Baptist Health breaks ground on all-electric hospital

Baptist Health has broken ground on its first Broward County hospital.

Image courtesy of Baptist Health

Baptist Health is adding a new hospital to its south Florida network with the groundbreaking of the Baptist Health Sunrise Hospital.

The seven-story, 340,000-square-foot facility is the system’s first hospital in Broward County and slated to open in 2029. The new hospital is being designed for flexibility to handle the demands of a growing patient population.

Planned features include 100 inpatient beds, including 10 critical care beds, with room to expand. The facility will also house four surgical suites with artificial intelligence-enabled and robotic-assisted capabilities. Other features include a 30-bed emergency department with three triage areas to enhance patient flow and a 25,000-square foot medical office building for outpatient and specialty care. The facility’s five-story parking garage and surface lots will contain a combined 1,080 parking spaces.

“This project demonstrates Baptist Health’s commitment to expanding access to high-quality medical services throughout south Florida,” said Bo Boulenger, president and CEO of Baptist Health, in a press release. “It is a pivotal moment. This facility addresses the needs of a rapidly growing community while advancing medical excellence.”

Infrastructure plans for the facility also address resiliency and energy efficiency.

The hospital will feature solar panels to generate clean power and is being designed as an all-electric facility, positioning it to operate on 100% renewable energy in the future.

Enabled by backup power systems, site elevation that exceeds regulatory requirements, water storage and reinforced structural elements, the hospital will be able to maintain operations for seven days during disaster events, such as hurricanes.

Approximately 15 acres of the 26-acre site have been designated as a conservation easement to protect existing wetlands. Landscaping plans include public outdoor areas and walking paths to create a bridge between the wetlands and surrounding neighborhoods.

“This hospital will set a new standard for minimizing ecological impact,” said Ana Lopez-Blazquez, Baptist health executive vice president and chief strategy officer and CEO of Baptist Health Enterprises, in a press release. “Baptist Health recognizes that the environment plays a crucial role in patient recovery and overall well-being and has integrated this philosophy into every aspect of the campus design.”