BayCare Names Patrick Downes President of BayCare Hospital Manatee

CLEARWATER, Fla., July 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- BayCare Health System has named Patrick Downes president of BayCare Hospital Manatee, the health system's 17th hospital, scheduled to open in Palmetto, Florida, in 2028. Downes will also continue serving as president of St. Joseph's Hospital-South in Riverview, Florida.

The appointment was announced by BayCare Chief Operating Officer Kimberly Guy and was effective July 5. Downes has been closely involved in the planning and development of BayCare Hospital Manatee while leading St. Joseph's Hospital-South since 2023.

"Patrick was the natural choice to lead BayCare's newest hospital," Guy said. "He has been closely involved in guiding the build, and the geographic connection between the two hospitals creates meaningful opportunities for collaboration. Patrick also 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."

BayCare Hospital Manatee is under construction on Moccasin Wallow Road near I-75 and I-275. The hospital is expected to open with 154 private patient rooms and is designed to expand to 207 beds as community needs grow. It will be Manatee County's only not-for-profit hospital and the first hospital north of the Manatee River.

"Residents and physicians are excited to have a hospital in that area," Downes said. "They also have a vested interest in the services we plan to develop. I am excited to help build something from the ground up, infuse BayCare's culture into the hospital and support its growth as it serves this growing community."

The new hospital will offer services including obstetrics, neonatal care, diagnostic and interventional services, cardiology, surgical services, urology, and gastroenterology. The adjacent BayCare HealthHub® (Manatee) is expected to open in 2026 and will offer health and wellness amenities, physician offices and outpatient services. BayCare Medical Group opened a primary care office in Palmetto in 2023.

Since joining BayCare, Downes has led St. Joseph's Hospital-South through continued growth, including the addition of an observation unit for short-stay patients, expansion of preop and PACU areas, development of cardiac electrophysiology services and the addition of robotic technology for orthopedic joint replacement surgeries.

St. Joseph's Hospital-South has earned 13 consecutive "A" grades for quality and patient safety from The Leapfrog Group, a national nonprofit organization focused on patient safety.

Before joining BayCare, Downes held executive leadership roles at hospitals in Florida and South Carolina. He earned both a Master of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Florida State University.

Learn more: Bringing Extraordinary Care to Manatee County

About BayCare

BayCare is a leading not-for-profit academic health care system that connects individuals and families to a wide range of services at 16 hospitals, including a children's hospital, and hundreds of other convenient locations throughout the Tampa Bay and central Florida regions. The system is West Central Florida's largest provider of behavioral health and pediatric services and its provider group, BayCare Medical Group, is one of the largest in the region. BayCare's diverse network of ambulatory services includes laboratories, imaging, surgical centers, BayCare Urgent Care locations, wellness centers and one of Florida's largest home care agencies, BayCare HomeCare. BayCare's mission is to improve the health of all it serves through community-owned, health care services that set the standard for high-quality, compassionate care. For more information, visit BayCare.org. 

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SOURCE BayCare Health System