Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital breaks ground on new Wesley Chapel site
Located at the northeast corner of McKendree and Overpass roads, east of Interstate 75, the hospital is expected to open in 2027.
A rendering of a new Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital pediatric center. It will include a 16-room emergency department, four imaging rooms and four operating theaters. Hospital officials broke ground on the facility last month. [ Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital]
SOURCE: Tampa Bay Newspapers
WESLEY CHAPEL — Lots of smiling children, many of them playing in sandboxes filled with colorful sand and others sharing their medical stories, seemed a fitting backdrop to the ceremonial groundbreaking of Wesley Chapel’s latest hospital.
On March 27, officials from Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital tossed shovelfuls of that colorful sand to mark the start of construction of a 56-room facility focused on specialized pediatric care.
Ranked the No. 1 children’s hospital in Florida by U.S. News & World Report, Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital is expected to open at the northeast corner of McKendree and Overpass roads, east of Interstate 75, in 2027.
“We are not just breaking ground for a new facility, we are laying a foundation for a healthier future for our community, our patients and generations to come,” said Alicia Schulhof, president of Johns Hopkins All Children’s.
Schulhof was joined onstage by a former patient and his brother. The ceremony doubled as a celebration of many of the children the hospital is helping or has helped.
According to a news release, Johns Hopkins All Children’s will feature 56 inpatient rooms, a 16-room emergency center, four operating rooms, an infusion center, sleep laboratory and inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation services.
The second floor of the hospital will be a 25,000-square-foot outpatient care center with 36 rooms.
And the convenience of not having to travel hours for medical care cannot be measured.
“The Wesley Chapel hospital will not only enhance our ability to deliver cutting-edge medicine and treatments, but also foster an environment where patients feel supported,” Schulhof said.
Wesley Chapel already has two hospitals, AdventHealth and BayCare, and a third, Orlando Health Wiregrass Ranch, is under construction and expected to open in 2026.
Johns Hopkins All Children’s, however, fills a huge void for those in need of specialized pediatric care.
According to Schulhof, Wesley Chapel and other areas north of Tampa are projected to have a pediatric population growth of roughly 12% between 2023 and 2032, while 93% of patients living in Citrus, Hernando and Pasco counties must travel outside the market for pediatric specialty care.
“This new project represents an unwavering commitment to providing exceptional care closer to home and advancing health care in our community,” she said. “Every brick laid, every wall constructed, is a step toward better care and better outcomes for those who rely upon us.”
