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Gus Iversen, Editor in Chief | July 18, 2024
Bartow Regional Medical Center is set to expand significantly, with construction beginning by the end of this year. Approved by the BayCare Board of Trustees on June 4, the $110 million project will add nearly 70,000 square feet to the facility, increasing its capacity and enhancing several key departments.
The expansion will increase the hospital's bed capacity from 72 to 90 and upgrade the emergency, catheterization lab, and surgical services departments.
The project, designed by Tampa-based HDR Architecture, will be executed in multiple phases. The initial phase involves relocating the helipad to make space for an expanded emergency department, which will include 27 new examination areas and a new second floor. The ICU will also move to the second floor, doubling its capacity from six to 12 beds, and a 12-bed ICU step-down unit will be added.
Other planned expansions include:
- An additional catheterization lab/interventional radiology suite
- Two more operating rooms
- 11 new post-anesthesia care unit bays
- New spaces for the Sterile Processing Department and Clinical Engineering
Renovations will also be made to the Pharmacy, Lab, Operating Room Support, Sterile Processing Department, and Central Plant areas.
Since joining the BayCare Health System in 2016, Bartow Regional has seen Polk County’s population grow by over 152,000 people. The hospital's emergency visits increased from about 37,000 in 2018 to 40,700 in 2023.
Karen Kerr, the hospital's president, emphasized the importance of the expansion, noting that Bartow is in one of the nation's fastest-growing counties. "This project aligns perfectly with our mission to improve the health of all we serve," Kerr said. "Our team has been working for months to determine how best to care for our community and we’re excited to move forward.”
Bartow Regional has also achieved several milestones in recent years, including becoming a Primary Stroke Center-certified hospital by the DNV, earning certification as a robotic surgery center of excellence, establishing a STEMI program, and offering advanced services such as aquablation.
