By Christopher O’Donnell
Tampa Bay Times
RIVERVIEW, Fla. — AdventHealth’s newest hospital boasts surgery rooms with mobile X-ray machines that surgeons can slide over patients for live pictures while they operate. It has CAT scan machines inside the emergency department and a rooftop helipad.
But leaders of AdventHealth Riverview Hospital are just as excited about several wings of the new building that, for now, are just concrete floors and exposed ductwork.
When it opens on Oct. 23, the hospital on U.S. 301 in Riverview will have an 80-bed capacity. But with southern Hillsborough County’s population expected to swell over the next few years, 40% of the 282,000 square-foot hospital is earmarked for future growth. The hospital has enough floor space to expand capacity to 200 beds.
AdventHealth already runs a freestanding emergency room in Brandon, but the new $260 million hospital represents its first major foray into south Hillsborough. Riverview and surrounding areas have drawn a wave of healthcare construction over the past decade as health firms vie for business from new subdivisions that have replaced pastures. The new AdventHealth hospital is roughly halfway between HCA Florida Brandon Hospital and BayCare’s St. Joseph’s Hospital South.
“We’ve been looking for space in this market knowing that (south Hillsborough ) has so much to offer but also there are patients there that are underserved,” said hospital CEO Jason Newmyer. “The growth in this market has happened over the last decade and is still projected over the next five years is incredible.”
Population estimates produced for the Tampa Bay Economic Development Council in 2021 show that Riverview was projected to be the second-fastest growing part of Hillsborough County after Tampa with its population increasing by about 17% through 2026. Nearby Wimauma, Gibsonton and Lithia are also expected to see double-digit growth.
To meet that need, hospital chains have already invested heavily in the area but acknowledge they will likely have to expand further.
BayCare opened St. Joseph’s South in 2015 as a 90-bed hospital. It has already extended its capacity to 223 beds. In 2019, the 16-hospital nonprofit chain opened its largest HealthHub in Valrico offering imaging, lab, physical therapy, primary care, pediatrics, urgent care and behavioral health services.
“As the community continues to grow, we know that more ambulatory services like these will be needed,” said Kimberly Guy, co-chief operating officer of BayCare in an email. “We plan to expand accordingly.”
Tampa General Hospital last year opened the TGH Heart & Vascular Institute in Sun City Center. It also operates a large outpatient center close to Brandon that includes six operating rooms and a 13-bed post-anesthesia care unit.
In addition to its Brandon hospital, HCA operates a free-standing emergency room in Riverview. The company will open another on U.S. 41 in the Apollo Beach area early next year.
“We are constantly looking to build healthcare access points to help ensure our communities have the care they need, close to home,” said spokesperson Laura Stauter.
AdventHealth designed its Riverview hospital to be able to handle more specialized procedures than just a standard regional hospital. Two of its surgery rooms are hybrid, meaning they can be used for vascular surgery, cardiology and interventional radiology.
“We expect it to take some of the pressure off AdventHealth Tampa,” said Newmyer. “Patients can be treated here and recover locally.”
The hospital also has a 24-bed intensive care unit and a secure women’s unit with eight labor and delivery rooms, two of which have walk-in bathtubs.
Its 24-room emergency department will also mean more options for 911 first responders. Fire chiefs who toured the facility recently said there have been occasions when responders have had to wait for patients to be admitted because emergency departments were already at capacity.
The Riverview hospital is a couple of hundred yards from Hillsborough County Fire Station 16. First responders have been provided a dedicated entrance to the hospital from Balm River Road , which could prove crucial during rush hours when U.S. 301 is often gridlocked with traffic.
“With a nearby facility, emergency medical services can deliver patients to care faster, increasing survival rates and improving outcomes for trauma, stroke, and cardiac events,” Todd Carnell, a division chief with Hillsborough County Fire Rescue, said in an email. “Additionally, the proximity of a hospital allows fire rescue teams to return to service more quickly, ensuring that they are available to respond to other emergencies, thus improving overall community safety.”
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