St. Joseph's Hospital-South

06/07/2026

June is National Cancer Survivors Month and includes Sunday, June 7 as National Cancer Survivors Day®. Both the month and day celebrate those who have fought the disease and those currently in treatment. They raise awareness of the ongoing challenges cancer survivors face and honor life. According to the latest statistics from National Cancer Survivors Day website, there are about 18.6 million people in the U.S. who are living with a cancer history. Pictured are team members and medical staff from our infusion center and the BayCare Medical Group Hematology and Oncology office on our hospital campus. They are with the infusion center’s bell. Patients celebrate the end of chemotherapy treatment by ringing the bell three times after reading the "Ring of Hope" poem. We cheer and applaud them during the ceremony!

Read more about our cancer care and infusion center: https://tinyurl.com/4w3uatxd
Read more about the BayCare Medical Group Hematology and Oncology office on our campus: https://bit.ly/4kce1aR

06/05/2026

06/04/2026

We recently hosted a two-day Career Camp for students entering the ninth or 10th grades in the 2026-2027 school year. The camp gave students opportunities to learn hands-on about different hospital careers. St. Joseph's Hospital-South campers toured hospital departments, received presentations from hospital staff and participated in interactive classes.

Department tours and presentation highlights included: surgery, nursing simulation, pet therapy, rehabilitation, radiology, maternity, respiratory therapy, laboratory/phlebotomy, pharmacy, physician careers, pediatrics/child life and nutrition/dietitian.

The St. Joseph's Hospital-South camp is part of a series of career camps across the BayCare Health System this summer in an effort to inspire the next generation of health care workers.

Lucy, who will be a ninth grader this August at Riverview's Sumner High, said she wanted to attend the Career Camp because she is interested in a career in the maternity field.

"I think this (the camp) was a great experience and opportunity for people who have not been around a hospital before to see what it could be like," Lucy said.

Lucy added that she was excited to learn that there are multiple maternity areas that she could do besides labor and delivery. "I can do Mom & Baby, the NICU, there are lots of other things."

This was the first year that the camps came to our hospital and our sister hospital, St. Joseph's Hospital-North in Lutz.

Melissa, clinical professional practice manager, one of the camp organizers and coordinators, said the expansion to St. Joseph's Hospital-South and St. Joseph's Hospital-North was because of substantial community demand.

"We've been trying to expand our outreach and bring more young people into our facilities and expose them to health care careers," Melissa said. "We wanted to give more students in the geographical regions and communities across our system the opportunity to participate."

Scroll through the gallery for some camp highlights.

06/02/2026

We offer free, support groups and classes throughout the year about breastfeeding. The support groups and classes are open to all no matter which hospital you delivered your baby or plan to deliver your baby.

The support group provides a place where breastfeeding mothers receive support from other breastfeeding mothers and certified breastfeeding consultants.

The class provides information to the expectant mother and her support person about breastfeeding basics, skin-to-skin contact, tips for returning to work and when to call a health care provider or lactation consultant.

The events are free but we ask you to please register. To see the schedule and register, visit https://bit.ly/4r1Ct1B

Or, you can register by phone by calling (855) 314-8352 and pressing the number “2” at the prompt.

05/29/2026

We’re pleased to share that BayCare has reached a new agreement with United Healthcare to protect your in-network access to the BayCare physicians, facilities and services you know and trust. In this video, nurse Marta shares what this means to your care and our ongoing commitment to communities across West Central Florida.

05/29/2026

Motherhood can bring big emotions. Whether they are first time moms or growing their families, we have free resources and support available for women struggling with the expectations of motherhood or undergoing emotional changes during or after pregnancy.

Learn more: https://bit.ly/43sWLHe

BayCare has free resources for women who are facing challenges with adjusting to new roles during and after pregnancy.

05/27/2026

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in the United States, killing nearly 130,000 Americans each year—that’s 1 in every 20 deaths. Every year, nearly 800,000 people in the United States have a stroke, and on average, someone has a stroke every 40 seconds.

Don’t hesitate when it comes to getting emergency treatment if someone is experiencing stroke symptoms.

Know the B.E. F.A.S.T. stroke symptoms listed here and all can happen suddenly. Call 911 immediately. Indecisiveness about going to an emergency room during stroke symptoms or waiting even a few extra minutes could be harmful.

• B – Balance, balance loss
• E – Eyes, loss of vision in one or both eyes
• F – Face, facial weakness or drooping
• A – Arms, weakness or numbness
• S – Speech, slurred speech or difficulty speaking
• T –Terrible headache, onset of a severe headache

Read more about St. Joseph's Hospital-South's emergency care and ER: https://bit.ly/4hSBQnk

05/25/2026

The Fallen Soldier's Table, in our Waterside Café, is displayed for Memorial Day and was in the café leading up to Memorial Day. The table signifies emotions and feelings for those who did not return home. The table represents that they are with us in our minds and spirit. We will never forget and our eternal gratitude goes out to those who served and made the ultimate sacrifice. Included in the photos is the placard on the Fallen Soldier's Table describing the significance of each item.

05/22/2026

Nearly one in four U.S. adults experience mental health issues annually with anxiety and depression being the most common. In recognition of May as Mental Health Awareness month, BayCare is shining a light on the need to reduce stigma and advocate for greater access to mental health resources by illuminating each of our 16 hospitals in green throughout the month. Green is the official color of Mental Health Awareness. St. Joseph's Hospital-South is proud to do our part to raise awareness and display this meaningful reminder of the importance of compassionate mental health care.

Read about BayCare's behavioral health services: https://bit.ly/4wAGlu5

05/20/2026

Our NICU celebrated "International Kangaroo Care Awareness Day" on May 15th! Kangaroo Care is skin-to-skin contact between newborns and parents. Skin-to-skin and chest-to-chest touch can boost a baby’s brain development and function and positively benefit infants and parents. It's a powerful reminder that a parent's embrace provides healing, security and growth. This global movement is dedicated to giving every baby the best start in life. We educate our NICU families about Kangaroo Care for their infants.

Our kangaroo in the photos is Sheila, NICU assistant nurse manager!