New details released about Orlando Health Lakeland Highlands Hospital

Orlando, FL (October 20, 2022) – When the Orlando Health Lakeland Highlands Hospital opens in 2026, it will open with 302 inpatient beds. That’s more than double the originally announced opening bed count of 136 beds.

“Following additional review, Orlando Health determined that it can best meet the healthcare needs of the Lakeland and greater Polk County communities by opening a hospital with more inpatient capacity than we originally announced,” said Jamal Hakim, MD, COO, Orlando Health. “As one of the state’s fastest growing communities, Orlando Health recognizes that it needs to accelerate its delivery of high-quality, outcomes-based healthcare to these communities. We are excited about our revised plan and its many benefits for the community.”

In addition to the increased bed count, on opening day, the hospital will also feature nearly 30 ICU/progressive care rooms, 16 patient rooms to support a women’s birthing program, shelled space for a future neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), a 48-bed emergency department and additional medical and support services including imaging, lab, pharmacy, dining and gift shop, among others.

“Located at the southeast corner where the Polk Parkway meets Lakeland Highlands Road, the Orlando Health Lakeland Highlands Hospital will be a stunning 7-story facility set on an attractive, welcoming campus,” said Matt Taylor, senior vice president of asset strategy for Orlando Health. “Our goal is to always provide convenient access to the healthcare services so greatly needed by the community, on a campus our patients and visitors can easily navigate and use.”

The hospital, which is approved for up to 360 beds, is slated for a summer 2026 opening.

About Orlando Health

Orlando Health, headquartered in Orlando, Florida, is a not-for-profit healthcare organization with $8 billion of assets under management that serves the southeastern United States.

Founded more than 100 years ago, the healthcare system is recognized around the world for Central Florida’s only pediatric and adult Level One Trauma program as well as the only state-accredited Level Two Adult Trauma Center in the St. Petersburg region. It is the home of the nation’s largest neonatal intensive care unit under one roof, the only system in the southeast to offer open fetal surgery to repair the most severe forms of spina bifida, the site of an Olympic athlete training facility and operator of one of the largest and highest performing clinically integrated networks in the region. Orlando Health has pioneered life-changing medical research and its Graduate Medical Education program hosts more than 350 residents and fellows. The 3,200-bed system includes 10 award-winning hospitals, 9 hospital based ERs, and 7 free-standing emergency rooms; rehabilitation services, cancer and heart institutes, imaging and laboratory services, wound care centers, physician offices for adults and pediatrics, skilled nursing facilities, an in-patient behavioral health facility, home healthcare services in partnership with LHC Group, and urgent care centers in partnership with FastMed Urgent Care. More than 4,200 physicians, representing more than 100 medical specialties and subspecialties have privileges across the Orlando Health system, which employs more than 23,000 team members. In FY21, Orlando Health served more than 160,000 inpatients and 3.6 million outpatients. During that same time period, Orlando Health provided approximately $648 million in total value to the communities it serves in the form of charity care, community benefit programs and services, community building activities and more. Additional information can be found at http://www.orlandohealth.com, or follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @orlandohealth.