Orlando Health Watson Clinic Lakeland Highlands Hospital Hosts Grand Opening Preview

LAKELAND (June 25, 2026) –– After more than six years of planning, construction and hiring, a new era of healthcare is beginning in Polk County with the opening of Orlando Health Watson Clinic Lakeland Highlands Hospital. The hospital will begin seeing patients in July. 

“Orlando Health is honored to partner with Watson Clinic in the planning, design, and operation of this hospital. We are humbled to work alongside physicians who have spent decades earning the trust of this region,” said David Strong, president and CEO of Orlando Health. “This hospital and accompanying facilities will be places where patients feel known, where staff, who we call team members, feel proud, and where excellence is personal.”  

It is the first hospital opening in Lakeland in more than a century and the 50th Orlando Health facility in Florida, including hospitals, clinics, institutes and free-standing emergency departments. Orlando Health’s expansion in recent years has come through building, along with acquisitions of existing hospitals and hospital systems. A free-standing emergency department is currently under construction and will open in North Lakeland in October. 

Orlando Health Watson Clinic Lakeland Highlands Hospital President Carlos Carrasco said Orlando Health’s multi-million-dollar investment into the community will be life-saving and highly impactful for many residents. 

“It is an investment that will have a lasting impact as the hospital continues to hire medical professionals and support personnel, all while providing the best quality care to patients,” Carrasco said. “We are excited for the impact we are going to make on this region.” 

Carrasco said that the Orlando Health and Watson Clinic association at Lakeland Highlands Hospital marks an expansion of access to trusted physicians and to enhanced healthcare services in the region.  

“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 Carrasco, who is also an Orlando Health senior vice president and president of its Mid-Florida region. “In addition, we are bringing the most advanced medical-care technology available for cardiology, neurology and newborn treatment.” 

Watson Clinic Chief Executive Officer Jason Hirsbrunner said that when Watson Clinic was approached about the possibility of collaborating with Orlando Health on the hospital, they “jumped at the opportunity.” 

“After 85 years of serving the healthcare needs of our community, we knew we could offer the Watson Clinic physicians and providers our patients already know and trust to this exciting project,” said Watson Clinic Chief Executive Officer Jason Hirsbrunner. “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.” 

Lakeland Mayor Pro Tem Guy LaLonde, Jr., said the hospital represents one of the largest capital investments in Polk County in 25 years. 

“The hospital hired 1,500 employees and is offering full scholarship programs for both full and part-time employees,” LaLonde said. “That alone will give hope to and change the lives of the residents in Lakeland and Polk County.”  

Orlando Health Watson Clinic Lakeland Highlands Hospital sits on nearly 80 acres, is 558,233 square feet and serves patients on seven floors. There are 306 patient beds and 49 emergency room beds. 

It took 4,200 tons of rebar, 38,000 cubic yards of concrete to build the hospital, which has 1,600 doors, 458 bathrooms, 14 elevators and one ground-floor helicopter pad. 

Doctors will use two heart catheterization labs, along with a 3-T Magnetic Resonance Imagining machine, referred to by most medical providers as the gold standard for imaging because it offers significantly higher-resolution images compared to standard MRI machines. Doctors say that enables more detailed and accurate diagnostic information.  

Neurosurgeons and neurologists are using a biplane radiology scanner, a powerful, dual-angle imaging and intervention tool that helps interventional neurologists and endovascular neurosurgeons diagnose and treat complex brain and vascular conditions, like strokes, brain aneurysms, arteriovenous malformations, and certain spinal procedures. 

For moms and babies, the hospital has eight labor and delivery beds, 28 post-partum rooms, and two Cesarian-section operating rooms. The hospital will also be opening a neonatal intensive care unit in the coming months, with 12 beds for babies who need specialized care after birth.  

Carrasco pointed out that, although Orlando Health Watson Clinic Lakeland Highlands Hospital’s doors are scheduled to open on July 8, it has been a trusted partner to this community for several years through educational avenues, sponsorships of area non-profits and volunteer opportunities. That deep level of commitment to the communities it serves is a hallmark of Orlando Health. 

“We make our care personal inside the hospital and in the community,” Carrasco said.  

For photos and video, including aerial shots of the hospital, an online LINK has been provided and will be updated throughout the day with additional footage and soundbites.

About Orlando Health: Orlando Health is a private not-for-profit, integrated academic healthcare system with $15 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 $2 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 24, 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. 

About Watson Clinic: As one of the largest multispecialty medical clinics in the southeast, Watson Clinic provides comprehensive healthcare services to residents of Lakeland and surrounding communities. First established in 1941, Watson Clinic has grown to include over 200 board-certified physicians representing more than 40 medical and surgical specialties. The Clinic is proud to deliver quality healthcare to every generation from our Main Clinic location at 4060 Lakeland Highlands Road in Lakeland, as well as 20 additional convenient locations throughout Polk, Pasco and Hillsborough counties. More information is available at www.WatsonClinic.com, or follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and X.