Orlando Health Tops Out New Lakeland Hospital

Lakeland, FL (October 28, 2024) – Orlando Health team members, Polk County officials and community members celebrated a major milestone during a Topping Out Ceremony held at the Orlando Health Lakeland Highlands Hospital construction site, near the corner of the Polk County Parkway and Lakeland Highlands Road today.

The group gathered to sign the final beam, just before it was hoisted by a crane and swung into place. The celebration commemorates the end of vertical construction on the 7-story facility, which is scheduled to open in the summer of 2026.

“This is a special day for us! Four years ago, we set out to provide the Polk County community with convenient access to high-quality healthcare services and we are excited to see the hospital well on its way to completion”, said Carlos Carrasco, President of Orlando Health Lakeland Highlands Hospital and Senior Vice President, Orlando Health.

When Orlando Health Lakeland Highlands Hospital opens in 2026, it will have 302 inpatient beds. The hospital and its campus was designed by architecture, planning, and engineering firm, HOK, and can increase its capacity to accommodate up to 360 hospital beds.

“With Polk County’s rapid growth, we are excited to offer a wide range of services. We look forward to our continued partnership with the Lakeland community as we prepare for the grand opening in 2026,” said Carrasco.

Please find attached photos from the event and click here for b-roll.

About Orlando Health 

Orlando Health is a private not-for-profit, integrated academic healthcare system with $12 billion of assets under management, that serves the southeastern United States – including Florida and Alabama – and Puerto Rico. With corporate offices in Orlando, Florida the system provides a complete continuum of care across a network of medical centers and institutes, community and specialty hospitals, physician practices, urgent care facilities, skilled nursing facilities, home healthcare, and long-term and behavioral health care services. Founded more than 100 years ago, Orlando Health’s mission is to improve the health and the quality of life of the individuals and communities we serve. The system provided nearly $1.7 billion in community impact in the form of community benefit programs and services, Medicare shortfalls, bad debt, community-building activities and capital investments in FY 23, the most recent period for which the information is available. For more information, visit orlandohealth.com, or follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter.)