Will Wesley Chapel Get A Hospital?

June 2007 will be the magical date. That is when the state will decide whether Wesley Chapel will get a hospital of its own. Last year the state turned down Florida Hospital Zephyrhills, UCH and BayCare.

This year Florida Hospital Zephyrhills and UCH have formed a partnership and propose to build an 80-bed hospital near Saddlebrook Resort on SR-54. The University of South Florida's Medical School and BayCare formed a cooperative effort to create a 120-bed teaching hospital in Seven Oaks on Bruce B. Downs Blvd.

If there is an approval, which is not a sure thing, there will likely only be an approval for one or the other, and we can expect an appeal by the losing party. The soonest we would see a hospital would likely be in 2011.

Last year the state used census data from 2000. This year they will be using updated information, and they should take into consideration what the anticipated population will be in 2011. Hopefully, the state will take into account that the nearest hospitals are a good 30 minutes away, and even longer with rush hour traffic.