Bayfront Breaks Ground On New Emergency Care Facility

ST. PETERSBURG, FL -- Bayfront Health St. Petersburg has broken ground on its new Bayfront Health ER - Pinellas Park.

The freestanding emergency center will be located just off Gandy Boulevard on Grand Avenue, west of Interstate I-275 near exit 28.

Once it is opened, the freestanding emergency center will be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to serve patients who experience medical emergencies.

"We are committed to expanding emergency service access to meet the growing needs of Pinellas County," said Bayfront Health St. Petersburg Chief Executive Officer John McLain. "Bayfront Health ER- Pinellas Park will provide faster access to emergency care for people living in the area corridor where Pinellas Park and St. Petersburg connect."

McLain said emergency services can be effectively managed at freestanding emergency departments without the need for transfer to a traditional hospital setting.

Like any hospital emergency department, the new Bayfront Health ER - Pinellas Park will be equipped to treat patients with illnesses and injuries that require a higher level of care than urgent care facilities offer.

The 11,000-square-foot freestanding emergency department will have a separate ambulance entrance and eight private patient rooms including pediatrics.

Services include radiology and CT capabilities as well as on-site lab services. If a higher level of care is required, patients can be transported quickly to the main Bayfront Health St. Petersburg campus or the facility of their choice.

Board-certified emergency physicians, registered nurses and other patient care providers will staff the center.

"Our team of emergency physicians are excited about all of the current projects involving emergency medicine at Bayfront Health,” said Dr. Beth Girgis, medical director for the emergency department at Bayfront Health St. Petersburg. “Between Bayfront Health' s new free-standing emergency center and the renovations underway in the emergency department at our main campus, we will be well-equipped to handle the emergency needs of those living in and around the communities of south Pinellas County for years to come."

The project is the hospital's latest investment in emergency and trauma services. Last fall, the hospital began renovations at its main campus emergency department.

Construction of the freestanding emergency center is expected to be completed in late 2018.

Image via Bayfront Health