Baptist Health Expands to Broward with a $500 Million Hospital Plan

Big news for Broward County! Baptist Health South Florida is planning to open its very first hospital in the area, and it’s going to be a massive $500 million investment in the city of Sunrise.

Photo byHKS ARCHITECTS

What’s the Plan?

Baptist Health has its eyes set on a 26.3-acre site at 12401 W. Oakland Park Blvd., and the project is now moving forward with the city of Sunrise considering the plans. If all goes well, this will be Baptist Health's first hospital in Broward County. The City Commission is expected to review both the site plan and the special exception needed to allow the hospital to be built on September 24. Once the approvals are secured, Baptist Health has 30 days to finalize the purchase of the land, which they already agreed to buy for $13.75 million.

Photo byHKS ARCHITECTS

What Will the Hospital Include?

The proposed Baptist Hospital Sunrise is planned to be a seven-story building with a total of 340,303 square feet and will feature 100 beds. The facility will include essential services such as an emergency department, imaging equipment, critical care units, surgery suites, a laboratory, and respiratory therapy. Alongside the main hospital, a 37,530-square-foot medical office building is also part of the plan.

Parking won’t be a problem either, with Baptist Health planning to build a five-story garage offering over 1,000 parking spaces. The project even includes a hospital cafeteria with an outdoor dining area set against a reflecting pool, making it more than just a place for treatment but a spot where people can relax as well.

HKS Architects, a well-known firm based in Coral Gables, has been tapped to design the facility, ensuring a state-of-the-art look and feel.

Photo byHKS ARCHITECTS

What Does This Mean for Sunrise?

This hospital is a big deal for the community. Sunrise Mayor Michael Ryan mentioned that residents have wanted improved medical services in the area for over 30 years, and now it’s finally happening. He’s hopeful that the new hospital will not only provide much-needed health services but will also be a job generator, helping boost the local economy.

Baptist Health’s Growing Presence

Baptist Health is already the largest hospital operator in South Florida, with 12 hospitals, over 27,000 employees, around 4,000 physicians, and 200 outpatient centers, urgent care facilities, and medical practices. While they’ve been operating outpatient centers in Broward for years, this would be their very first hospital in the county.

Baptist Health has been doing well lately too. Moody’s Ratings recently upgraded their outlook from “stable” to “positive,” thanks to the substantial growth and financial improvements they’ve seen. However, Baptist Health will need to manage workforce demands and higher labor costs as they continue to expand in such a competitive market.

And There’s More...

Broward Health is also making moves in Sunrise, with plans for a freestanding emergency department. The removal of Florida’s certificate of use requirement for new hospitals has opened up opportunities for providers like Baptist Health and Broward Health to propose and build new facilities, and it looks like Sunrise is going to be a hotspot for these developments.

Overall, this new hospital marks a huge step forward for healthcare in Sunrise, and it’s set to bring better access to high-quality medical services for the community. Here’s to more growth and improvements in the healthcare sector for Broward County!