BayCare Health System

Great news from our St. Joseph’s Children’s Foundation! We are so thankful for the support of our local community leaders, Scott and Kathy Fink, and their commitment to help advance children's health care in West Central Florida.

At BayCare Health System, we are dedicated to providing high quality care to our patients throughout West Central Florida. Our commitment continues with the installation of three new linear accelerators at hospitals in Hillsborough, Pinellas and Polk counties. The new machines provide highly targeted radiation treatments and curtail side effects for patients. Learn more about this advanced technology here: https://bit.ly/4eDfLX9 #BayCareProud

BayCare Health System nurses showcased their exceptional leadership in nursing practice at the 2024 ANCC Nursing Continuing Professional Development (NCPD) Summit. This inspiring event took place Oct. 28-29, 2024, in conjunction with the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) National Magnet Conference® and the ANCC Pathway to Excellence Conference®. The summit brought together more than 13,000 nurses to celebrate their profession, share knowledge and experiences, and support local communities. Our BayCare nurses were at the forefront, demonstrating their commitment to excellence and innovation in nursing, with four presentations, including an award presentation: • Exploring the Role of Virtual Reality in Critical Care Nurses Training: A Pilot Study, presented by Michelle Wright, DNP, RN, NPD-BC, CHSE, and Crystal Huners, MSN, RN, CNL. • How to Bring Multi-Site Ambulatory Centers to Pathway to Excellence, presented by Carmen J. Luecke, BSN, RN, NE-BC, and Carrie Clute, BSN, RN, CNOR. • Impact of Demographics and Setting on Meaningful Recognition, presented by Rocky Hauch, DNP, RN, PCCN, and Jackie Munro, Ph.D., APRN, NE-BC, based on Rocky’s research. • Pathway to Excellence Innovation Award recipient for Virtual Nurse Pilot at Morton Plant Hospital, presented by Jennifer Ransford, MSN, RN, NE-BC, Kristy Dietz BSN, RN, and Logan Johnson, MSN, RN. #BayCareProud

Smiles were all around as LPGA legend Annika Sorenstam visited BayCare’s Morton Plant Hospital on Friday morning. In town for the LPGA tournament named for her, the ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican, Annika toured the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) as well as the Mom/Baby unit, simulation room and more. She talked to patients and team members, posed for pictures and made everyone’s day a little brighter. The visit to the NICU was especially meaningful for Annika, whose son, Will, was born 13 weeks premature and spent 57 days in a NICU in Orlando. She told parents, “Be positive, be strong.” During the tournament, the LPGA’s “Birdies for Babies” charitable program is donating $50 for every birdie and $100 for every eagle made to the Morton Plant Mease Health Care Foundation. The funds will be directed toward Morton Plant and Mease Countryside hospitals to enhance the care of NICU infants with the purchase of a neonatal transporter and to support the parents with access to the NICU2HOMEe app. We appreciate the LPGA's efforts to make a lasting impact in our community. 💙 ⛳

Exciting news! The Leapfrog Group, a national nonprofit organization that promotes patient safety, announced its Fall 2024 Hospital Safety Grades today, and nine of BayCare Health System’s acute-care hospitals received an “A,” the group’s highest rating. We’re proud to be recognized with this top rating for our team’s commitment to quality and safety. Learn more: https://bit.ly/4ewFwrR #BayCareProud

The L.I.F.T. (Life Improvement Facilitation Team) program is a transformative partnership between BayCare Health System's Behavioral Health team and the New Port Richey Police Department. Together, they have created a unique initiative addressing root causes of homelessness, including mental health challenges and substance use disorders. With community-based policing approaches, the program offers compassionate solutions to help individuals break cycles of crisis. Learn more about this incredible program: https://bit.ly/4hQyNvE #BayCareProud #MentalHealth #CommunityPolicing

Last month, our team members from BayCare Alliant Hospital joined representatives with the National Association of Long Term Hospitals to visit our nation’s capital. The trip’s purpose was to talk to legislators about three proposed bills affecting long-term hospital care for patients. BayCare Alliant Hospital is a specialty hospital in Dunedin for patients with complex medical conditions that require an extended stay. We appreciated the opportunity to review each bill and explain the positive impact they could have for patients at our specialty hospital. #BayCareProud

We're excited to announce an innovative pilot program involving St. Joseph's Hospital-South and BayCare's Ambulatory Services: BayCare Virtual Hospital. This program helps patients recover faster and receive customized care at home, supported by advanced remote patient monitoring technologies. Learn about our first patient's experience with the program here: https://bit.ly/4fd7nPa

BayCare salutes its 33,000 team members and all first responders for their service during the unprecedented hurricanes that hit West Central Florida in September and October. And like so many dedicated to keeping our community safe during a crisis, more than 16,000 BayCare team members reported to duty to provide the extraordinary care we are known for. #BayCareProud

Yesterday, Bartow Regional Medical Center broke ground on a $110 million expansion project, cementing our dedication to providing extraordinary care to Bartow and the surrounding communities! BayCare Health System leadership was on hand to mark this special occasion. Watch a recap video and learn more about what's to come: https://bit.ly/4hFvh7l