New hospitals rising in Trinity, Wesley Chapel

They are spacious, with coffee shops and lush gardens. The rooms have stunning views, high-definition TVs and WiFi. There even will be room service.

New hospitals opening in Trinity and Wesley Chapel will bring a touch of hotel-luxury to Pasco County's healthcare system.

"New hospitals don't come around every day, and we've got the luxury of having two new facilities coming online in the next 18 months," said Thibaut van Marcke, chief operating officer of Medical Center of Trinity.

Van Marcke and Brian Adams, chief executive officer of Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel, offered a sneak peak at both hospitals Thursday to members of the Pasco Alliance of Community Associations.

Hospital Corporation of America, or HCA, will open the 236-bed Medical Center of Trinity around Thanksgiving. The $200 million hospital will replace New Port Richey's Community Hospital, which is licensed for 389 beds.

HCA's behavioral health department will remain at Community Hospital and the company will staff its emergency rooms at both locations. All other functions will shift to Trinity.

If there's one word to capture the spirit of the new hospital, it's big – big like its 55-acre campus.

"The first floor of the building is 4½ acres," van Marcke said. "The building is five stories, but it's stressed to go up to eight stories."

The first floor contains dining facilities, a coffee shop, lounge areas and a wide promenade to accommodate visitors. Patients will have a separate entrance to protect their privacy, van Marcke said.

The emergency room has 30-private rooms, including nine that are designed specifically for children.

"The smallest operating room here is bigger than our largest room at the old building," van Marke said.

Even the MRI machine is super-sized: "There's only two or three of these in the state of Florida," he said.

Workers are applying the finishing touches inside the building. More than 1,000 computers will be installed in the next few weeks, followed by medical equipment. Furniture starts to arrive in September.

The first official event will be a flag-raising on Veterans Day, followed by a grand opening in November. All of the patients will be transferred from Community Hospital in a single day.

"It's a big deal to move patients," van Marcke said. "But we're hoping it turns out to be a news nonevent."

Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel, being built just north of the Shops at Wiregrass, is slated to open in fall 2012. Adams said the 80-bed hospital reflects the values of Adventist Health System, the nonprofit, faith-based company that also owns Florida Hospital Zephyrhills and University Community Hospital in New Tampa.

"Each patient room will have a view of the most remarkable gardens you will ever see in a hospital setting," he said.

Rooms will have 42-inch televisions, a computer desk and sleeping accommodations for family members.

"Everyone in the community will, at some point in their life, be touched by a hospital," Adams said.

The $60 million project also includes a 50,000-square-foot wellness center in the adjacent medical office building. The center will feature two indoor pools, an indoor walking track and a fitness center with its own "hot yoga" room. There's even a test kitchen for diabetic cooking classes.

"Think of it as L.A. Fitness without the dating and the YMCA without all the kids," Adams said. "This is not a financial moneymaker for us – this is a part of our mission."

Adams said the hospital alone will create 400 jobs.

The Medical Center of Trinity will create 100 to 150 jobs, since most of the staff will relocate from the New Port Richey facility.

"We'll be posting positions in about 30 days," van Marcke said.