Lakeland Commission Approves New AdventHealth Hospital
by PAUL CATALA
Christine Konior has lived in South Lakeland for nine years and has a bit of a commute to the nearest hospital should that become necessary.
But soon, Konior and her husband, John, will only have about a four-mile drive from their home to get themselves to a hospital.
On September 16 during a final public hearing, the Lakeland City Commission approved 6-1 the construction of a new AdventHealth Lakeland hospital at 3838 Harden Boulevard just south of the Polk Parkway.
AdvetHealth is scheduled to first build an emergency room and then construct the 400-bed hospital, which should open by 2028 or 2029.
“Lakeland’s continuing growth warrants the increased healthcare opportunities this expansion will provide on a long-term basis,” says Lakeland Mayor Bill Mutz.
The only dissenting vote came from Lakeland Commissioner Sara Roberts McCarley, who voiced concerns over density and traffic.
Once completed on the 218-acres site, the full-service hospital will be able to accommodate the medical needs of an ever-growing Polk County and beyond.
The hospital will also have a free-standing emergency department, a medical office building, and designated areas for future residential and commercial development.
The news of closer accessibility to hospital care when it might be needed is good news for Konior, who adds that its proximity to Lakeside Village will be another benefit.
“It’s a great location and you won’t get stuck in traffic with all that’s on South Florida Avenue,” says Konior, who with her husband co-owns Lakeland’s The Pink Piano wine and beer pub. “It’s by the mall, by the (Polk Parkway), so people can get there quickly. I think it’s good it’s being built there.”
In a written statement, Jennifer Wandersleben, regional CEO of the AdventHealth West Florida Division, says in addition to providing medical services to the area, AdventHealth has also prioritized making the new medical facility eco-friendly.
“A key element of our design is the incorporation of a significant conservation area. This protected land will remain undeveloped, preserving a peaceful environment for our neighbors,” Wandersleben states.
AdventHealth has served the Polk County community since 2019, first with AdventHealth Heart of Florida in Davenport, AdventHealth Lake Wales, and most recently, the opening of the AdventHealth Winter Haven ER that will eventually expand into a full-service hospital.
“Our goal is to create new jobs and better access to high-quality, whole-person care throughout Polk County,” adds Wandersleben. “We deeply value our ongoing partnership with the City of Lakeland and look forward to continuing to collaborate with the City as AdventHealth completes the entitlement process and begins the development of the Emergency Department and medical campus to serve the residents of Lakeland and west Polk County.”
Currently, AdventHealth’s Central Florida Division has more than 20 hospitals and Emergency Rooms in seven counties in and surrounding Orlando. The hospitals, combined with an outpatient care network, have more than 3.4 million patient visits annually.
Now, those will include one in south Lakeland which will accommodate one of the fastest-growing sections of Polk County.
Mutz says the construction of the AdventHealth Lakeland medical center will be in better proximity to serve those in the southern part of the city and beyond.
“As one of Florida’s most rapidly growing communities, with a strategic I-4 presence between Tampa and Orlando, Lakeland predictably requires increased hospital capacity and expanding healthcare services,” he says. “The addition of AdventHealth, a high-quality provider, and its desired location within Lakeland will help serve this increasing number of citizens effectively. Hospitals take several years to build, and the timing of this expanded capability will be ideal.”
In addition to the AdventHealth hospital in Lakeland, AdventHealth announced in April the opening of an AdventHealth Centra Care center on South Florida Avenue. That facility, which is roughly four miles east of the site where the new hospital will be built, is open seven days a week and has onsite lab testing, X-rays, provides stitches and medication dispensing.
