Thrive
Sunshine Health opens Pinellas community center
“These are the kind of places that every community needs to equalize the playing field for everybody.”
Staff, partners and St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce leaders came together Tuesday to celebrate the opening of Sunshine Health’s new Community Connections Center in Pinellas Park.
Sunshine Health is a Florida healthcare plan provider. The organization offers government-sponsored care through Medicaid, Long Term Care, the Health Insurance Marketplace (Ambetter Health) and Medicare Advantage and Prescription Drug Plans (Wellcare).
It serves about 2.4 million people across the state. Approximately 75,000 live in Pinellas County.
The 5,000-square-foot facility, at 8800 49th Street N., is a space where members and residents can access care, resources and community support. Additionally, they can learn about a variety of local programs that benefit their health and wellbeing.
In 2025 alone, Sunshine Health collaborated with over 700 community‑based organizations to support housing stability, food security, youth mental health, maternal health and workforce development, according to the organization’s website.
“People can’t prioritize their health if they have more basic unmet needs,” Sunshine Health chief marketing and engagement officer Heather Urquides told the Catalyst. “So, we see these community centers as a way for us to bring community resources together so people can get their needs met.”
Designed to be a hub, she added, people can receive services such as housing and utility assistance. Additionally, the center will be home to a monthly food pantry in partnership with the Farm Share food bank.
Urquides said that the Pinellas Park facility has been in the works for about two years. Finding the right real estate was a key challenge. The Sunshine Health team began to use the center in early June.
Not-for-profit organizations can use the property at no-cost for initiatives, she added.
Many of the services offered at the Pinellas center will be accessible to individuals who are not members. To exemplify, Urquides explained that Sunshine Health partners with the American Heart Association to provide CPR training.
Community members will be able to participate in a variety of classes. Sunshine Health leaders plan to form workforce training partnerships in Pinellas County as well.
“We definitely try to locate where our members are to make it as easy as possible,” Urquides added. “We want to serve them in person if that’s how they want to reach out to us.”
One of Sunshine Health’s community partners is the National Alliance on Mental Illness Pinellas County. Katy Simpson, the organization’s program coordinator, attended the Tuesday gathering.
NAMI provides free peer support groups, presentations and mental health training.
“The fact that we can partner with them to be able to offer more resources that are accessible to the actual local community, I think it’s pivotal,” she said. “We’re always looking to partner with someone who has more space.”
Danielle Stewart, the City of Pinellas Park’s long range planning and economic development manager, argued that Sunshine Health’s new center “fills such a big need in the community.”
She believes that the facility will be beneficial for residents, local businesses and Pinellas Park staff. More so, that it can be an extension of the City’s resources.
“This is a space where people can come and feel safe and comfortable and be involved in the community,” Stewart added. “People don’t normally know where to go when it comes to ‘where can I find certain programs?’”
Health is the most important thing for local individuals and families, St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce president and CEO Chris Steinocher emphasized.
“These are the kind of places that every community needs to equalize the playing field for everybody,” he said. “This whole thing is all about options. The healthcare world is so cluttered and sometimes you feel that you don’t have an avenue to go down.”
