The new South Florida Baptist Hospital (SFBH) opened at 3202 N. Park Road on August 10, 2024. Since that day, the facility and state-of-the-art equipment have been adding a new healing touch to Plant City.
“The Cardiac Pulmonary and Vascular Rehabilitation Center is designed for patient progress and comfort,” Stephanie Steiner, Cardiopulmonary Rehab Supervisor, said. “As part of our commitment to providing the highest level of care, we’ve expanded our space and upgraded our monitoring systems to better support our growing community. With the expansion, we can now accommodate more patients per class. In addition to the much larger main rehab area, there is a gym for patients after their procedures, so they can continue building healthy habits and stay active long term. Our brighter, more welcoming environment offers a larger footprint, which means more room to move, more room to breathe.”
The Infusion Center is on the second floor of the six-story building. “The new facility has been of great benefit because we had seven rooms, but now we have extended to 19 private rooms,” Heather Spradling, Assistant Nurse Manager, said. “In the old center, we actually had patients that would buddy up, so they may have two patients to a room. Now we have 19 single, private rooms. We have more equipment, more vital signs. The biggest benefit is that we are able to see more patients, so we can treat more patients on a daily basis. We can see patients within a couple of days of their insurance authorization.”
A short walk on the same floor finds the Outpatient Rehab Center. “This has helped me because it is bigger and more comfortable,” Jamar Brunson said about the unit. “The way they decorated downstairs makes it more hospitable and makes me feel more welcome. The employees treat to you like family. This is like my second home. Even though I come two days a week, I like coming here. I like the equipment here. Dealing with MS, it really helps me out. I have been dealing with MS for 10 years now. I have been with SFBH since 2021. I like the new technology. It is much easier. It makes it more helpful.”
The Rehab Center added a ceiling track that runs above the parallel bars, over stairs, and around the edge of the equipment area. A harness is attached to a lanyard hanging from the track. “I love the track because it gives a patient more confidence,” Occupational Therapist Karen Brits said. “I had one patient who had a head injury and had really impaired balance. He was afraid to do the things we wanted to challenge him to do. Once we put him on the track, he was able to do that. Off the track, he is doing so much better now, just because he has gotten more confidence in his gait and balance.”
These parallel bars are remote controlled, so they can be adjusted up or down, or in or out, even while the patient is in the middle of them. Another rare piece of equipment is an anti-gravity treadmill that lowers patients’ impact weight by up to 80 percent so they work on weaknesses like hip or knee replacements, or injuries.
“We’ve seen an increase in volume throughout nearly every department since opening our new hospital,” South Florida Baptist Hospital President Karen Kerr said. “Our average daily census, emergency department, labor and delivery unit, and especially our café have met or exceeded our expectations. It’s been great to see the community support this new hospital with the same spirit and enthusiasm as they did the legacy facility.”
An on-the-way upgrade to SFBH is a new Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Currently under construction, the anticipated opening will be this Fall.