LAKELAND, Fla. – A new 550,000-square-foot hospital will open in Lakeland on July 8, marking the first healthcare facility of its kind to open in the city in more than a century.
Read more Is the Tartan Army visiting Dunedin? Social media chatter sparks talk of Scottish visit
New facility details
What we know:
The Orlando Health Watson Clinic Lakeland Highlands facility features more than 300 patient beds and nearly 50 emergency room beds. Hospital officials hired 1,500 employees and around 75 physicians to meet the needs of a growing population.
“With a higher-acuity population with the older folks, as well as some of our younger population, we’re trying to meet the needs of a growing population,” said Carlos Carrasco, president of the hospital.
The medical center includes 11 operating rooms equipped with advanced surgical robots.
Surrounding residents will use facility
What they’re saying:
Dr. Doris Koduah, an internal medicine hospitalist, noted that many residents moving to the surrounding communities will utilize the facility.
Read more Hillsborough County schools: Summer upgrades bring $60 million in facility repairs
“We have so many people moving to the south side and surrounding communities. All these people in Plant City and other areas around here will be utilizing this facility a lot,” Koduah said.
Koduah added that the shared network helps coordinate care, stating, “It’s good we have another place for our patients because we are part of the Watson Clinic and Orlando Health entities. People kind of underestimate how hard it is to coordinate a hospital stay with follow-ups and outpatient care.”
Future medical options
What’s next:
Orlando Health’s invested more than $500 million into the community and the hospital represents one of the largest capital investments in Polk County in 25 years. The facility will officially begin seeing patients on July 8.
A free-standing emergency department is currently under construction in North Lakeland. That separate medical site is scheduled to open in October.
Read more How a Tampa restaurant is helping Venezuela earthquake victims
About the Author
