000 sq. ft. hospital offers services for just about everyone throughout their lifetime.

From private patient rooms with full bathroom and in-room family area to carpeted flooring and ceiling lights designed for patient comfort, everything at St. Joseph's Hospital-South is focused on patient experience. Natural light, calming colors and beautiful images fill every space, which expedites healing and creates a peaceful hospital stay.

St. Joseph's Hospital-South President Scott Smith said, "It really does create what I think is truly a healing environment, not only for our patients but for families as well, which is just as important. St. Joseph's is sensitive to the physical and spiritual needs of those we serve," he said. "We are dedicated to healing the body, along with nourishing the mind and soul."

St. Joseph's Hospital-South offers a comprehensive range of in-patient and outpatient imaging services including CT scans, MRI, echocardiography, nuclear medicine, ultrasound, mammography, x-ray and fluoroscopy.

The Shimberg Breast Center offers general screening mammograms, diagnostic mammograms, breast ultrasounds, MRI of the breast and image-guided biopsies in a spa-like atmosphere that's close to home.

In addition to patient-focused design, St. Joseph's Hospital-South is complete with state-of-the-art health care technology, including:

Fully digital systems with electronic medical records
Real-time access to patient results, radiologic images and transcribed reports
Telemetry monitoring in all patient rooms
Easy registration with Biometric Palm Scanning
Robotic surgery, using the da Vinci Surgical System

The Franciscan Sisters of Allegany purchased the land for St. Joseph's Hospital-South in the mid-80's because they foresaw a future need in this growing community. Set on 72 acres of land, St. Joseph's Hospital-South is an environmentally friendly building with:

High-efficiency systems that reduce energy consumption
Building materials with recycled content
Building materials and furnishings that minimize toxic chemical emissions
Water use reduction
Improved indoor air quality

The first 100 babies born at St. Joseph's Hospital-South will receive a complimentary tote bag filled with goodies for mom and baby.

To keep up with hospital news and events, follow us on Facebook or find us online at www.StJosephsSouth.org.

About BayCare Health System:

BayCare Health System is a leading community-based health system in the Tampa Bay area. Comprised of a network of 13 not-for-profit hospitals, outpatient facilities and services such as imaging, lab, behavioral health and home health care, BayCare provides expert medical care throughout a patient's lifetime. With more than 280 access points conveniently located throughout Tampa Bay, BayCare connects patients to a complete range of preventive, diagnostic and treatment services for any health care need.

BayCare's hospitals include: Mease Countryside, Mease Dunedin, Morton Plant, Morton Plant North Bay, St. Anthony's, St. Joseph's, St. Joseph's Children's, St. Joseph's Women's, St. Joseph's Hospital-North, St. Joseph's Hospital-South, South Florida Baptist, Winter Haven Women's Hospital and Winter Haven. For more information, visit BayCare on the Web at www.BayCare.org.

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SOURCE St. Joseph's Hospital-South