BayCare Hospital Wesley Chapel Welcomes First Patient

The long-awaited opening of BayCare Hospital Wesley Chapel (BHWC) came Tuesday, March 7, and the day was filled with excitement, some first-day jitters and an eager staff ready to serve the Pasco County community.
 
The hospital team assisted 33 patients and had 13 admissions on its first day, including Andrew Palsgraf, an airline technician, who was BHWC’s first patient. He eagerly awaited the opening of BHWC so he could be treated by BayCare professionals. 

“The staff here is phenomenal; they treat you like family and that’s the way it should be,” said Palsgraf. “I was here first thing in the morning, and they figured out what was wrong with me. Everyone was so courteous and professional.” 

Upon arriving at the campus of BHWC, all visitors and patients will have the option of free self-parking or complimentary valet services. Once inside, the Guest Services staff will greet you and help you visit loved ones, answer questions and connect you to resources. The hospital also has amenities including a cafeteria called Waves Café, the Double Branch Gift Shop and a chapel. 

The 86-bed, 318,000-square-foot hospital provides comprehensive medical services and health care resources including an emergency department, an intensive care unit with virtual-monitoring beds, diagnostic services such as imaging and lab, and surgical services. The $246 million facility is the first BayCare-branded hospital and the first time BayCare has built and licensed a new hospital. It serves patients in Pasco, Hernando and northern Hillsborough counties.

“Now that our doors are officially open, we are excited to welcome patients for emergency services and provide them with the high quality, value-driven care that is BayCare,” said Rebecca Schulkowski, president of BayCare Hospital Wesley Chapel. “We are happy to be here and look forward to growing with the community for years to come.”  

BayCare Hospital Wesley Chapel, located at 4501 Bruce B. Downs Blvd. in Wesley Chapel, is one of BayCare’s newest facilities in Pasco County. The new hospital will be more convenient for existing patients while also giving residents more options when choosing a provider. BayCare currently serves that community with behavioral health, home health services, physician offices, other ambulatory services and easy access to its other 15 hospitals across the region. 

For more information, visit BayCareWesleyChapel.org.