BayCare Health Breaks Ground On New Wesley Chapel Hospital

WESLEY CHAPEL, FL — During a ceremonial groundbreaking event Wednesday, BayCare executives, elected officials, chamber members and community members celebrated the construction of BayCare Hospital Wesley Chapel, a new facility designed to meet the growing health care needs of the community.

“While 2020 has been an unprecedented year for health care that has called for tough decisions and creative solutions, we are grateful to celebrate the long-term goals that brought us to this moment,” said BayCare Chairman of the Board Eric Obeck. “I’m proud to be part of an organization that keeps setting the pace, even as we react to the coronavirus’s impact on our daily business.”

Inside the 318,000-square-foot hospital, BayCare will provide comprehensive medical services and health care resources including an emergency department, an intensive care unit with virtual-monitoring beds, diagnostic services such as imaging and lab, and physical rehabilitation.

Photo courtesy BayCare

Celebrating the groundbreaking of BayCare Hospital Wesley Chapel are Glenn Waters, BayCare executive vice president and chief operating officer; Eric Obeck, BayCare chairman of the board; Mike Moore, Pasco County Commission chairman; Hope Kennedy, North Tampa Bay Chamber president and CEO; Becky Schulkowski, BayCare Hospital Wesley Chapel operations director.

BayCare will invest $246 million to give Pasco County residents a new choice for health care services in Wesley Chapel and will hire hundreds of team members to serve as the heart and soul of BayCare Hospital Wesley Chapel.

“Across our system, it is the nearly 30,000 people who work here that make BayCare a great place to work,” said BayCare Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Glenn Waters. “At the same time, we are proud our patient outcomes are among the best as well.”

2020 was the third year in a row that BayCare was named one of Fortune’s 100 best companies to work for anywhere in the country. IBM Watson also named BayCare in the top 20 percent of high performing health systems across the country. The recognition reflects BayCare’s commitment to providing community-owned health care services that set the standard for high-quality, compassionate care.

“To the leaders here planning new construction in the midst of a pandemic, I thank you. To the elected officials who have joined us today and who are balancing so many unforeseen challenges this year, I thank you,” Waters said. “And to the local community members who have endured a year like no other, I thank you. We look forward to getting to know each other as BayCare grows along with Pasco County.”

The new hospital is located at 4501 Bruce B. Downs Blvd. and is expected to open in early 2023.