LAKELAND, FL — Orlando Health Watson Clinic Lakeland Highlands Hospital officially opened its doors to patients at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, July 8, marking the first new hospital to open in Lakeland in more than a century.
Hospital President Carlos Carrasco called the opening “an exciting day in Polk County,” saying the partnership between Orlando Health and Watson Clinic is focused on improving the health and quality of life for residents across the region. Watson Clinic Chief Executive Officer Jason Hirsbrunner said the organization eagerly embraced the opportunity to collaborate with Orlando Health after serving the community for 85 years, adding that the new hospital and Watson Clinic’s facilities on the campus will benefit Polk County for generations.
The seven-story hospital sits on 77.29 acres and spans 558,233 square feet. The facility features 306 private patient rooms, a 49-bed emergency department with five fast-track rooms and 20 observation beds, 13 operating rooms, two heart catheterization labs, two MRI scanners, a ground-level helicopter pad, eight labor and delivery rooms, 28 postpartum rooms, two C-section operating rooms, and a 12-bed neonatal intensive care unit that is expected to open in the coming months.
The hospital has already made a significant economic impact on Polk County. During construction, the project created up to 700 jobs, and more than 1,500 permanent positions have been filled, including 600 nurses and 75 physicians new to the local market. Orlando Health also plans to add another 200 jobs later this year when it opens a freestanding emergency department in North Lakeland.
According to local economic development organizations, the new hospital is now the sixth-largest employer in Lakeland and the 15th-largest employer in Polk County.
The opening also marks Orlando Health’s 50th facility in Florida, including hospitals, clinics, institutes, and freestanding emergency departments.
SOURCE: ORLANDO HEALTH
