St. Joseph's Hospital - North

11/21/2025

As the leading provider of behavioral health services in West Central Florida, we’re excited to announce that the state of Florida has recognized BayCare’s commitment to excellence in behavioral health by designating Tampa's St. Joseph’s Hospital, our flagship hospital, as the BayCare Behavioral Health Teaching Hospital at St. Joseph’s. Read how this new designation, made possible through a partnership with the Florida State University College of Medicine’s Center for Behavioral Health Integration, is working to train the next generation of behavioral health professionals. https://bit.ly/3JLIVtP

Addressing West Central Florida’s ongoing behavioral health needs, the State of Florida has designated BayCare’s St. Joseph’s Hospital as a behavioral health teaching hospital. The move reinforces BayCare’s commitment to advancing behavioral health care throughout the region.

11/20/2025

Congratulations to Dr. Michael Koski, named as Physician of the Quarter (POTQ) at our hospital! Dr. Koski is a BayCare Medical Group family medicine physician and hospitalist. As a hospitalist, he is based here specializing in caring for hospitalized patients. He partners with patients’ doctors and shares records and communicates relevant information with them. He works with those doctors on care and discharge plans. Dr. Koski provides personalized, one-on-one care and monitors patients’ stays. Because our hospital is his home base, he’s familiar with the specialists, staff and technicians participating in patient care, making communication and care coordination seamless.

The award is bestowed each quarter to an outstanding physician by St. Joseph’s Hospital-North’s Professional Practice Council. The Council includes nurses collaborating on hospital issues, policy and procedure and hospital improvement. Any team member can nominate a physician for the quarterly honor.

Dr. Koski's POTQ nomination documents note that he is great with patients and takes much time and goes to great lengths to explain situations with patients, their families and the nursing team. He spends extra time at a patient’s bedside. Dr. Koski’s explanations, conversations and discussions with patients and families is done in way that is easy for a non-medical person to comprehend. He describes medical situations in language they can understand.

Team members have observed Dr. Koski praying with patients at the bedside. Team members know that Dr. Koski’s patients are in the best of hands and receive exemplary care.

Congratulations Dr. Koski on the POTQ! St. Joseph's Hospital-North is fortunate and grateful to have you practicing medicine here!

11/17/2025

Time to catch up with the news! The Laker - Lutz News that is! The local weekly publication recently featured us twice on the front page!

One article was about an innovative procedure we are performing that can lower patients' blood pressure with less medication or no medication at all. The second was about the importance of mammograms and tied in with Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October.

The gallery includes screenshots from the print edition of the News' front page articles.

Read the digital versions of the articles here:
Renal denervation: https://bit.ly/3LaaCwJ
Mammograms: https://bit.ly/49veCBQ

11/13/2025

We are deeply honored to earn another “A” for patient safety from The Leapfrog Group! We are thrilled to be recognized with this top rating for our extraordinary team’s commitment to quality and safety. Learn more in the BayCare announcement:
https://bit.ly/4pcgm7R

This is our seventh consecutive "A" dating back to the Fall 2022 grades! Leapfrog, a not-for-profit organization that promotes patient safety, nationally releases hospital safety grades twice annually, once in the spring and again in the fall. The seven consecutive "A" grades have earned us Leapfrog's elite "Straight A" status. "Straight A" status is earned after receiving an "A" grade for five or more consecutive grading periods.

Additionally, only one in eight hospitals nationally maintains "A" grades for more than two years in a row and we currently are on a streak of three years in a row!

11/11/2025

Today, we honor all veterans, the brave heroes who served our country.🦅 Behind every uniform is a story of love, sacrifice and resilience. Thank you for giving so much so we could live freely. ❤️

“A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself."
– Joseph Campbell

11/09/2025

The community is invited to St. Joseph’s Hospital-North’s 7th Annual Craft Show. The event is Friday, December 5, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. in our atrium and garden classrooms.

Vendors will be displaying and selling arts, crafts and other merchandise and gift items, both holiday-themed and non-holiday themed. Visit the show for some holiday shopping! Please note some photos in the gallery are from a previous craft show and do not necessarily represent 2025 vendors who will be displaying.

While you are here, be sure to stop in and shop in our hospital's Bamboo Gift Shop. The gift shop features Tyler candles and detergent, resort wear, jewelry, perfume, cologne, Brumate cups, holiday-themed merchandise and much more. The gift shop opens at 8:30 a.m. on December 5. The gallery includes some current merchandise for sale in our gift shop.

For further craft show information: Jennifer Clark at St. Joseph’s Hospital-North, (813) 443-7980 or jennifer.clark@baycare.org.

Call (813) 443-7201 for gift shop information.

11/05/2025

Meet some of our patient transporters! Patient transporters are team members piling up the steps and miles and wearing out footwear while moving patients by wheelchair and stretcher to their procedures and tests throughout our hospital. These health care heroes are instrumental in making sure our patients get from point A to point B safely in our hospital.

We're giving them a shout out for National Patient Transport Week, November 2 to 8!

Transporters have a tremendous amount of patient contact. For example, for imaging exams, transporters are often the first people that a patient will see as transporters take them to and from exam rooms. Transporters also need good interpersonal skills and a comforting and caring disposition. Patients are often wary when they’re being moved from their rooms and unsure where they are going. The transporter is taking them to the unknown. The transporter explains where they are going in a way the patient understands.

We thank these "perpetual motion" team members during their week!

11/04/2025

This Native American Heritage Month, we recognize the strength, stories and healing traditions of Indigenous communities. We’re grateful for the Native communities and team members who enrich our mission of improving the health of all we serve.

11/03/2025

We’re celebrating National Radiologic Technology Week (November 2-8) recognizing the work of our radiology technologists and medical imaging team. The celebration takes place each year during the week that commemorates the discovery of the X-ray by Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen on November 8, 1895.

Our imaging team safely uses powerful technology and innovative medical equipment to create critical diagnostic images. They have an important role in identifying pathologies and helping to plan and administer treatment and restore patient health. Imaging services provided at our hospital include breast imaging, CT (computed tomography), cardiac interventional procedures, MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), nuclear medicine, ultrasound and general diagnostic radiology.

Some of our imaging team is pictured here with our CT scanner known as "The Force" for its superb images and speed.

Learn more about about BayCare imaging services: bit.ly/49Bd8pB

11/01/2025

Dr. Jaffar Hilli is board certified in hematology, oncology and internal medicine and with the BayCare Medical Group practice in the Physician Office Building, Suite 200 on our campus. He is affiliated with our hospital.

He sees patients age 18 and older. Dr. Hilli accepts most major insurance plans. His office phone number is (813) 264-6490.

Dr. Hilli creates personalized treatment plans based on diagnosis, symptoms and medical history. He’s served as associate program director of the hematology-oncology program at the University of Missouri, as chief of the hematology-oncology department at Good Samaritan Hospital in Massachusetts and completed rotations at some of the top cancer centers in the country. Dr. Hilli has contributed numerous articles to many peer-reviewed publications, including the National Institutes of Health.

He earned a medical degree from Al Mustansiriyah University, College of Medicine in Baghdad, Iraq and completed an internal medicine residency as chief resident at Brookdale University Hospital Medical Center, Department of Internal Medicine in Brooklyn, New York. Dr. Hilli performed a hematology and medical oncology fellowship as chief fellow at the University of Missouri, School of Medicine in Columbia, Missouri. H is certified in advanced cardiovascular life support, basic life support and advanced trauma life support. Dr. Hilli is a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the American Society of Hematology, the American College of Physicians and the American Medical Association.

His profile on the BayCare website: https://baycare.org/doctors/jaffar-hilli-1952657462

10/31/2025

Happy Halloween! Stay safe today!

10/29/2025

It's known here as TMOM, an acronym for Team Member of the Month. It’s one of the biggest highlights and “feel good” moments in our hospital each month as we recognize and celebrate a team member for their excellence. The award presentation is usually a surprise to the recipient and done by hospital leadership in front of the team member’s department or unit under the ruse of a training, meeting or another gathering.

Today we highlight Sara, a guest services specialist! Sara works at our main lobby information desk. She greets visitors, patients checking in for procedures, guests and others seeking information or assistance. Sara has the utmost respect and compassion for everyone coming to the desk. She is calm, courteous and professional in all her encounters. She has a genuine concern for everyone she meets.

The job can present some complex situations but Sara is a problem solver, finds solutions and resolves issues.

Sara is a charter team member at our hospital, she’s been here since we opened our doors more than 15 years ago. She is a wealth of information about our hospital. There are not many situations or requests she has not seen. Sara’s experience is extremely helpful and valuable to other members of the guest services team.

Sara trains new team members and maintains a training and procedures and protocol manual that is also used at other BayCare hospitals. Sara listens to her team’s needs and ensures they have all the tools and resources for their responsibilities. She is also flexible and accommodating and fills in for other guest services team members when they unexpectedly may need to be off from the job.

From Sara’s TMOM nomination documents: “Sara embodies the very best of customer service excellence. Her commitment to quality and consistency not only strengthens our team but also enhances the experience of those we serve. Beyond her outstanding work ethic, Sara brings a positive energy that makes her an absolute delight to work with. Congratulations, Sara—your hard work and leadership do not go unnoticed!”

Congratulations on the TMOM and thank you Sara! Your expertise, knowledge and compassion is valued by everyone you serve and work with at the information desk.