Out-of-region doctors, hospitals see success in Palm Beach County, plan more growth

Wall Street firms and finance companies aren’t the only businesses growing their presence in Palm Beach County.

An increasing number of out-of-area medical providers are expanding their presence, too.

These providers include Tampa General Hospital and NYU Langone, two providers that opened medical offices during the past six years and continue to add more doctors and locations.

In addition, an unnamed hospital from the Northeast soon will be establishing its first medical offices in the county in downtown West Palm Beach.

Ken Himmel, chief executive of Related Urban, the mixed-use arm of Related Cos., didn’t provide further details on the health care company. But the real estate developer did confirm the provider will lease 100,000 square foot of space for medical offices at a planned office high-rise at The Square in West Palm Beach.

All three health care companies hope to capitalize on Palm Beach County’ booming population, including a recent influx of well-insured patients from the Northeast and Midwest. Business leaders say the increase in health care providers offers patients greater choice and higher-quality service for their medical needs.

Although the three companies don’t plan to build hospitals, they are eager to perform other services, such as doctor visits, outpatient surgery and imaging. And when inpatient surgeries are necessary, patients can be steered to the hospitals where the providers are headquartered, even if those hospitals are located out of town or outside the state.

These providers join an increasingly competitive health care market, filled with for-profit hospital companies, such as Tenet Healthcare’s Palm Beach Health Network, Universal Health Services and HCA Healthcare, and nonprofit hospital companies such as Baptist Health South Florida.

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Tampa General’s march east across Florida started more than two years ago
In 2020, Tampa General expanded into the county by partnering with an oncology physician practice group, Cancer Center of South Florida.

Since then, the west coast’s largest hospital has acquired several other specialty physician practices, including general surgery and kidney care. Most recently, Tampa General acquired Palm Beach Radiology Associates in North Palm Beach.

In December, Tampa General announced that a top New York internist, gastroenterologist, and transplant hepatologist has joined the Tampa General Hospital Gastro Group of the Palm Beaches, which has offices in West Palm Beach and Palm Beach Gardens.

That same month, Tampa General also said it was launching a concierge medical practice in Palm Beach County.

More growth in Palm Beach County is planned, said John Couris, Tampa General’s president and chief executive. In a December interview, Couris said the hospital expects to have a presence from Boca Raton to Jupiter, and also into Stuart in Martin County.

While Tampa General doesn’t plan to build a hospital in Palm Beach County, it does plan to create ambulatory surgery centers and 23-hour stay facilities attached to surgery centers, Couris said.

“Palm Beach County deserves world-class healthcare and access to the best physicians,” said Couris, an aggressive dealmaker who previously served as president and chief executive officer of Jupiter Medical Center.

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