Catholic Health World

St. Joseph's opens 108-bed hospital

St. Joseph's Hospital of Tampa, Fla., has opened a 108-bed hospital in the North Tampa community of Lutz, Fla., to serve what administrators say is a rapidly growing population that has had insufficient access to medical services.

The $225 million St. Joseph's Hospital-North campus includes a three-story hospital and an adjacent physician office building. The campus has all private patient rooms, a 30-bed emergency department, a women's care center and intensive care unit. It offers a range of medical-surgical services.

St. Joseph's-North is expected to receive certification for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for creating an energy-efficient, low-emission, health-promoting building. The campus was built using evidence-based design concepts including features that reduce sound and bring in natural light.

In 2002, when St. Joseph's applied to build the hospital, Lutz's population had risen 35 percent during the preceding decade. The community has seen continued growth since then. Prior to St. Joseph's construction, the closest hospital was about 10 miles away from Lutz, and, at times, traffic made it difficult to reach the facility, according to St. Joseph's administrators.

St. Joseph's opened Feb. 1.

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