The Laker/Lutz News

Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel

Rebranding effort aims to simplify life for patients

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Florida Hospital’s parent company, Adventist Health System, will change its name and the name of all of its wholly owned entities to AdventHealth, effective Jan. 2.

That means 11,000 new signs are going up across the country to signal the change.

Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel will have an AdventHealth sign on its main building, and will say AdventHealth at Wesley Chapel on its door.

The system’s hospitals in Dade City and Zephyrhills will also get new names as part of a rebranding effort that aims to make life simpler for the patients under the provider’s care, said Denyse Bales-Chubb, president and CEO at what will become AdventHealth Wesley Chapel.

“This truly just unifies us under the same name.

“We want to create a highly integrated, connected network, that is all branded under the same name, so that people can identify our services and our care, throughout whatever community they may be (in),” the hospital executive said.

“Our plans and our goals are to continually work towards that integrated delivery care network, and to become a national health care system, that is recognized throughout the states that we’re in and to continue to  expand those services.”

Right now, the health care provider operates 48 hospitals in nine states, Bales-Chubb said.

“That’s the smallest part of our operation. In addition to that, then, we have literally hundreds of outpatient services. We have home health. We have long-term care. We have clinics. We have free standing EDs. We have physician offices, and they are all branded under a different name,” she said.

Denyse Bales-Chubb

As part of its rebranding effort, Adventist took all 80,000 employees through a standardized training session, Bales-Chubb said.

“We wanted to have the same service standards across all of our hospitals, because when you change your name, it should mean something,” she said.

“We want to make sure that accessing health care, navigating through our system is easy for our patients and their families,” she said.

The health care provider also wants to deliver a level of care that people seek out wherever they go, Bales-Chubb said, “because they know it’s going to be different, and they know it’s going to be special.

“Our goal is to never discharge a patient,” she said.

So, when a patient is in the hospital, they work with people who are called navigators within the hospital to help the patient get whatever appointments for whatever follow-up services they need, she explained.

That can mean going back to their primary care physician, or receiving services from a variety of providers, she said.

“If they need to go and have physical therapy, then that’s navigating them to that physical therapy.

But then, when patients see the common name across the system, she said, “they know that they are getting that continuum of care,” Bales-Chubb said.

Florida Hospital Center Ice also is being renamed. Its new name will be AdventHealth Center Ice.

Published January 2, 2019

BayCare wants to build new hospital in Pasco

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BayCare has received preliminary approval of an application to build a new 60-bed hospital on a 111-acre site, at the northeast quadrant of Interstate 75 and Overpass Road.

The Agency for Health Care Administration on Dec. 10 announced preliminary approval of the hospital’s application for a Certificate of Need.

Tommy Inzina, president/CEO of BayCare (Courtesy of BayCare)

As part of its application, BayCare outlined plans that include:
• Construction of the hospital
• Recruitment of primary care practitioners
• Implementation of additional behavioral health services
• A commitment to community outreach, wellness and education activities
• An investment in training and education for Pasco County school students interested in health care careers.

Tommy Inzina, president/CEO of BayCare, said the new hospital would provide medical services in a growing area of Pasco County.

The proposed site meshes well with the hospital’s need to take the long view, Inzina said, noting, “hospitals have to have a plan for 50 or 100 years.”

When BayCare was considering locating a hospital in Pasco, it began looking north of Wesley Chapel, to meet the growing need moving north along the Interstate 75 corridor, the hospital executive said.

BayCare wanted a site near Interstate 75, to make the site easily accessible, and it wanted 50 acres or more of land, Inzina said.

“There’s just not an infinite number of sites that would meet that definition,” Inzina said.

The property at I-75 and Overpass Road fit the bill.

Inzina noted the property is “a large enough piece of property to not only accommodate the hospital needs today, but what the needs might look like 30, 40, 50 years into the future.”

There are plans to create an interchange at I-75 and Overpass Road, and the area is poised for considerable growth, as new developments occur in the state-approved Connected City corridor, which covers about 7,800 acres in northeast Pasco County, bordered by I-75, State Road 52, and Curley and Overpass roads.

The timing for construction of the new hospital is unclear at this point, Inzina said.

Adventist Health, which operates Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel, Florida Hospital Zephyrhills and Florida Hospital Dade City in Pasco County, has raised objections to BayCare’s application.

Inzina said BayCare expects to know by early January whether Adventist Health will appeal.

Inzina said the state was aware of the objections that were raised and BayCare’s responses, when it issued its preliminary approval for the Certificate of Need.

“If they (Adventist Health) appeal this, it could take perhaps up to a year to work through the appeals process,” Inzina said.

Meanwhile, BayCare will continue preparing for the new hospital, Inzina said.

“You can’t begin construction without a Certificate of Need, but we can do all of the planning we want to,” he said. For example, the hospital can work to secure the proper zoning for the land.

Typically, it takes 3 ½ to 4 years for a hospital project to be completed, including design, permitting and construction, Inzina said.

No specific figures are available for the project’s cost, but Inzina offered a rough estimate ranging from $250 million to $300 million.

BayCare expects hospital construction to bring hundreds of jobs to the area. It also expects about 300 permanent positions at the hospital by the second year of hospital operations.

Additionally, BayCare expects the hospital’s economic impact to include surrounding growth, including medical offices and other businesses.

BayCare Health System operates 15 hospitals in the Tampa Bay and Central Florida regions.

Published December 19, 2018

Flapjack Run offers exercise, flapjacks

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Hot pancakes topped with syrup will be the sweet treat awaiting patrons for the Flapjack 5K and 1 Mile Run.

The event, celebrating its 25th year this year, offers free admission to spectators and patrons.

Connerton Plaza at 21100 Fountain Garden Way in Land O’ Lakes, is the venue for the event, which will be on Dec. 8 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

As in past events, runners of all ages are expected to participate in this year’s 25th Flapjack Run on Dec. 8. (File)

The 5K run is set to begin at 8 a.m. The 1-mile fun run, or walk, will start at 8:45 a.m.

Vendors also will offer various crafts and food, and Santa will pop in, too, according to Suzanne Beauchaine, of the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce, which is organizing the event.

A rummage sale also will be held, with a variety of items available for purchase.

Runners at the event will receive free flapjacks, while others can purchase a plate for $5, said Beauchaine, executive director of the Chamber.

Those intending to run can register at the event, but they are encouraged to do so in advance, online, to guarantee a T-shirt and a medal.

The cost is $25 for the 5K for adults; and a $17 fee for kindergarteners through 12th-graders.

The 1-mile run will be a flat rate of $15. Children under 5 can take part for free, when accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Trophies for first and second place winners will be awarded to each age group by decade, starting from age 14.

Winners also can be awarded by family members splitting into teams of two.

Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel is presenting the event and proceeds benefit the Pasco County Parks Department.

To register online, visit tinyurl.com/ycnowb8d.

For additional information, contact The Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce at (813) 909-2722 .

Flapjack 5K and 1 Mile Run
Where: Connerton Plaza, 21100 Fountain Garden Way in Land O’ Lakes
When: Dec. 8, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Cost: Free to spectators and patrons; 5K run is $25 for adults and $17 for kindergarten through 12th-grade runners; 1-mile run is a $15 flat rate; free admission for runners age 5, accompanied by an adult.
Details: Attendees can enjoy a run or walk, a pancake breakfast, a rummage sale and purchase crafts from vendors.
Info: Contact the chamber at (813) 909-2722 or .

Published December 5, 2018

Excellence in Business Awards announced

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The North Tampa Bay Chamber has announced the winners of its 2018 Excellence in Business Awards, which are bestowed during an annual celebration to acknowledge extraordinary contributions by local community members, businesses and organizations in the Wesley Chapel, New Tampa, Trinity and Odessa regions.

This year’s winners are:

New Business of the Year: Holiday Inn Express – Trinity

Small Business of the Year: Buttermilk Provisions

Large Business of the Year: Shriners Hospital for Children – Tampa

Business Leader of the Year: Dr. Kevin O’Farrell

Volunteer of the Year: Damaris Rios

Dorothy Mitchell Legacy Award: John Gallagher, retired Pasco County administrator

Also, The Board Member of the Year award went to David DeWeerd, CPA, and Dr. Kevin O’ Farrell received the Chairman’s Award. Both of those awards were given by Jennifer Cofini, chair of the North Tampa Bay Chamber’s board.

The event was presented by Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel and was held in the Sierra Center at Hyatt Place Wesley Chapel.

Event sponsors were Design & Construction Innovations, Wiregrass Ranch, Avalon Park West, and the Tampa Bay Times.

Published November 21, 2018

First female pilot earns private license in PHSC program

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The first time she steered a plane, Vanessa Baker was hooked.

It was that moment, on an introductory discovery flight, that she knew piloting was the career for her.

“The second you do it, you fall in love,” Baker said. “It was kind of like an addiction after, like you do it and once you’re like, ‘This is awesome! I want to do this again!’”

Baker, 24, is the first — and currently the only— female pilot student at Pasco-Hernando State College to have earned a private pilot’s license, through the school’s professional pilot technology program.

Vanessa Baker is the first, and currently the only, female piloting student from Pasco-Hernando State College to have earned a private pilot’s license through the school’s professional pilot technology program. She began taking classes in January and earned her first wings in July. She has about another year-and-a-half in the associates of science aviation degree program. (Courtesy of Pasco-Hernando State College)

Baker’s interest in flying piqued after her father showed her a magazine about the PHSC’s new aviation department at the East Campus in Dade City.

A self-proclaimed “wild child,” Baker figured she’d give it a shot. She’s had fun ever since.

“Literally, every day I’m there, I have the best time,” she said of learning to fly.

Baker began taking classes in January and earned her first wings in July.

“I do feel a sense of accomplishment, like, ‘Hey, I was the first female to do this. If I can do it, you can definitely do it,’” she said.

Along with the designation at PHSC, Baker joins rare company nationwide.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reports about 7 percent of all pilots are females, equating to about 42,000 total.

Even fewer are commercial pilots, which Baker wants to become someday.

Said Baker: “I definitely do think it’s interesting that it’s mostly a male-dominated field. I think that’s very weird. It doesn’t make any sense to me at all, and I think it would be really cool if that changed.”

Mark Aragon, PHSC professional pilot director, said other female students are enrolled in the PHSC aviation program, but have yet to get their private pilot’s license.

He also noted just 10 percent of all pilot students across each state college end up earning their wings, making Baker part of an “elite group.”

Aragon taught Baker her aviation ground school classes.

The instructor admits Baker struggled early on, but her effort and dedication has won out in a pilot technology program, which he said “is like drinking from a fire hose.”

“She’s going to be very successful,” Aragon said. “She has that stick-to-itiveness, that drive and desire that like, ‘This is what I want to do. This is what I want to be. I’m not going to let anything slow me down.’”

Private pilot license in hand, Baker is still seeking her instrument pilot rating, multi-engine pilot rating and commercial pilot license — all through the two-year professional pilot technology associates of science degree program.

She’s racked up more than 100 flying hours at the American Aviation Flight Academy at the Brooksville-Tampa Bay Regional Airport. She needed about 40 hours to earn her private license.

At the academy, Baker trains in a Cessna 172, a four-seat, single-engine, high wing, fixed-wing aircraft that cruises at 140 mph and reaches more than 180 mph.

She’s flown throughout Florida, passing over Naples, St. Augustine, Crystal River, Gainesville, Ocala and Crystal River, and even going as far north as Valdosta, Georgia.

The thrill of flying still hasn’t worn off, Baker said.

“You definitely feel alive,” she said. “I still look out the window when I’m flying, and I’m just like, ‘Wow, I can’t believe I get to do this!’”

In between her busy class and flight schedule, Baker works as a phlebotomist at Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel, not leaving much room for free time.

“It’s a lot of work, but totally worth it,” Baker said. “I think this is probably the best decision I’ve ever made — definitely the hardest decision I’ve ever made.”

The state college launched its aviation department last August.

It began offering two Associate of Science degrees in professional pilot technology and aviation administration. This fall, it began offering A.S. degrees in aviation maintenance administration and unmanned vehicles systems operations.

The two–year programs are designed for students interested in becoming private and commercial pilots or airport managers.

Other possible career opportunities include flight dispatchers, transportation security officers, various Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) occupations, aviation safety and aircraft manufacturing.

Pilot students, who receive more than 200 flying hours during the entire degree program, also train on the FAA-approved Advanced Flight Simulator Laboratory, located at PHSC’s East Campus. The simulators can be reconfigured to emulate all types of aircraft in any environment or weather condition, providing a realistic experience.

Besides flight training, other classroom topics cover meteorology, flight safety and security, flight theory, and aviation regulations, among others.

Baker and other PHSC aviation students seem to be entering the aviation industry at an ideal time.

A 2017 report by Boeing estimates airlines in North America are going to need 117,000 new pilots and more than 200,000 aviation mechanics in the next 20 years, as passenger and cargo airlines worldwide are expected to buy 41,000 new airliners through 2036.

And, retirements at U.S. airlines will start to rise precipitously starting in 2021 as the current crop of pilots turn 65, the mandated age of retirement. More than 42 percent of active U.S. airline pilots at the biggest carriers will retire over the next 20 years, according to a 2017 report by Cowen & Company.

In Florida, meanwhile, employment as a professional pilot is expected to grow by about 13.5 percent between 2016 and 2024, according to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (FDEO).

Pilots in Pasco and Hernando counties typically earn entry level salaries of about $30,000 for a private pilot, and up to $104,000 for a commercial pilot, the FDEO says.

“The risk is worth the reward,” Baker said. “I think it’s a great thing to get into, and I don’t know why more people don’t do it.”

Published August 29, 2018

Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel plans to add more services

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Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel plans to expand the services it offers, as well as building additional parking and a new three-story medical office building.

The hospital, at 2600 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., also plans to add a wound care center that’s expected to open soon.

Those initiatives are in addition to an offsite Emergency Room the hospital has opened in Land O’ Lakes and the addition of Inspiration Place it opened last year. Inspiration Place is a 12,000-square-foot concierge health facility geared specifically for women, complete with female physicians, women’s imaging services and other services tailored to women’s needs.

Denyse Bales-Chubb is president and CEO of Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel. (Courtesy of Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel)

In addition to these new activities, the hospital also has garnered national recognition for its performance.

Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel recently appeared in Modern Healthcare Magazine as one of the nation’s 100 Top Hospitals. It is the only hospital in The Laker/Lutz News coverage area to receive this distinction.

The selection was based on a study conducted by IBM Watson Health, which spotlights the top-performing hospitals based on a balanced scorecard of publicly available clinical, operational and patient satisfaction metrics and data.

Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel also was named as one of America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Patient Experience by the Women’s Choice Award. That award evaluates specific survey results, along with primary research about women’s health care preferences.

Denyse Bales-Chubb, the hospital’s president and CEO, said she “almost jumped for joy” when she learned about the Watson award.

She considers the Watson award one of the top honors a hospital can receive. “They’re looking nationwide, and they’re selecting the top 100 hospitals,” she said.

“To be listed in the Modern Healthcare Watson Top 100 Hospitals is quite an accomplishment. It’s one of those things you always have as your goal. You’re not sure if you’re ever going to get there,” she said.

The award, Bales-Chubb noted, “actually looks at your financial outcomes, how fiscally responsible you are and how viable.”

Inspiration Place, opened last year at Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel, is a 12,000-square-foot concierge health facility geared specifically for women, complete with female physicians, women’s imaging services and other services tailored to women’s needs.

The Women’s Choice Award considers patient satisfaction, patient outcomes and other criteria.

Much of the hospital’s success stems from the hiring procedures it uses, Bales-Chubb said.

When hiring, it looks at whether the candidate possesses the proper skills and will be a good fit, and also evaluates the candidate’s potential to grow into other roles in the future.

“It’s so important for employees to feel that ‘This is an organization that I want to stay with’ —because loyalty is really big in making sure they are engaged in wanting the success of the organization,” Bales-Chubb said.

The hospital also has an incentive program to promote employee referrals, and has tuition reimbursement to encourage staff to continue building their skills, she said.

When the hospital opened, it was bringing services to residents who had been accustomed to driving for miles to receive medical care.

Since opening, it has expanded in both its number of beds and its array of services.

Inspiration Place, added last year, gave women a single place where they go for the major health care screenings and care, Bales-Chubb said.

The wound care center, which will open soon, will give Wesley Chapel residents a local place to get wound care services. Residents have had to drive 12 miles to get those services, in either Zephyrhills or Tampa, the hospital executive said.

Other planned changes include additional parking and a new three-story medical office building. The new medical office building will mirror the hospital’s Wellness Plaza, and will be built on the land now occupied by a parking lot used for the hospital’s emergency department. The medical building will house specialists, rather than primary care physicians.

“It’s going to be brand new services that have not been provided in the Wesley Chapel area,” Bales-Chubb said, saving patients the need to drive out of the community for services.

As the hospital continues to expand to meet growing needs, the community of Wesley Chapel has been supportive, Bales-Chubb said.

“This community is just so full of people who are so engaging and welcoming, and so innovative. Everybody is looking for how they can make this community better.

“It’s a great place to be,” Bales-Chubb said.

Published August 15, 2018

Bus express service links Wesley Chapel and Tampa

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A new express bus service running from Wesley Chapel to downtown Tampa could potentially carry about 200,000 passengers annually, according to calculations by officials at the Hillsborough Area Transit Authority, also known as HART.

The 275LX bus route, which launched July 1, was among the topics discussed at the monthly economic development briefing luncheon sponsored by the North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce.

About 20 people attended the luncheon at Hunter’s Green Golf & Country Club on July 26.

Ruthie Reyes Burckard

Ruthie Reyes Burckard, HART’s chief operations officer, was guest speaker.

She gave an overview of the 275LX, as well as other upcoming bus services from HART, and efforts to increase regional connections into Pasco, Pinellas, Manatee, and Sarasota counties.

Burckard said estimates on annual ridership aboard the 275LX are based on factors, such as community density and employment centers.

The 275LX route includes a bus stop at the Wiregrass park-n-ride, at 28222 Willet Way. The lot is near Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel and The Shops at Wiregrass. There also is a stop at the Lowe’s park-n-ride in New Tampa, at 16907 Bruce B. Downs Blvd. Passengers are picked up hourly, seven days a week, from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.

The new 275LX route replaces the 51LX, which had limited pickups from the Wiregrass park-in-ride traveling to Marion Transit Center in downtown Tampa. There were two trips up n the morning and two trips back in the afternoon to Wesley Chapel.

“It wasn’t very productive,” Burckard said, adding that people didn’t seem to like the lack of options.

HART routinely does third-quarter reviews of its bus services, said Burckard. “We’ve been continuously looking at our services, and tweaking.”

The 275LX express route includes stops at Wiregrass park-in-ride, Tampa International Airport and the James A. Haley Veteran’s Hospital. (File)

That will happen in coming months, with the new express route. “If there are adjustments to be made, we’ll be looking very closely at that,” Burckard said.

On the 275LX, buses ride along Bruce B. Downs Boulevard, and Interstate 275 toward Tampa, with stops at Tampa International Airport, James A. Haley Veteran’s Hospital, the University area by University of South Florida, and the Marion Transit Center in downtown Tampa.

A one-way ride takes about an hour and 45 minutes. The cost is $2 each way.

The park-in-rides are free to use. However, Burckard said the lots aren’t available for overnight or multiple days of parking. So, for people taking the bus to catch a flight at Tampa’s airport, they should have someone drop them off at the park-in-ride, she said.

The 275LX is useful in making tri-county connections, or to other bus routes in Tampa.

For instance, the University area bus stop allows transfers to Temple Terrace. At Marion Transit, passengers can connect with Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority.

Funding for the 275LX is from the Florida Department of Transportation. The state transportation department also gave HART a $1 million grant for a pilot project to test a low-speed, self-driving bus between the Marion Transit Center and the southern end of downtown Tampa.

That is expected to launch in fiscal year 2019.

In October, the TECO Line Streetcar System will begin providing free rides for the next three years. Funding is about $200,000 from Tampa Electric Company, or TECO, and about $2.7 million from FDOT.

One-way fares between the Channelside District and Ybor City currently cost $2.50.

A study is planned to consider extending the existing 2.7 miles of streetcar track.

HART also is launching the Flamingo Fares mobile application, which provides regional bus fare passes. Hillsborough County, Pasco, Pinellas, Manatee and Sarasota will partner in this.

One bus pass can be used for rides on all systems.

“You don’t have to buy fare passes for each and every connection,” Burckard said.

Published August 1, 2018

HART rolling out regional bus service

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The debate over building and operating a tri-county bus rapid transit system on Interstate 275 won’t be settled for months.

But, on July 1, Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority, known as HART, will launch a new limited express bus service down I-275 from Wesley Chapel to Tampa.

Connections also can be made to existing routes operated by Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority with services to Largo, Clearwater and St. Petersburg.

Hillsborough Area Regional Transit, HART, will launch a new bus route between Wesley Chapel and Tampa. A HART bus is shown here at Marion Transit Center in Tampa.
(Courtesy of HART)

The 275LX route will be a first for regional transit in the Tampa Bay area. It also will be a test of the regional potential for bus transit.

Funding for the new route is from about $1.2 million in grants from the Florida Department of Transportation. Funds are expected to cover operating expenses for 18 months.

“We’re very excited about this service,” said Steve Feigenbaum, HART’s director of service development. “We have very high hopes for it.”

Route 275LX largely will follow Bruce B. Downs Boulevard and Interstate 275.

Feigenbaum said this service is separate from a proposed “catalyst” project for a bus rapid transit system that would travel on dedicated lanes built on the shoulders of I-275.

The Florida Department of Transportation funded a study that prioritized a 41-mile bus rapid transit system from Wesley Chapel to St. Petersburg. Initial construction estimates were nearly $455 million.

Supporters hope that bus rapid transit can jumpstart a long-range transit vision for the area. Opponents say the project is too limited, too expensive, and won’t, by itself, address traffic gridlock.

A decision on bus rapid transit is expected in the coming months.

Meanwhile, major stops on HART’s limited express service will include Tampa International Airport, the James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital on Bruce B. Downs Boulevard, the University Area Transit Center, the Westshore business district, and the Marion Street Transit Center in downtown Tampa.

According to a HART news release, residents and businesses, especially in New Tampa and Wesley Chapel, asked for the bus route. It is considered a boon for employees commuting to and from work across county lines, and for area residents who want to visit dining, shopping or entertainment destinations in Hillsborough and Pasco counties.

HART estimates about 123,000 residents live within the service area.

Transportation from Pasco to the veteran’s hospital in Hillsborough is an especially important benefit to the area, said Kurt Scheible, director of Pasco County Public Transportation (PCPT).

“I get requests all the time on how can we get people down to the veteran’s hospital,” Scheible said. “I think this is a great step forward.”

The July 1 start is a soft opening, with an official ribbon cutting at Tampa International Airport scheduled for July 13.

HART buses will pick up passengers at the Route 54 bus stop operated by PCPT. The bus stop is located at the Wiregrass Park-n-Ride, at 28222 Willet Way, near Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel.

The Wiregrass bus stop is the “backbone” of Pasco’s transit system, with the kind of ridership that makes it a perfect fit for HART’s new route, said Scheible.

HART’s operating hours will be seven days a week, generally from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., with buses leaving hourly. Bus fares will be $2 each way. Free WiFi is available on the bus ride.

PCPT’s Route 54 operates only six days a week, with no buses running on Sundays. Weekday hours are 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., for east/west service from Universal Plaza in New Port Richey to Zephyrhills.

Major stops are at Medical Center of Trinity, The Shops at Wiregrass and Tampa Premium Outlets.

However, the Wiregrass Park-n-Ride is open seven days a week for residents taking a ride on HART’s buses.

New services are coming in the future, including the expansion of Flamingo Fares, a mobile application for regional bus passes, Feigenbaum said.

It is available from HART and the PSTA. In the next months, Pasco and Manatee County’s transit systems also will provide the mobile app and regional bus passes.

“It will be seamless, built into all the systems,” said Feigenbaum.

Published June 20, 2018

Wiregrass Ranch still practices patient approach to growth

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Since the outset of the development of Wiregrass Ranch, the Porter family has used a patient approach to assembling the building blocks of a community.

Over time, land once occupied by cattle and orange groves has been transformed.

Developments including The Shops at Wiregrass, Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel, Pasco-Hernando State College’s Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, North Tampa Bay Behavioral Health Hospital, Beach House Assisted Living & Memory Care at Wiregrass, and public schools, subdivisions and apartments are just some of the projects that have popped out of the landscape.

The Porter family is choosy about the types of projects it brings into Wiregrass Ranch, to protect the quality of the development. (B.C. Manion)

And, there’s more to come, J.D. Porter told a crowd at the North Tampa Bay Chamber’s April economic briefing at Hunter’s Green Golf & Country Club.

“The demographic that is moving into the area right now is younger, dual income, dual college education,” Porter said.

That lends itself to high-quality housing, upscale restaurants, specialty grocers and other sought-after development, he said.

The Porter family is choosy about the types of new projects it brings into Wiregrass, to protect the quality of the development, he said.

“There are users out there that aren’t a good fit for Wiregrass,” Porter explained.

And, even when a project is a good match for Wiregrass, the family paces the development to make sure that ongoing projects can be successful before introducing new ones.

Porter takes particular pride in the area’s job creation.

“Right now there are 2,500 jobs that have been created,” Porter said. “We’ve created more jobs than we have homes.”

That’s a statistic that would be hard to match in other Pasco or Hillsborough developments, Porter said.

He also noted that it’s important to have a mix of large and small users, so there’s not too much reliance on large users — in case they go away.

Having the proper mix of development is important, too, he said.

“It’s nice to have boutique restaurants, shops, locally owned businesses and stuff like that. To make that work, you have to have people around it, and you have to have people around that during the day,” he said.

The family envisions a town center, with increased residential density, as it gets closer to the town center, Porter said.

The town center — which would be a walkable Wesley Chapel downtown — will include retail, office space, residential, a school, light rail or bus rapid transit stops, a park and ride, a hotel, a fire station, a sheriff’s office, an indoor sports facility, playgrounds, a walking trail, a hotel, a county office building and other amenities, according to the Wiregrass Ranch website.

Porter also addressed the big user side of development, during the economic briefing.

Wiregrass Ranch is “currently shortlisted for two Fortune 200 companies. One for 600,000; one for 1.2 million square feet,” Porter said. “It’d be nice to have another big one. Both of them are ranked higher than what Raymond James is, on the Fortune 500 list.”

Raymond James, which has long been expected to have an office park in the Wiregrass Ranch development “will be turning dirt before the end of the year,” Porter said, in response to a question from the audience. “They’re going to be taking steps towards getting site-ready for construction.”
He also offered his thoughts on some transportation issues.

The diverging diamond, a project to retrofit the Interstate 75-State Road 56 interchange, should help, Porter said.

“The upside is, it really will help that traffic problem quite a bit,” he said. But, he predicts there will be accidents, and even deaths, as people learn to negotiate it.

The $40 million diverging diamond project is expected to begin this summer and could take two years to three years to complete, according to officials with the Florida Department of Transportation.

Porter also predicted that rapid bus transit is more likely to happen than light rail, and noted that Wiregrass Ranch already has 3 ½ miles to 4 miles dedicated for either option.

In general, Porter said, “you have got to have good connectivity on roadways, regardless where they’re at.”

Published May 2, 2018

New emergency room services available for local residents

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Two new emergency rooms have opened in Pasco County, giving local residents more convenient choices in times of need.

Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel had a ribbon cutting to celebrate the opening of its Central Pasco ER in Land O’ Lakes. (Courtesy of Florida Hospital-West Florida Division)

Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel opened the doors to its new free-standing Florida Hospital Central Pasco ER in Land O’ Lakes, located offsite from the hospital, on State Road 54, just east of the Suncoast Parkway. The hospital expanded its health services in order to serve more residents in the growing area of central Pasco County.

Construction began last spring, and the new 18,000-square-foot facility features a year-round full-service emergency department with 24 beds and state-of-the-art on-site imaging, such as X-ray, ultrasound, CT scan and onsite laboratory services.

The new emergency room is staffed with board-certified emergency medicine physicians, as well as nurses who specialize in emergency care.

The Medical Center of Trinity’s new ER 24-7, in Lutz, is now open at 1430 Dale Mabry Highway. (Courtesy of Medical Center of Trinity)

Ambulance services also will be offered for patients who come to the Central Pasco ER and need to be admitted to the hospital.

The offsite emergency room officially began to treat patients on Jan. 29.

The Medical Center of Trinity’s new free-standing emergency department, ER 24-7, in Lutz, is now open at 1430 Dale Mabry Highway, next to Walmart.

The facility offers access to emergency care 24-hours a day, seven days a week, with a multitude of resources for acute care of a serious illness or injury.

The full-service ER provides more advanced emergency services than an urgent care center and will accept patients via ambulance. It also has onsite CT scan, ultrasound and laboratory services, and is staffed by physicians board-certified in emergency care and nurses with emergency care experience and certifications.

Published February 7, 2018