BayCare, a non-profit healthcare organisation, has officially opened the new South Florida Baptist Hospital in the US.

The new 424,000ft, 146-bed hospital has been developed to replace the original hospital situated on Alexander Street.

The old hospital has been serving the community in the Plant City region of Florida for more than seven decades.

It is now permanently shut as of 3am on 10 August 2024.

Following its closure, the operational control has now been transferred to the new hospital, which is located around four miles away from the original location at 3202 N Park Road, off Interstate 4 in Plant City.

A total of 67 patients were shifted to the new hospital in collaboration with IMH health care consultants, transport services, community partners in law enforcement, fire and rescue, and various other BayCare team members.

South Florida Baptist Hospital president Karen Kerr said: “I am extremely pleased with how the process went today with all patients being safely transported from the legacy hospital to the new hospital.

“We planned for this transition for more than a year and it's wonderful to see the payoff of all the work that went into this extraordinary task.”

The new hospital has been developed with an investment of $326m.

This is the latest addition to BayCare's portfolio of 16 hospitals serving the West Central Florida region.

Some of the key areas of specialisation offered by the new facility include cardiac catheterisation, emergency care, general surgery, and orthopaedic surgery.

South Florida Baptist Hospital also includes an 85,000ft² medical arts building that provides separate space for physician offices, along with various outpatient and diagnostic services such as rehabilitation, imaging, and laboratory services.  

This setup enables patients to meet all their healthcare needs in a single location, BayCare added.