Orlando Health this week announced that it is expanding the scope of construction for its future Lakeland hospital, increasing the bed count by more than two-fold, The Capitolist reports.
The Orlando Health Lakeland Highlands Hospital, set to open in 2026, was originally drawn to have a 136-bed capacity. After further review of construction plans, the health provider decided to increase the inpatient capacity to 302 beds in order to better meet local healthcare needs.
“Following additional review, Orlando Health determined that it can best meet the healthcare needs of the Lakeland and greater Polk County communities by opening a hospital with more inpatient capacity than we originally announced,” said Jamal Hakim, MD, COO, Orlando Health. “As one of the state’s fastest growing communities, Orlando Health recognizes that it needs to accelerate its delivery of high-quality, outcomes-based healthcare to these communities. We are excited about our revised plan and its many benefits for the community.”
In addition to the increased bed count, the hospital will additionally feature nearly 30 ICU and progressive care rooms, 16 patient rooms to support a women’s birthing program, shelled space for a future neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), a 48-bed emergency department and additional medical and support services including imaging, lab, and pharmacy.
The facility was approved for a 360-bed capacity, granting Orlando Health the ability to expand even further in the future, should it be deemed necessary.
During the 2021 Fiscal Year, Orlando Health served more than 160,000 inpatients and 3.6 million outpatients. Read more.
