Mease Countryside Hospital

11/13/2025

We are incredibly honored and proud to announce that Mease Countryside Hospital has earned yet 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.

The Leapfrog Group, a national nonprofit organization that promotes patient safety, announced its Fall 2025 Hospital Safety Grades today, and 11 of BayCare’s acute-care hospitals received an “A,” the group’s highest rating.

Learn more: https://bit.ly/44aDPOr

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

11/07/2025

At Mease Countryside Hospital, compassion is at the heart of everything we do. 💙

For 89-year-old Anthony Fabrizio, that compassion became something extraordinary — the chance to marry the love of his life.

Anthony often shared stories with his care team, but one subject always made him light up: Nancy Woodard, the woman he had loved since childhood.

As his health declined, he shared a final wish — to marry Nancy before the end of his life.

The team quickly came together, transforming his hospital room into a celebration space. Team members gathered to witness the blessing of their union.

“There was a nurse beside me who said, ‘I hope this gives him peace,’” said Chaplain Alex Limberatos. “And I believe it did.”

Before being discharged to hospice care, Anthony reflected on what the day meant to him.

“Love is always beautiful, but it’s even more special when you’re old," he said. "It’s a different kind of love.”

Moments like these remind us that healing extends far beyond medicine — and compassion will always guide the care we provide at Mease Countryside Hospital.

📖 Read the full story: https://bit.ly/47LZqxI

11/06/2025

We had such a spooky, fun time with our amazing internal medicine residents! 🧡

Our internal medicine residents at Mease Countryside Hospital got into the Halloween spirit last week with pumpkin decorating and team bonding activities. A fun and spooky way to recharge and connect outside of hospital duties! 🎃🩺
*
*
*
​ ​ ​ ​

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.

10/31/2025

Happy Halloween from Mease Countryside Hospital! 🎃🐾

We’ve been in the Halloween spirit all month long — from our creative pumpkin decorating contest earlier this month, to our therapy dogs showing off their adorable costumes this week. 👻🧡

Thank you to all our team members (and furry friends!) who helped bring some extra joy and festive fun to our hospital! 💙

10/30/2025

Lighting the Way for Breast Cancer Awareness 💗

As October comes to a close, Mease Countryside Hospital is glowing pink in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month and the City in Pink campaign. 💡🎀

Throughout the month, all of BayCare’s hospitals have joined businesses across Tampa Bay in lighting their buildings pink to shine a light on breast cancer — the second leading cause of cancer death among women in the United States.

We’re proud to stand with BayCare and our community to raise awareness and highlight the importance of early detection.

Our dedicated team at Mease Countryside Hospital provides advanced, compassionate breast health care and support every step of the way. Early detection is vital — make regular mammograms and monthly self-examinations part of your routine.

💖 Learn more about our breast health services: https://bit.ly/3X5qnaG

10/24/2025

It’s Respiratory Care Week, and we're proud to celebrate the dedicated respiratory therapists and respiratory care professionals who play an essential role in helping our patients breathe easier every day. 💙

Our Respiratory Care team provides expert, compassionate support for patients facing conditions like asthma, COPD, pneumonia and other breathing challenges. Their knowledge, steady presence and commitment to excellent care make a meaningful difference for patients and families across our hospital.

To our RTs and all who support respiratory care — thank you for the life-changing work you do. We are grateful for you today and every day. 🌬️✨

10/23/2025

When 55-year-old Lalita went in for her routine mammogram, she expected the usual “all clear.” For years, she believed her small breast size meant her risk for cancer was low.

“I just thought that because my breasts were small, I couldn’t get breast cancer,” she said. “I used to tease myself before mammograms, wondering if they even had enough to squish. I never imagined anything would show up.”

Now, during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Lalita is sharing her story to help dispel common myths about mammograms and breast cancer. 🎀💗

Read more:

Don’t let misconceptions stop you from a life-saving breast cancer screening. BayCare experts debunk mammogram myths and share how annual screenings save lives.

10/22/2025

BayCare is proud to be recognized as a Woman-Led Organization in the 2025 Top Workplaces Fall Culture Excellence Awards. With 73% of our leadership team made up of women, we’re building a future where opportunity is the standard.

Just ask Alicia Salazar, now Site Manager at the BMG New Tampa Primary Care office. She launched her career through BayCare’s Medical Assistant Academy — just one of the many workforce development programs helping team members grow right here at BayCare.

Click here to read about Alicia’s story and more in our 2024 Annual Report to the Community: https://bit.ly/4mNzgBg

10/21/2025

Exciting news for our BayCare community! 💙

BayCare has officially broken ground on Pasco County’s first Central Receiving Facility (CRF) — a new resource providing crisis intervention, assessment and referral services for individuals experiencing mental health or substance-use crises. Located on the BayCare Behavioral Health Institute campus in New Port Richey, the CRF expands the current Interventional Stabilization Unit, helping strengthen behavioral health care in our region.

Expected to open next summer, the more than $2 million project was made possible through allocations from the State of Florida and a generous donation from our very own Morton Plant Mease Foundation. We are grateful to State Senator Ed Hooper and State Representative Brad Yeager for championing this important project and supporting the expansion of behavioral health care in our community.

Learn more about BayCare’s new CRF:

BayCare Behavioral Health, the largest provider of behavioral health services in West Central Florida, held a groundbreaking ceremony for Pasco County’s first Central Receiving Facility. The more than $2 million project is part of BayCare’s ongoing commitment to expand access to mental health an...

10/15/2025

Dr. Eric Peterson specializes in cardiovascular disease and is board certified in internal medicine, echocardiography and nuclear cardiology and has joined the BayCare Medical Group practice at 1840 Mease Drive, Suite 200 in Safety Harbor, Florida, where he sees patients age 18 and older. Dr. Peterson practices noninvasive cardiology and has clinical interests in echocardiography, cardiac hemodynamics and preventive cardiology. His main areas of focus are heart failure, hypertension, heart rhythm disorders, valvular heart disease and coronary artery disease.

Dr. Peterson earned a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine from Rowan University School of Medicine in Stratford, New Jersey. He completed an internal medicine residency and cardiovascular disease fellowship at Jefferson Einstein Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he served as chief fellow. He’s a member of the American College of Cardiology, the American Society of Echocardiography, the American Medical Association and the American Heart Association.

Dr. Peterson’s office phone number is (727) 724-8611. He accepts most major insurance plans.

Learn more: baycare.org/doctors/eric-peterson-1215598545