Bayfront Health St. Petersburg will be getting a facelift

Enhanced education and training. Targeted career opportunities. Tuition reimbursement for team members.

These are just a few of the new initiatives being implemented at Bayfront Health St. Petersburg, according to president John Moore. Speaking at a Thursday city council meeting, Moore provided a comprehensive update on the hospital, which was purchased by Orlando Health in late September. He also shared plans and renderings for a new façade for the main building. 

“After the acquisition, our team’s focus was to identify the most important issues to the hospital and community,” Moore said. “We conducted an extensive listening tour, speaking with team members, patients and community members. This feedback was critical in understanding the culture and determining what areas needed attention and what changes to make.”

The listening tour gave hospital officials the ideas for the new educational and tuition reimbursement initiatives, and also for the need to find ways to help team members improve their work-life balance. 

Additionally, Moore said that leadership conducted a full quality assessment and changes were enacted quickly to make sure all team members had more than enough PPE to safely do their jobs. Safety protocols were reviewed and upgraded, and new equipment was brought into surgical services.

In terms of developing a new look for the building, a multidisciplinary team made up of Bayfront leadership and the health system’s asset strategy team collaborated with local design firm HDR architects. HDR is currently completing a master plan study to assess numerous aspects of the facility, including operational efficiency and areas where the patient experience can be improved.

The design team also prepared a study of significant architectural examples in St. Petersburg that provided the basis of the hospital’s new color scheme and modern coastal design.

The facility master plan study will be complete in late spring with exterior painting beginning in a few weeks. The process is expected to take about three months and will not affect the functioning of the hospital. Architectural enhancements for the façade will come later. 

“Ultimately, the façade upgrade and repainting project will address the planned maintenance of the building and offer an opportunity to rebrand the facility to convey the high level of quality and service that Bayfront Health St. Petersburg provides to the community,” said Matt Taylor, vice president of asset strategy for Orlando Health. “The addition of a welcoming glass canopy will enhance wayfinding as well as serve as protection from the Florida elements for patients arriving and departing the hospital.”