Bayfront opens $25 million renovated emergency room

Bayfront Health gathered community members, business leaders and politicians Monday evening to celebrate the ribbon cutting of its $25 million newly renovated emergency room.

Bayfront, the largest hospital in St. Petersburg with 480 beds, is owned by Nashville-based Community Health Systems and is the only Level II Trauma Center in the city. The newly renovated emergency room prioritizes patient privacy and expedited care. It includes 43 private rooms, four trauma suites and four critical care rooms.

“I love ribbon cuttings because they represent an investment in our community,” said Mayor Rick Kriseman. “Sometimes we’re cutting a ribbon for a new business, and a lot of times it’s a family business or some friends that have gotten together.

“But sometimes it’s a business that has been here for just a few years,” he said of Bayfront’s 113 year history in St. Petersburg. “And it’s expanding or doing something that is going to have a profound impact on the community. That’s what today is about.”

The new emergency room is just one of several construction and renovation projects Bayfront Health has taken on over the last several months, including a $4.5 million cardiovascular center, a $10 million neuroscience center and the $10 million construction of a freestanding emergency department in Pinellas Park.

Bayfront Health also welcomed a new CEO, Sharon Hayes, who took the reins in mid-July. According to Hayes, Community Health System (CHS), the hospital’s parent company, has invested well over $100 million at Bayfront over the last few years. “We’re very thankful for that for their investment and belief in us,” Hayes said.

“Even though our outside has changed and remodeled, our mission remains the same,” said Dr. Beth Girgis, Medical Director for the Emergency Department. “We’re here to provide compassionate care to our patients, we’re here to serve the community of St. Petersburg.”