Baptist Health has started construction on its first hospital in Broward County, launching a more than $500 million project in Sunrise aimed at expanding inpatient and emergency care in the fast-growing western part of the county.

The seven-story Baptist Health Sunrise Hospital is being built on a 26-acre site near the intersection of Oakland Park Boulevard and the Sawgrass Expressway, just north of Amerant Bank Arena. The hospital is scheduled to open in 2029.

According to Baptist Health, the project marks the health system’s first full-service hospital in Broward, where it has previously operated outpatient centers, urgent care clinics and physician practices. Executives and local officials marked the start of construction this week with a ceremonial groundbreaking.

Facility Size and Capacity

The hospital will span about 340,000 square feet and initially include 100 inpatient beds, including 10 critical care beds. Plans also call for a 30-bed emergency department with three triage areas, four operating rooms equipped for robotic-assisted surgery, and space for future expansion.

Baptist Health said the campus will also include a 25,000-square-foot medical office building and a five-story parking garage designed to reduce visual and noise impacts on nearby neighborhoods.

The property was acquired from the City of Sunrise. Site plans allocate roughly 15 acres as a conservation easement to preserve existing wetlands, with landscaped buffers and walking paths connecting the hospital to surrounding residential areas.

Hospital leaders said the facility will operate as a fully digital clinical environment, using artificial intelligence-supported systems and advanced connectivity to support clinical decision-making and care coordination. The infrastructure will also allow for future technology upgrades as medical practices evolve.

Beyond inpatient and emergency services, the hospital will connect to Baptist Health’s broader specialty network, including cancer, cardiovascular, orthopedic, and brain and spine care, the organization said.

Resilience and sustainability

Resilience and sustainability are central to the project’s design. Baptist Health said the hospital will be capable of operating independently for up to seven days during major weather events, supported by backup power, elevated site design, on-site water storage, and reinforced structural systems.

The Sunrise facility is also expected to become Florida’s first all-electric hospital. Baptist Health plans to incorporate solar generation and systems that would allow the facility to transition to renewable energy sources in the future, reducing reliance on fossil fuels.

Once fully operational, the hospital is expected to employ more than 600 people, according to Baptist Health. The organization already has more than 3,000 employees living in Broward County.

Baptist Health has expanded steadily in the county over the past decade. Its current footprint includes an outpatient health and wellness center in Plantation offering orthopedic, cardiology, cancer, urgent care and ambulatory surgery services. A second outpatient medical center is under construction in Pembroke Pines and is expected to open in 2027. The system also operates seven urgent care centers, five diagnostic facilities and more than a dozen physician practices across Broward.

Baptist Health is a nonprofit healthcare system with operations across South Florida, from the Florida Keys to Palm Beach County. The organization was founded more than 85 years ago.

Construction on the Sunrise hospital is expected to continue through the decade, with phased build-out allowing for additional capacity as population growth and healthcare demand increase in western Broward County. Additionally, the project joins other major healthcare developments in Florida, including the Nemours Children’s Hospital, which is undergoing a planned $300 million expansion at its Florida campus.

Baptist Health Sunrise Hospital: Project Factsheet

Overview

Project: Baptist Health Sunrise Hospital

Location: Oakland Park Boulevard at Sawgrass Expressway, Sunrise, Broward County, Florida

Developer: Baptist Health South Florida

Investment: $500+ million

Timeline: Groundbreaking completed, opening 2029

Significance: Baptist Health’s first hospital in Broward County; Florida’s first all-electric medical facility

Facility Details

Site: 26 acres (15 acres conservation easement)

Building: 340,000 sq ft, seven stories

Capacity: 100 inpatient beds (10 critical care)

Emergency Department: 30 beds, 3 triage areas

Surgical Suites: 4 operating rooms (expandable)

Medical Office Building: 25,000 sq ft

Parking: Five-story garage

Technology

AI-enabled clinical systems

Advanced robotic-assisted surgery

Fully integrated digital environment

Sustainability

All-electric facility powered by solar panels

Designed for 100% renewable energy

15-acre wetland conservation easement

Disaster Resilience

Seven-day self-sufficient operation capability

Elevated site design, backup power and water storage

Hurricane-resistant structural reinforcement

Services

Emergency and critical care

Cancer, cardiovascular, orthopedic, brain and spine care

Integrated with Baptist Health specialty network

Economic Impact

Jobs: 600+ positions when fully operational

Community: Public walking paths and outdoor spaces

Regional Presence: Baptist Health currently operates 7 urgent care centers, 5 diagnostic facilities, and 12+ physician practices in Broward County