By Karin Davis-Thompson
St. Joseph’s Hospital – South is turning five and is inviting the public to help blow out the candles. On Saturday, March 7, the hospital staff will celebrate five years of service, and they want the community to be a part of the celebration.
“Thanks to the support of this wonderful community, St. Joseph’s Hospital – South is thriving and growing to meet its needs,” said Hospital President Phil Minden. “We are grateful for the hundreds of team members, physicians, volunteers, elected officials and local business leaders who have helped make our first five years a tremendous success. To recognize this effort, we are celebrating with special festivities and offering a chance for those who don’t yet know us to come out and visit.”
Children will have a host of activities, games, a DJ and face painting. The Teddy Bear clinic will be there with a free teddy bear and an actual fire truck for kids to explore. The hospital’s UnMonsters will also make an appearance. The UnMonsters are a group of characters designed to make hospital stays easier and not as scary for children.
While the children play and dance, adults will have activities to do as well. There will be a farmers’ market with more than 60 vendors with fresh produce and goods made locally.
There will also be food trucks and snacks for participants, and the first 250 guests will receive a free tote bag (only one per family). Health assessments will be available with the BayCare screening bus, and pediatricians and adult physicians will be available to answer basic questions with the Ask-a-Doc sessions. Staff members will also be on hand to provide information about the hospital and its services.
The event is free and will take place on the campus at 6901 Simmons Loop in Riverview. If you are interested in attending, please call 1-800-BayCare to register.
Last year, St. Joseph’s Hospital – South serviced 70,000 ER patients, more than 16,517 observation/inpatients and 15,690 outpatients. Visit https://baycare.org/hospitals/st-josephs-hospital-south.
