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After more than six years of preparation and construction, hospital officials are targeting July 8, 2026, as the opening date for Orlando Health Watson Clinic Lakeland Highlands Hospital.
The seven story building, at 4000 Lakeland Highlands Road, will begin operations with more than 300 inpatient beds, anticipating demand from Polk County’s rapidly growing population. “Usually you’ll see hospitals start being built at 100 to 200 beds max,” said Matthew Woodrow, chief administrative officer of Orlando Health Mid-Florida Region, at a media preview on Thursday, June 25.
“We will get busy very quickly just based on the need in the community,” Woodrow said.
The hospital will have 69 emergency and observation room beds, four cardiac and interventional suites, and 11 operating rooms. Construction is scheduled to be completed on two more operating rooms before the end of the year.
“We hope and we pray that no one ever needs us,” said Dr. Brody Hingst, emergency department doctor and expected medical director. “But if you do, we have all of the staff, we have all of the facilities, we have all of the medications needed to have a good outcome.”
The Center for Women and Babies offers dedicated labor and delivery services. A neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) will open shortly after the hospital.
Expanded care and economic engine
Hospital officials say that in addition to expanding specialized care in Lakeland, the Lakeland Highlands Hospital will allow Watson Clinic patients to continue their care within the new hospital system.
“Our patients will still be able to see the physicians they have grown to trust throughout their lives, but we’ve also added Orlando Health physicians for those services that Watson Clinic doesn’t offer,” said Hospital President Carlos Carrasco.
“This project has been an economic engine for two years before it ever opened its doors, nearly 700 construction jobs were created on site, and that momentum does not stop here,” said City Commissioner Guy LaLonde Jr.
“More than 1500 jobs are currently coming to our community with this opening,” he said. “Many of those employees are already here in training and getting ready to welcome patients as early as next month. And there are many more on the way.”
Woodrow said the facility was built with the possibility of expansion in mind, leaving room for another tower in the future if necessary.
Advanced brain and heart care
Lakeland Highlands Hospital will address significant regional needs as a second facility that can provide advanced care for stroke patients, said Dr. Shane Burke, neurosurgeon.
“I think there’s an abundance of patients. I think there’s a lot of patients that have moved to this area, and right now, we only have Lakeland Regional to do these types of procedures,” Burke said. “Having a second hospital is a very, very good thing for Lakeland and the county.”
The facility will treat stroke patients in its interventional radiology (IR) suite with a Siemens Healthineers ARTIS icono.vision biplane radiology scanner — the first of its kind in the area.
Burke said the Siemens technology gives doctors and technicians more control over imaging than other options on the market. “That’s what we’re trained to do — get the best possible pictures that we can … to answer a specific question for why we’re doing the procedure,” he said.
The facility also has two heart catheterization labs with Philips Azurion 7 M12 scanners.
“In this room, we can do various things, we can do diagnostic heart catheterizations to look for blockages within heart arteries, we have the ability to put stints in, there’s other things we can do as far as structural work,” said Dr. Mark Mines, cardiology interventionist.
Facilities for Expecting Mothers
A significant portion of the new hospital is dedicated to the care for expectant mothers and babies.
The Center for Women and Babies has eight birthing suites with two labor tubs or birthing pools, two dedicated cesarian section operating rooms, and 28 private and secure rooms for postpartum recovery.
The Level II NICU is scheduled to open this fall, though NICU staff will be present when the hospital opens. Hospital officials say keeping the mother and baby comfortable and together is the priority.
“The birthing suites are quite big,” said Dr. Samantha Curtis, OB-GYN. “They are designed so that you can labor, deliver, and recover all in the same room.”
Patient comfort and safety
Every patient room is private and includes a digital whiteboard connected to hospital systems, allowing care information to be updated in real time. “When family comes in, they will know where we are, what tests the patient has scheduled for the day,” said Hospitalist Dr. Doris Koduah.
All rooms include recliners and pullout couches. “These rooms are designed for patients and their families,” Koduah said. “Having your family around is very important.”
A patient ambassador program will employ non-clinical staff to support patients and families during their time at the hospital. A pet therapy program, which utilizes trained and certified volunteer animals, will also be available once the hospital opens.
Built on collaboration
The brand new facility is “built to do the right thing for patients, physicians, and the community,” said Andrew Snyder, Orlando Health chief marketing and communications officer. The project is Watson Clinic’s first inpatient hospital.
“Orlando Health is partnering with the Watson Clinic,” Snyder said. “Experts from both organizations came together to ensure that every detail reflects the highest standard of patient-centered care.”
“With a hundred year history, Orlando Health has grown to be a high quality nonprofit health system known throughout the southeastern United States. Since 1941, Watson Clinic has served the Polk County community to be one of the nation’s most respected physician-led practices,” Carrasco, hospital president, said.
“While the organizations remain independent, this collaboration combines those shared strengths and values to meet the needs of this growing community,” he said.
“We are confident that this hospital — coupled with Watson Clinic’s two freestanding facilities on this campus — will elevate the health and vitality of our community for generations to come,” said Watson Clinic Chief Executive Officer Jason Hirsbrunner.
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