St. Petersburg Resident’s $2 Million Donation is the Largest in Local Healthcare Organization’s History

St. Petersburg, FL (January 29, 2024) – Bayfront Health, a leading provider of healthcare services and Orlando Health’s flagship hospital in the West Florida region, is thrilled to

announce a transformative donation of $2 million from esteemed residents Thomas “Tom” and Mary James. Tom James is the Chairman Emeritus of Raymond James Financial, a prominent diversified financial services company, and a well-known philanthropist. This remarkable act of generosity is the single largest gift to Bayfront Health to date and will have a profound impact on the hospital’s ability to deliver high-quality care and enhance the health and well-being of our community.

Mr. and Mrs. James have been prominent philanthropic figures within the community and longstanding advocates for accessible and exceptional healthcare. Their previous donation to the organization created what is now known as the James Heart Center, which launched Bayfront Health to the forefront of cardiac care in Pinellas County. Their commitment to improving the lives of fellow residents through this extraordinary gift is life-changing for patients and their families.

Bayfront Health strives to offer patients the highest quality care through talented physicians, well-trained staff, innovative technology and patient-centric facilities. The hospital system is investing heavily to ensure St. Petersburg and surrounding communities have the most advanced knowledge and equipment to provide care, ultimately leading to paramount patient experiences.

With this substantial contribution, the hospital will be able to ultimately expand treatment options by building a Cardiac Hybrid Operating Room at Bayfront Health St. Petersburg. A Cardiac Hybrid Operating Room is specially designed to allow multiple interventional cardiology procedures, specialized electrophysiology procedures, cardiac surgical procedures or combined hybrid procedures involving multiple specialists in the same setting. The hybrid operating suite lends itself to surgeons from multiple areas of expertise working in tandem, allowing multi-stage procedures to be completed in fewer hospital visits. This is a massive step forward in efficiency and accessibility for patients, as well as a reduction in hospital stays, shorter recovery times and less stress on the body.

"We are profoundly grateful for the James’ tremendous generosity and unwavering commitment to our organization and community," said John A. Moore, Senior Vice President of Orlando Health West Region and Bayfront Health St. Petersburg president. "This remarkable donation will enable us to further provide exceptional healthcare, ultimately enhancing the well-being of our patients and the broader community we serve."

About Bayfront Health

The 480-bed Bayfront Health St. Petersburg was founded in 1910. It was acquired October 1, 2020 by Orlando Health, a private, not-for-profit healthcare organization with $9.6 billion of assets under management. The hospital’s areas of clinical excellence include heart and vascular, surgical services, rehabilitation services, neurosciences, maternity care and – as home to the only state-accredited Level Two Adult Trauma Center in the St. Petersburg region – emergency services and trauma care.

Bayfront Health St. Petersburg is integral to the 3,429-bed Orlando Health system that includes 29 hospitals and emergency departments – 25 of which are currently operational with four coming soon. The system also includes nine specialty institutes, skilled nursing facilities, an in-patient behavioral health facility under the management of Acadia Healthcare, and more than 375 outpatient facilities that include physician clinics, imaging and laboratory services, wound care centers, home healthcare services in partnership with LHC Group, and urgent care centers in partnership with FastMed Urgent Care. More than 4,750 physicians, representing more than 100 medical specialties and subspecialties have privileges across the Orlando Health system, which employs more than 27,000 team members and more than 1,500 physicians.

Orlando Health’s Graduate Medical Education (GME) program hosts more than 350 residents and fellows including more than 40 who are enrolled at Bayfront Health St. Petersburg’s OB/GYN, Family Medicine, Sports Medicine and Pharmacy programs.

In FY 23, Orlando Health cared for 197,000 inpatients and 6.6 million outpatients. The healthcare system provided nearly $1.3 billion in total impact to the communities it serves in the form of community benefit programs and services, Medicare shortfalls, bad debt, community-building activities and capital investments in FY 22, the most recent period for which this information is available. 

Additional information can be found at http://www.orlandohealth.com, or follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @orlandohealth.