Team members, hospital leadership and representatives from the construction firms involved in the expansion of Bartow Regional Medical Center assembled to celebrate the building’s “topping out.”
The expansion project is another display of BayCare’s commitment to providing extraordinary care to patients in Polk County.
The $110 million expansion, which began in November 2024, will increase the hospital’s bed count from 72 to 90, double the ICU to 12 beds and add a second floor to the Emergency Department with 27 new exam rooms, for a total of 43. The project also expands surgical services, the cath lab, pharmacy and other departments, adding nearly 70,000 square feet to the facility.
Dr. Jeremy Katzmann, Bartow Regional Medical Center’s chief medical officer, acknowledged BayCare’s commitment to investing in the hospital after acquiring it in 2016.
“BayCare pledged to provide resources to help enhance the quality of the hospital and committed to recruiting physicians, and they have delivered,” he said. “At the time of the acquisition, there were 139 physicians, and today, there are 307 physicians and advanced care providers. And when we needed this expansion to better serve our patients, the system answered the call.”
The final beam is set to be placed atop the new Emergency Department. A topping out ceremony, a longstanding construction tradition, celebrates the placement of a project’s highest beam and typically includes a tree.
Aixa Santiago, project director and vice president for Creative Contractors, which is leading the expansion, explained the significance.
“It’s a moment of collective pride and a time to celebrate a design coming to life,” she said. “The tree has come to symbolize life, growth and continuity. It’s a fitting emblem for our buildings.”
Bartow Regional Medical Center Facilities Manager Carlos Felix expressed his gratitude to team members for their cooperation during the project.
“We’ve been moving everyone as this work has gone on, which has not been easy, but everyone knows that we need this growth, and it’s exciting to know we’re going to have a fresh new Emergency Department and Intensive Care Unit (ICU). I want to thank everyone for their cooperation, and there’s more coming, so be patient with me,” Felix laughed.
The project is being completed in four phases. After wrapping the preparation phase in January, phases 1 and 2 will finish the Emergency Department, expand the ICU, add new cath labs and operating rooms, and provide 11 additional PACU beds, with completion expected by next summer. Phase 3 will renovate the pharmacy, lab and sterile processing unit.
“Bricks and mortar are one thing,” said Bartow Regional Medical Center President Karen Kerr. “And we're going to have a great new, beautiful facility and beautiful new operating rooms and labs, but you all are what make the hospital what it is ― the care you provide to our patients on a daily basis and the passion your teams provide are second to none. So, thank you!”
After the ceremony, team members signed the beam to mark their contributions before it was lifted into place, symbolizing a major milestone in the project and bringing the new Emergency Department one step closer to completion.
Learn more: Bartow Regional Medical Center
