President selected for BayCare Hospital Manatee

BayCare has named the leader of the hospital the nonprofit healthcare system is building in Manatee County. Patrick Downes is the president of BayCare Hospital Manatee, which is under construction on Moccasin Wallow Road in Palmetto near Interstate 75. The hospital is expected to open in 2028.

Less than 20 miles away, Downes has led St. Joseph’s Hospital-South in Riverview since 2023, and he will continue serving as its president. 

“Patrick was the natural choice to lead BayCare’s newest hospital,” BayCare COO Kimberly Guy says in a statement. “He has been closely involved in guiding the build, and the geographic connection between the two hospitals creates meaningful opportunities for collaboration.”

BayCare Hospital Manatee broke ground in spring 2025. When complete, the more than $560 million facility will have 154 private patient rooms with the capacity for 207 beds as the need grows.

Downes brings “extensive experience leading a hospital in a rapidly growing market, which aligns well with the continued growth of both BayCare’s footprint and Manatee County,” Guy says.

Upon opening, BayCare Hospital Manatee will offer obstetrics, neonatal care, diagnostic and interventional services, cardiology, surgical services, urology and gastroenterology. It will be the only nonprofit hospital in Manatee County and the county’s first hospital north of the Manatee River.

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Since 2023, Downes has led St. Joseph’s Hospital-South through continued growth, including the addition of robotic technology for orthopedic joint replacement surgeries and an observation unit for short-stay patients, according to the statement. St. Joseph’s Hospital-South has 212 private patient suites in a 538,000-square-foot facility.

Before joining BayCare, Downes held executive leadership positions at hospitals in South Carolina and Miami. 

BayCare, based in Clearwater, includes 16 hospitals and employs nearly 34,000 team members. It posted $6.97 billion in operating revenue in 2025. Its network also includes BayCare Urgent Care locations; laboratories; imaging services; surgical centers; multispecialty provider group BayCare Medical Group; and one of Florida’s largest home care agencies, BayCare HomeCare. 

Adjacent to BayCare Hospital Manatee, a 45,000-square-foot outpatient facility called BayCare HealthHub will open later this year. It will house BayCare Medical Group providers as well as outpatient laboratory and imaging services. BayCare Medical Group also opened a primary care office in Palmetto in 2023 on 96th Street East, a little more than a mile from the hospital under construction.