BayCare Health System's economic footprint in Pasco County surged 71% to $677 million a year, fueled largely by the 2023 opening of its Wesley Chapel hospital on Bruce B. Downs Boulevard.

Statewide study finds billions in impact

The figures come from a study by Washington Economics Group, released through BayCare's newsroom on Tuesday. The report, based on 2025 data, found BayCare generates $13 billion in annual economic impact statewide, up 30% from a prior study using 2022 data. Pasco County posted the highest percentage growth of any county in the study.

Wesley Chapel hospital drove much of the growth

BayCare Hospital Wesley Chapel opened in March 2023 at 4501 Bruce B. Downs Blvd. The $246 million, 318,000-square-foot facility was BayCare's first ground-up hospital built under its own brand and its 16th overall.

The 86-bed campus includes a 20-room emergency department, an ICU with virtual monitoring, surgical suites, cardiac catheterization labs and a breast health center, according to Wesley Chapel Community. It added hundreds of healthcare jobs.

Hospital earns new cardiovascular care designation

The facility has continued to expand. The Florida Agency for Health Care Administration designated it a Level 1 adult cardiovascular services provider effective July 1, allowing doctors to perform interventional coronary procedures on site, Tampa Bay Beacons reported.

CEO touts jobs, community investment

Stephanie Conners, BayCare's president and CEO, said in Tuesday's release that the system's growth supports jobs, workforce development and community investment across the region.

Impact varies widely by county

Across all five counties it serves, BayCare supports more than 66,000 jobs statewide. The study found 77% of those positions fall in higher-wage, knowledge-based services. Pinellas County led at more than $5.1 billion in total impact, followed by Hillsborough County at more than $4.1 billion. Polk County came in at more than $1 billion, Pasco at $677 million and Manatee County at $88 million.

Future projects expected to add billions more

BayCare's planned capital projects through 2030 are expected to add a cumulative $6.6 billion in economic impact and more than 30,000 jobs across Florida. Back in Wesley Chapel, the hospital's new cardiovascular designation means residents needing coronary procedures no longer have to leave the community for treatment.