An aerial view of St. Joseph’s Hospital – South, taken last month.
St. Joseph’s Hospital – South, a $225 million private, not-for-profit hospital located in Riverview, is still on target to open in early 2015. It is one of the 13 private, not-for-profit hospitals owned by BayCare Health System, which also owns more than 200 outpatient medical facilities located in Tampa Bay.
BayCare is now considered to be the largest not-for-profit medical care provider in the Tampa Bay area, whereas the Hospital Corporation of America chain is considered the largest for-profit medical care provider in Tampa Bay and nationally. St. Joseph’s Hospital’s nearest HCA competitor is South Bay Hospital in Sun City Center.
In 2005, South Bay Hospital and St. Joseph’s Hospital – South competed for the Riverview location. Both applied to the Agency for Health Care Administration to build a hospital in South Hillsborough County. Both hospitals were turned down by the AHCA at that time.
St. Joseph’s plan to build a hospital on the south side of Big Bend Road was finally approved by the AHCA in 2008, when a judge reviewing the case said the hospital would bring diversity of services to an area where population was growing, so he overruled the prior ruling by the AHCA.
Both South Bay Hospital and St. Joseph’s Hospital – South will serve a population including Sun City Center, Ruskin, Apollo Beach, Riverview and other south Hillsborough County locations.
“When St. Joseph’s Hospital – South opens early next year, South County residents will finally have the option to choose a local, not-for-profit hospital,” said Scott Smith, president of St. Joseph’s Hospital – South, last week. “Unlike our closest competitors, we don’t have to make profits for shareholders. Instead, we invest in our mission, which is to improve the health of all we serve through community-owned health care services that set the standard for high-quality, compassionate care. I believe our patients will feel our commitment to this mission and the families we are here to serve.”
How does a for-profit hospital differ from a not-for-profit hospital?
According to data from the American Hospitals Association Annual Survey of Hospitals conducted in the years between 1988 and 2000, these are the basic differences.
There are three different types of hospitals: for-profit, not-for-profit and government (public hospitals). Public hospitals are generally associated with medical schools. They also receive financial help from local, state and federal governments. Public hospitals have been closing down faster than other hospitals; mainly, it is believed, because of the vast number of the uninsured such hospitals treat. Public and not-for-profit hospitals tend to take care of the underinsured population, which can be a drain financially.
According to Lisa Patterson, BayCare regional communications manager, the St. Joseph’s Hospital – South construction is on track and, as the construction winds down, the equipment installation and regulatory inspections will ramp up.
“Our department managers have been selected and are coming on board in August,” Patterson said. “Their initial task will be to start the selection process for team members, who will come on board in January. Jobs will be open to the public when that phase of hiring begins in the fall. Applications will be accepted through www.BayCareJobs.com. In total, about 500 [team] members will be working at the hospital when it opens.”
With the hospital ready to open in less than a year, three key leaders have been named:
Michael Hance has been appointed director of operations. Hance was the Director of Imaging Services and the Cancer Institute for all of the St. Joseph’s Hospitals and South Florida Baptist Hospital.
“Over the past 16 years, I have had the privilege of knowing many talented and dedicated individuals in my current job, and I will miss working with them,” Hance said. “I am excited to be part of the leadership team at St. Joseph’s Hospital – South as we introduce BayCare to the Riverview area and start the mission of St. Joseph’s and the Franciscan Sisters in providing high quality and compassionate care to our new community.”
The Franciscan Sisters established the first St. Joseph’s Hospital in downtown Tampa in 1934, after building a network of teaching facilities and healthcare facilities stemming from Allegany, Pennsylvania in 1859.
Michelle Landy was chosen as the director of patient services. Landy joined BayCare in 2010, as the emergency department manager.
“I am so excited to be embarking on this journey to open a new facility and create an amazing team,” Landy said. “It is definitely a culmination of many years of experience and putting all that experience to work at St. Joseph’s Hospital – South.”
Rita Templeton was chosen as director of clinical decision support, after working as the education specialist and electronic medical clinical lead for BayCare.
“As the new director of clinical decision support at St. Joseph’s Hospital – South, I am honored to have this opportunity to take my 14 years of working knowledge, abilities and skills to a new level within BayCare,” Templeton said. “I look forward to working with the team that will provide compassionate, quality health care to a new community.”
The hospital is located between U.S. 301 and I-75 south of Big Bend Road. The hospital plans on a staff of 500 to serve in the 90-bed, 352,000-square-foot facility. There is also an 80,000-square-foot medical office building and a 40,000-square-foot physicians building, which opened last year.
The Emergency Room Center will have 30 beds with all private examination rooms. Ten of those rooms will be designated to “fast-track” patients, who need less care.
Four general surgical suites are planned, as well as two radiology and cauterization suites and two endoscopy suites.
For women, there are two dedicated operating suites for women’s surgeries and four labor-and-delivery suites for low-risk deliveries.
A 14-bed maternity suite and two 30-bed medical/surgical suites with private rooms are also planned.
The website for St. Joseph’s Hospital – South is www.StJosephsSouth.com. The hospital’s Facebook page address is www.facebook.com/StJosephsSouth.
