Ronald McDonald House Charities to add 5th house in Tampa Bay at St. Joseph’s Women’s Hospital

Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) is expanding its ability to serve even more families in the Tampa Bay area, with a new location at St. Joseph’s Women’s Hospital in Tampa slated to open in June 2025.

This is a big deal for the hospital since the new 10,100-square-foot house on the hospital’s third floor will be a short 100 steps from the NICU. While RMHC serves all families with children in a medical crisis, a majority of families served each year in our area have babies in a NICU. The location will also be within walking distance of St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital.

Why this matters

The Ronald McDonald House homes are a place of respite for families, whether they need a few hours to rest and work or need a place to stay for a few nights while their child is undergoing care at a local hospital. The average stay for families in our area is 20 nights.

Right now, families of patients at St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital in need of a place to stay have to drive to one of the current RHMC houses in our area, and that’s only if space is available.

Note: The St. Joseph’s Women’s Hospital location will be the fifth Ronald McDonald House in the Tampa Bay area. There is one at Tampa General Hospital and three at Johns Hopkins Children’s Hospital in St. Pete.

The new location is significant not just for St. Joseph Children’s Hospital and St. Joseph’s Women’s Hospital but also for Ronald McDonald House Charities. Even with the four current house locations in the Tampa Bay area, Joe Citro, with Ronald McDonald House Charities in Tampa Bay, estimates they could not fulfill as many as 350 family nights in the last year.

So, the impact on families is going to be huge.

What to expect at the new Ronald McDonald House at St. Joseph’s Women’s Hospital

This new location will include 11 bedrooms with private bathrooms, a fitness center, a remote working space, a full kitchen, a playroom for siblings, and more.

As described during Wednesday’s announcement, it will serve as a warm hug for families.

Renderings give us a look at what the unused third-floor area looks like now and what it will look like when the house officially opens its doors to families in June.

It is light and airy, with beautiful views of Tampa and even One Buc Place.

However, launching this new house will take community collaboration. Fundraising efforts have been underway and continue today. You can learn more about how your family and/or business organization can support the “Bring Hope Home” campaign here.

“As Tampa Bay’s largest provider of children’s health services, serving families is at the heart of what we do,” said St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital President Sarah Naumowich. “We are thrilled to partner with Ronald McDonald House Charities in this opportunity to help reduce the emotional and financial burden on families who are far from home while their child is hospitalized. Together, we are committed to providing a supportive and caring environment for our families when they need it most.”

The next decade will be an exciting time for St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital as it looks to increase the region’s access to high-quality, state-of-the-art health care for children. A $50 million gift from the Pagidipati Family will help the hospital build a new specially designed children’s hospital near its current location in 2030.