Brandon Hospital to open 7th emergency department as it approaches 50th anniversary

BRANDON, FL — Nearly 50 years after opening as a small community hospital, HCA Florida Brandon Hospital is continuing to expand its reach across the Tampa Bay area. The hospital plans to open its seventh freestanding emergency department in January 2027 on Boyette Road near the border of FishHawk and Riverview. Hospital officials say the location will bring emergency care closer to families in the growing FishHawk and Lithia communities, allowing patients to receive emergency treatment without traveling as far to the hospital’s main Brandon campus. The expansion comes as Brandon Hospital prepares to celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2027. Brandon Community Hospital first opened its doors on June 6, 1977, with 70 physicians on its medical staff, 136 employees and 250 volunteers. Nearly five decades later, the hospital has grown into a 479-bed acute care facility with approximately 3,000 employees and 1,000 physicians on its medical staff. Expanding emergency care across Tampa Bay Brandon Hospital currently operates six freestanding emergency departments in Plant City, Temple Terrace, Lakeland, North Lakeland, New Tampa and Riverview. The Boyette Road location will become its seventh when it opens in January. The hospital says the expansion is intended to keep pace with population growth throughout the Tampa Bay area and make emergency services more accessible to surrounding communities. From community hospital to regional care center Over the past five decades, Brandon Hospital has expanded beyond its original role as a community hospital to provide a range of specialized services. Those include a Heart and Vascular Center of Excellence, Comprehensive Stroke Center, Women’s Center, Children’s Emergency Center, Burn and Plastic Surgery Center and Inpatient Rehabilitation Center. The hospital also operates a Level III neonatal intensive care unit, including a micropreemie program that provides care for premature infants. According to the hospital, its teams are capable of caring for babies born as early as 22 weeks gestation. The hospital has also received recognition for its health care services. In 2026, it was voted Best of the Best in four Tampa Bay Times People’s Choice Awards categories: Best Hospital, Best Place to Have a Baby, Best Physical Therapy and Best Speech Language Pathology. Brandon Hospital has also been recognized among Fortune/PINC AI’s Top 100 Hospitals, according to information provided by the hospital. As Brandon Hospital approaches its June 2027 anniversary, the new emergency department represents another step in the hospital’s growth from the community facility that opened in 1977 to a regional health care provider serving patients across Tampa Bay and surrounding counties.