With two 'care pavilions' under construction, AdventHealth says it's looking past traditional health care real estate for convenience, accessibility
By Ashley Gurbal Kritzer
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Published: Nov 5, 2020

AdventHealth's new care pavilions aren't meant to feel like doctors' offices — which means the hospital system is looking beyond traditional health care properties for the facilities.

In the Tampa area, Altamonte Springs-based AdventHealth is under construction on two new care pavilions: One is the redevelopment of a former church, and the other is a brand-new building next to a freestanding emergency room in Westchase.

The care pavilions will include primary care, pharmacies for on-the-spot prescriptions, laboratory and imaging services. There will be additional services as well; AdventHealth plans to hold town hall meetings to determine what those respective communities want in the facilities. Babysitting will be available, and they'll also feature small cafes, said John Johannessen, senior executive officer for non-acute services for the health system's West Florida division.

"You shouldn’t feel like you're walking into a doctor's office when you walk into one of these," Johannessen said.

The care pavilions represent an evolving strategy in health care — one that's changing the face of traditional health care real estate. The new facilities will blend the convenience of neighborhood retail properties with hospitality elements like food service. Because of the required medical equipment, Johannessen characterized the pavilions as "fairly expensive." The Westchase one represents about a $15 million startup investment.

AdventHealth is moving forward with the care pavilions just as a retail giant is getting into the health care game: Walmart Inc. has said it plans to build Walmart Health clinics into existing Supercenters throughout the U.S., and construction is already underway at several stores in Florida. It's too soon, Johannessen said, to say how many care pavilions AdventHealth ultimately wants to have, but they will look for the same type of location that grocery stores target, with close proximity to residential areas and easy access

"Where we have the advantage is from a health care perspective — we have the network and experience on that side," Johannessen said. "They [Walmart] have the expertise in retail and consumer convenience."

The health system has some flexibility with the care pavilion prototype to adapt to available real estate, Johannessen said. The New Tampa location — which was a Sweetbay grocery store before it was a church — is 50,000 square feet, though it won't be fully built out when it opens in mid-2021. The Westchase location will be 20,000 square feet, but its site allows for additional expansion.

"These centers underscore the future of medicine, which is you’ve gotta start looking to help people stay healthy," Johannessen said. "It's not just being a recipient of care when they’re sick."