Pat Firestone News Today

In Wesley Chapel, Fla., near Tampa, residents will soon have three general hospitals within a five-minute drive. The new construction is part of a hospital-building boom across Florida unleashed almost four years ago, when the state dropped a requirement that companies obtain government approval to open new hospitals.

In BayCare Hospital Wesley Chapel's 86 private rooms, patients can use voice-activated Alexa devices to dim the lights, play music, or summon a nurse.

Wesley Chapel will soon have three general hospitals within a five-minute drive, part of a boom unleashed when the state dropped a requirement that companies obtain approval to open new hospitals. Where are they building? What are the effects?

Wesley Chapel will soon have three general hospitals within a five-minute drive, part of a boom unleashed when the state dropped a requirement that companies obtain approval to open new hospitals. Where are they building? What are the effects?

A 2019 Florida law has allowed a hospital-building boom in the state. Many, however, question whether this surge in hospital facilities is actually beneficial.