Due to decreasing spread of COVID-19 in the community, BayCare hospitals are lifting visitation restrictions to allow patients to have more support from loved ones as they seek services.

More than 14 months after launching Tampa Bay’s first public access to COVID-19 testing, BayCare and partners this week closed drive-thru test collection sites in Pinellas and Pasco counties in response to dwindling demand and improved infection rates in the community.

In response to dwindling demand and improved infection rates in the community, BayCare and its Pasco County partners have agreed to close the drive-thru COVID-19 testing site at Gulf View Square Mall.

For Jennifer Plomatos, being a nurse is an honor and privilege. Her biggest passion is caring for patients and helping them live healthier lives.

COVID survivor Robert Sakoff of Northdale gifted his painting of a spring scene to St. Joseph's Hospital-North. He titled it a "Bridge to Recovery" with this inscription: "To staff on 4 West for saving my life.”

BayCare has paused administration of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine in light of the April 13 guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration.

With more people getting vaccinated, companies around the country are considering ways to reopen safely and begin to bring employees back into the office. If you are anxious about returning to work, Dr. Nishant Anand, chief medical officer at BayCare, provides tips on how to navigate work safely.

The good news for moving past the COVID-19 pandemic: More and more people are getting vaccinated. The bad news: Misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines continues to spread, fueling vaccine hesitancy.

At clinics like La Esperanza in Wimauma and San Jose Mission in Dover, BayCare has begun to vaccinate hundreds of people from communities disproportionately affected by COVID-19.

The story of the unprecedented challenges and opportunities the year 2020 brought to BayCare and its team members is told in stories, photos and videos in BayCare’s 2020 Report to the Community.

Several months after reducing visitor access to its hospitals in an effort to prohibit the spread of COVID-19, BayCare hospitals on Monday lifted the restriction limiting visitors to one visitor per patient per day.

As more COVID-19 vaccines become available, people are hoping to soon return to normalcy. BayCare medical experts say there is finally light at the end of the tunnel, but you need to continue to be vigilant and not let your guards down even if you’re vaccinated.

As COVID-19 vaccines become more accessible across the United States, people have questions about what they should and should not do when receiving the vaccine. To help provide some guidance, BayCare experts offer some helpful tips to keep in mind when getting vaccinated.

As nurse manager of 25 pulmonary unit beds at St. Joseph's Hospital, Jasmine Nicholas has been on the front lines of the fight against the new coronavirus for nearly a year. Now, she's on the jumbotron at a Major League Baseball game.

COVID-19 and seasonal influenza are caused by different viruses, which can make it challenging to differentiate between the two respiratory illnesses. To learn more about the viruses, BayCare provides information on symptoms, treatments, vaccines and how to distinguish between influenza and COVID.

Wayne Goff, a recovered COVID patient, thanks South Florida Baptist Hospital in a heartfelt and emotional message.

BayCare is here for growing families, no matter where they are in their pregnancy journey. Along with the mounting anticipation of welcoming a new baby into the world, parents-to-be are often anxious to know what to expect from their hospital stay.

BayCare will begin vaccinating medically vulnerable individuals 64 and under across West Central Florida this week in support of the Florida governor’s executive order. Due to the limited number of vaccines available, BayCare’s efforts will use a clinically-defined process to focus on individuals deemed most vulnerable to complications or death should they contract COVID-19.

After a year of taking care of COVID-19 patients in hospitals, medical offices and homes across West Central Florida, a lucky cadre of BayCare team members and providers will enjoy a welcome counterpoint this Sunday, Feb. 7: Super Bowl LV at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, the St. Anthony’s Triathlon has decided to reschedule the weekend of events for the 38th annual race to fall, Oct. 1-3, 2021.

As COVID-19 vaccines continue to be distributed across the country, many people have questions about side effects and what they can expect after vaccinations. To help provide answers, BayCare offers helpful tips and signs to consider after patients receive the COVID vaccine.

While flu numbers have decreased this season due to COVID-19 safety measures, it’s still important to take precautions to protect yourself and your family from getting sick. That’s why Dr. Nathan Keith Waldrep provides helpful tips on how to keep flu, colds and viral infections at bay during this winter season.

BayCare plans to make service changes to drive-thru testing sites run in collaboration with government partners in Pinellas and Pasco counties to help accommodate current community needs for COVID testing and vaccinations

BayCare is pausing scheduling appointments for COVID-19 vaccinations due to lack of vaccine supplies. While vaccinations are still scheduled through next week, all existing inventory has been assigned to health care workers and providers from BayCare and the community or those 65 or older who have appointments in coming days.

Two weeks after receiving COVID-19 vaccines and inoculating thousands of frontline health care workers across West Central Florida, BayCare Health System has launched a process in support of Florida’s guidelines that prioritize vaccines for those 65 years of age and older.

BayCare is committed to serving our community as we continue to face the COVID-19 pandemic. We are working daily with government and health care partners serving West Central Florida to devise vaccination plans that will have maximum impact. However, at this time, BayCare is not scheduling vaccination appointments for the general public.

Tampa International Airport and BayCare Health System today announced the expansion of the airport's COVID-19 Passenger Testing Program into 2021 after the success of its first three months of operation.

Keep safe in the new year using lessons learned battling COVID-19 in 2020.

BayCare began vaccinating frontline staff with the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine early this morning. This second vaccine enhances efforts that began last week to ensure that the health care system’s team members most at-risk for exposure get the protection they need.

As COVID-19 continues to spread, newly developed vaccines show promise as new tools in the fight against the pandemic. While information on COVID vaccines continues to develop, BayCare provides some answers about common vaccination questions and what you can expect.

BayCare, the largest health system in West Central Florida, today began vaccinating its frontline team members and providers considered most at-risk for exposure to COVID-19.

With COVID-19 still affecting many in the Tampa Bay area, BayCare received a grant from TD Charitable Foundation to help people in need looking to receive access to COVID-19 care.

Kimberly Demers received the award for the support she provided to Kathy Lowe, an ER nurse who was deployed in the National Guard and Reserve during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The holiday season can be a time filled with festivities and joyous celebrations for many. But, as COVID-19 continues to spread quickly, holiday events may look different this year. Health experts like Dr. Nishant Anand, BayCare’s chief medical officer, recommend modifying this year’s celebrations to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.

For some, preparing for the upcoming holidays and moving on to 2021 cannot come fast enough. For others, just the thought of the holidays in 2020 stirs up a sense of fear and dread.

The dreaded call comes. Someone you’ve been in contact with in recent days -- or someone your coworker, friend, spouse, child, has been in contact with in recent days -- has received a positive COVID-19 diagnosis. Do you need to quarantine to protect your friends and family?

St. Joseph’s Hospital was named as one of the nation’s top performing cardiovascular hospitals in an annual study.

Starting Monday, Nov. 16, nine of BayCare’s Urgent Care centers will offer an effective and reliable rapid test that can detect both COVID-19 and the flu. The test is available to asymptomatic people wishing to confirm they are negative for both viruses before traveling or visiting loved ones during the holiday season.

When COVID-19 rocked the nation in March, the Morton Plant Mease Certified Diabetes Educators felt a sense of urgency. After all, their patients were deemed in a high-risk group. Now more than ever, they needed to be able to communicate with them.

In an effort to help mitigate the seasonal flu amid the coronavirus pandemic, BayCare is partnering with the Florida Department of Health (FDOH) to expand access to flu vaccinations. Starting Wednesday, Nov. 4, a limited number of free flu vaccines will be available to the public each day at two of BayCare’s COVID-19 drive-thru testing sites.

The Child Life team organized a day of fun-filled activities for hospitalized children.

Tampa International Airport and BayCare Health System today announced the expansion of the airport’s COVID-19 passenger testing program through the end of the year after a successful October pilot. The COVID-19 testing site is located in the airport’s Main Terminal, near the entrance to Airside F.

BayCare announced visitation hours at its 14 acute care hospitals will expand to 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. daily starting Wednesday, Oct. 21. The earlier start is in advance of the time change on Nov. 1, so visitors who wish to travel home before dark will still have extended time to visit.

Dr. Firas S. Almahasneh, affiliated with St. Joseph's Hospital in Tampa, has joined BayCare Medical Group Cardiology at 4612 N. Habana Ave., Tampa. He is board certified in internal medicine, cardiology, interventional cardiology, endovascular medicine, vascular medicine, vascular interpretations, echocardiography and nuclear cardiology. He is accepting new patients age 18 and older.

Rishay Nathoo was headed to New Jersey for a family wedding, but changed his plans after testing positive for COVID-19 on the first day of a testing pilot at Tampa International Airport (TPA) run by BayCare.

An innovative new health care offering from BayCare, BayCare@Home™, will allow patients to receive safe and effective hospital-level care in the comfort of their own homes. The program is the first by a health system in West Central Florida.

Like most holidays that have occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, Halloween will look different this year. But with appropriate precautions and a little creativity, you can still make it a night of spooky fun for your little ghouls and goblins.

Traveling during the COVID-19 pandemic can be challenging. But taking proper precautions can help keep you and your family safe. BayCare's CMO Dr. Nishant Anand provides some helpful tips to stay safe while traveling.

BayCare Health System in partnership with Tampa International Airport announced the launch of the country's first airport testing pilot that will offer two types of FDA-approved COVID-19 tests for all departing and arriving passengers.

For a person who is sleep deprived, a long drive to a sleep center for in-lab testing or pickup of a home test might not make sense. The Mease Countryside Sleep Disorders Center now offers another option: home delivery.

After expediting the early opening of some patient rooms to serve an influx of COVID-19 patients in July, St. Joseph’s Hospital opened the front door of its $126 million dollar expansion.

BayCare announced that it will resume limited visitation at its hospitals starting Wednesday (Sept. 9), allowing most inpatients to have one visitor a day from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.

As the COVID-19 pandemic enters its sixth month in West Central Florida, Seema Verma, administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and a member of the White House COVID-19 Task Force, visited BayCare Health System headquarters on Sept. 3 to meet with local health care and long-term care providers, patient advocates and government officials.

BayCare Health System, the leading organization dedicated to providing high quality and compassionate care to patients in West Central Florida, has been named one of the top companies in the United States by Great Place to Work and PEOPLE for supporting team members and the community during the COVID-19 pandemic.

At a time when individuals’ mental wellness may be under stress more than ever due to the COVID-19 pandemic, BayCare Behavioral Health practitioners have found a safe way to keep serving their patients even when they don’t see them in person.

BayCare’s back-to-school resource hub offers parents and caregivers information to help get kids back to learning safely.

BayCare is proud to support a new COVID-19 drive-thru testing site in Pinellas County to open Monday, Aug. 10, at Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater. Hours of operation will be Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m.

To ensure hospital beds remain available to serve the community during the pandemic, Hillsborough County has created a new alternative care site for patients who are recovering from a COVID-19 hospital stay.

BayCare Health System announced Tuesday that starting on Monday, Aug. 10, it will resume all non-urgent surgeries and procedures at its six acute care hospitals in Hillsborough County.

BayCare Health System announced service changes Thursday to drive-thru test collection sites to align resources with community need and further collaborate with government partners.

BayCare Health System announced Wednesday that starting on Monday, Aug. 3, it will resume all non-urgent surgeries and procedures at its acute care hospitals in Pinellas, Polk and Pasco counties.

Regular exercise helps improve health and wellness but working out at a gym during a pandemic can be daunting. To help gymgoers feel at ease, BayCare Fitness Centers is taking extra safety and cleaning precautions throughout its facilities.

As COVID-19 continues to spread across the Tampa Bay area, the need for testing remains at an all-time high. But not all tests are the same. Different manufacturers and laboratories have different chemical recipes and technology platforms for test processing.

To help enhance the region’s resources to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, BayCare has expedited the opening of a new patient tower at St. Joseph’s Hospital, providing more capacity to serve patients.

Whether you are planning to start a family, currently pregnant or adjusting to being a new mom, BayCare is here for you every step of the way. From the comfort of your own home, you can access a variety of podcasts and online maternity resources to help you and your growing family amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in an unexpected consequence for Ruskin resident Patti Greene. It may have helped to save her life.

With demand for COVID-19 testing continuing to grow, Polk County government and BayCare are coming together to establish a drive-thru test collection site at the Gil Jones Center, 3425 Lake Alfred Road, Winter Haven.

Florida’s first mobile field hospital has been deployed to Winter Haven Hospital to provide additional resources to help our community’s fight against COVID-19. The mobile unit, which has a 15-bed capacity, has been situated next to the new wing of the hospital, with easy access to the hospital facility.

BayCare Health System announced Monday it will begin reducing the number of non-urgent surgeries performed at its hospitals in Hillsborough and Polk counties due to the rising number of severely-ill COVID-19 patients.

In the interest of public health, BayCare Health System announced today it will begin reducing the number of non-urgent surgeries performed in Morton Plant North Bay, its Pasco County hospital, to ensure there is capacity for a growing number of severely-ill COVID-19 patients.

In the interest of public health, BayCare Health System announced Friday it will begin reducing the number of non-urgent surgeries performed in its Pinellas County hospitals to ensure there is capacity for a growing number of severely-ill COVID-19 patients.

With so many city fireworks displays being cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, families may turn to using personal fireworks to light up the night on the Fourth of July. But St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital reminds everyone to use caution during these socially distant Independence Day festivities.

The health and well-being of our athletes and volunteers are of the utmost importance to the St. Anthony’s Triathlon. Because of the continuing COVID-19 pandemic, the weekend of Triathlon events will be cancelled this year.

With demand for COVID-19 testing continuing to grow, government and health care partners are coming together to establish a drive-thru test collection site at Tropicana Field in downtown St. Petersburg. Service for the public will begin on Monday, June 29.

Having cabin fever? Or feeling anxious about returning to any outside routine? After months of limiting movement, individuals are having dramatically different responses to the re-opening of businesses and other activities in West Central Florida.

Tom Garthwaite is the new president of St. Joseph's Hospital-North in Lutz. Previously, he served as operations director at St. Joseph's Hospital in Tampa since 2014.

BayCare Health System is moving the location of its COVID-19 drive-thru test collection site in Pinellas County after growing demand led to disruptions for neighboring businesses.

To protect the health and well-being of the community, BayCare is helping local businesses reopen safely amid the COVID-19 pandemic. BayCare, which operates 15 hospitals and hundreds of other health care locations in Tampa Bay and central Florida, is providing businesses with consultants doing on-site safe-work assessments, return to work evaluations for employees, COVID testing and antibody testing.

As Florida continues to re-open, wearing a mask or face covering has never been more important to protect you and your loved ones from COVID-19. That’s the message Dr. Nishant Anand, chief medical officer for BayCare, wants to continue to send to the community.

When Navy Reservist Christina Martinez was deployed to New York City to care for COVID-19 patients, one of the things she packed was her guiding principle that she follows as a BayCare nurse. “Humanity was the number one value I used,” she said.

As concern for the mental health of pregnant and postpartum mothers increases during the COVID-19 pandemic, BayCare offers virtual support groups and individual therapy sessions.

When Rhett started working on the face mask/face shield project at BayCare’s System Office, little did he know what an important role it would play in his personal life as well as his professional life. Hoping to propose to his sweetheart, his first two plans were spoiled by the coronavirus crisis. While commiserating with his fellow team members, they came up with the best plan yet.

For 29 years, BayCare’s Faith Community Nurses have worked with churches to form a unique partnership between two healing entities – hospitals and faith communities. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, our Faith Community Nurses refocused their ministry on making masks for team members and the community.

Walk-In Care Provided by BayCare, an innovative telehealth technology installed at select Publix Supermarkets across the Tampa Bay area, is reopening for business following COVID-19 closures. Walk-In Care kiosks has reopened all of its 33 locations as of June 1 with enhanced infection control measures in place to protect shoppers, Publix Pharmacy staff and the community.

After more than two months providing drive-thru test collection sites for COVID-19 across West Central Florida, BayCare has screened nearly 20,000 individuals, including testing 15,000 of them for COVID-19. As spring turns into summer, the not-for-profit health system anticipates continuing the service to meet the needs of the community.

St. Petersburg City Council Chairman Ed Montanari did everything right last Saturday afternoon when he started to feel a pressure in his chest. “It wasn’t a 911-call chest pain, but it definitely felt strange,” Montanari said. “It felt like I needed to get it checked out.” Within 10 minutes, with the help of a friend, he was headed to BayCare’s St. Anthony’s Hospital in downtown St. Petersburg.

As communities across West Central Florida begin re-opening and the novel coronavirus is becoming better understood, strategies to stay safe are evolving, too. The risk of catching the virus and contracting COVID-19 is not an either-or proposition. With smart precautions and diligence, venturing outside your home can be done safely.

BayCare is joining leading researchers around the world to help find a safe and effective treatment for COVID-19. Top clinicians and team members across the BayCare system are taking part in various clinical trials to help provide patients access to potential COVID-19 treatments and cures.

BayCare Fitness Centers will re-open its doors Wednesday, May 20 in accordance with Governor Ron DeSantis’ announcement, allowing fitness centers to open at limited capacity across the Florida. All four BayCare Fitness Centers will resume operation: Bloomingdale, Carillon, Cheek-Powell and Palm Harbor.

Remember the Jetsons' household robot, Rosie? Well, meet “Trudy,” or Tru-D. She’s a 5-foot-5 germ-killing ultraviolet robot ready to neutralize any pathogen in her way. She is one deterrent BayCare’s Environmental Services teams use to attack COVID-19.

For primary care physicians, caring for patients in-person is part of their daily practice. That normal routine became a concern when COVID-19 began to spread across Tampa Bay. To help mitigate the spread, BayCare Medical Group (BMG) implemented telehealth technology, virtually seeing patients for their health care needs.

BayCare Medical Group (BMG) is planning to resume normal operations starting Monday, May 11. BMG, which had temporarily altered its primary care services to help reduce patients’ risk of exposure from COVID-19, will reopen all primary care offices with enhanced infection control measures in place to protect patients, physicians, team members, and the community.

When Radiation Oncologist Zunya Solc, MD, left Mease Countryside Hospital, cheers filled the air while tears flowed down cheeks. After spending 37 days in the hospital battling COVID-19, Dr. Solc and his family know better than most how to cherish every moment of life.

As Florida begins to gradually open following statewide closings in response to COVID-19, BayCare is resuming more services. Some of the system’s ambulatory services will resume normal operation starting May 11.

Winter Haven Hospital nurse works with local supply stores to collect personal protection equipment (PPE) donation supplies to protect health care workers during COVId-19.

BayCare’s top priority is the health and well-being of the community. That's why hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers are working to resume all surgical services for patients in response to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ decision to lift the ban on elective surgeries four days early on Monday, May 4.

Nothing is normal or ordinary for St. Joseph’s Hospital in the time of COVID-19. There are no visitors bustling on the floors. Yet, Tina Imperato continues. Or, instead, she plays on. She is one of the few semblances of normalcy.

The COVID-19 pandemic is changing the way BayCare HomeCare delivers its home health services to ensure patients and team members stay safe. From the start, BayCare HomeCare has taken proper measures and protocols to safely care for patients in-the-home environment.

BayCare Health Plans is doing its part to help the community during the coronavirus pandemic. BayCarePlus Medicare Advantage is collaborating with two local organizations to donate 2,000 hygiene kits to seniors in the Tampa Bay area.

Two months ago, no facility in Tampa Bay had the capacity to process tests for COVID-19, the novel coronavirus. Now, just a few weeks later, BayCare’s network of laboratories have proved nimble and effective in expanding testing to handle hundreds of tests daily.

With the arrival of warmer weather, BayCare Health System is moving its operations for its drive-thru COVID-19 test collection sites an hour earlier.

BayCare's Dr. Alfonso Vargas is not only a rock star in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at St. Joseph’s Women’s Hospital, he’s also an actual rock star. Along with bandmate, Keith Schwier, Dr. Vargas wrote the song “Stronger” to bring a ray of hope during these trying times.

Almost 40 years in the sleep business has taught Marietta Bibbs a lot about the ways that people mess up the opportunity for a good night’s sleep. They stay on their electronic devices until bedtime, consume caffeine or heavy meals too late in the day. However, these days, something else may be disrupting their sleep: anxiety and worry about the coronavirus pandemic and its impacts on their lives.

When Marlene Sherman arrived at St. Anthony’s Hospital on March 27, she already had been feeling the effects of the novel coronavirus. Now, after nearly three weeks in the hospital, spending some of that time in the intensive care unit and on a ventilator while suffering from COVID-19, Mrs. Sherman was discharged on April 17.

As families continue to adapt to the changes in daily life as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, parents and other caregivers are faced with helping children adjust to new routines, keep up with schoolwork and overcome boredom. Pediatric physician Dr. Marcy Baker provides some recommendations on how to give them guidance and reassurance during uncertain times.