Here are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions regarding this exciting campus:
FAQ – Orlando Health Watson Clinic Lakeland Highlands Hospital
- Have all Watson Clinic physicians moved to the new Orlando Health Watson Clinic Lakeland Highlands Hospital?
Among the Watson Clinic physicians and providers who provide services from a hospital setting, most are now available exclusively from Orlando Health Watson Clinic Lakeland Highlands Hospital (LHH).
This is the first new hospital opening in Lakeland in over a century, and the only one to ever bear our name, so our doctors are understandably going to provide hospital-based care from there. Multiple specialties such as Interventional Cardiology, Gynecologic Oncology, Urogynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery, Infectious Diseases, Nephrology and Pulmonology continue to have a presence at both LHH and Lakeland Regional Health (LRH).
It’s important to note that these moves have no impact on the locations where you attend regular in-office appointments with your Watson Clinic physicians and providers; they only apply to the care you would receive during a hospital stay.
- Has Orlando Health bought out Watson Clinic?
No, Watson Clinic remains a physician owned and operated group. The collaboration between Watson Clinic and Orlando Health only applies to LHH. Watson Clinic’s additional 21 locations across Polk, Pasco and Hillsborough counties remain solely owned and operated by us.
- Who will I pay when I go to Orlando Health and/or Watson Clinic?
You will pay Orlando Health for the services you receive from them at LHH. You will pay Watson Clinic for any services our physicians and providers render to you at LHH.
- Whose patient portal will I use?
Both Orlando Health and Watson Clinic use EPIC’s MyChart as their patient portal. This will enable a seamless exchange of medical information for providers you see at the hospital and each standalone Watson Clinic location. Patients may need to ensure their MyChart portal is set up for both organizations if they want to utilize these benefits.
- If you’re having a medical emergency and you want to see a Watson Clinic doctor, can you ask EMS to take you to LHH?
You can make your preference of hospital known to your EMS transport team. LHH is especially convenient for patients who live in the south Lakeland community, and it’s easily accessible right off the Polk Parkway for patients who reside in surrounding areas. Depending upon your ailment or trauma level, EMS may choose to transport you to another area hospital.
- Will Watson Clinic interventional cardiologists be on staff at both LRH and LHH?
Watson Clinic’s Interventional Cardiology team remains at LRH as our hospital completes their regulatory requirements for an interventional program.
LHH offers four heart catheterization labs equipped with the most advanced technologies available. These labs were designed with extensive input from Watson Clinic’s Cardiology team. Our interventional cardiologists can perform diagnostic catheterizations and stent placements from there, while our electrophysiology team can conduct procedures like ablations and pacemaker placements.
Long-time Watson Clinic Cardiology specialist Dr. Mark Mines serves as the Orlando Health Watson Clinic Lakeland Highlands Hospital Chief Medical Officer.
- Which insurance plans are accepted at LHH and Watson Clinic?
Orlando Health honors a robust number of insurance plans. Click here for a detailed list of each plan accepted at our hospital.
Click here for a full list of insurance plans that are accepted at Watson Clinic.
As changes do occur, we recommend that you verify your coverage with your insurance provider when making healthcare decisions.
FAQ – Lakeland Highlands Campus
- How do these new locations benefit Watson Clinic patients?
The sprawling new campus features three distinct and complimentary facilities within steps of one another – Watson Clinic Parkway Medical Center, Watson Clinic Surgery Center South, and Orlando Health Watson Clinic Lakeland Highlands Hospital.
Taken together, these three facilities are built entirely around the patient experience. Whether you’re attending a routine doctor’s appointment, undergoing a same-day surgical procedure, or in need of hospital-based care, you will find all the medical services you need all in one common location. For us, this campus is all about making healthcare easier to access, more connected and more convenient while maintaining the highest standards of quality and compassion our community deserves.
FAQ – Watson Clinic Parkway Medical Center
- Which Watson Clinic doctors are switching their offices to Parkway Medical Center?
Watson Clinic Parkway Medical Center is a four-story, 80,000-square-foot facility offering appointments with many of our most popular specialties, including Breast Surgery, Cardiology, General Surgery, Hand Surgery, OB-GYN, Orthopaedic Surgery & Sports Medicine, Nonsurgical Orthopaedics, Pediatrics, Podiatric Surgery and Urology. Many physicians will provide their services from Parkway Medical Center full-time, while others will rotate between Parkway Medical Center and other Watson Clinic locations.
Visit WatsonClinic.com/Parkway for a complete roster of physicians and providers who offer appointment availability from Watson Clinic Parkway Medical Center.
FAQ – Watson Clinic Surgery Center South
- Which departments can perform same-day procedures from Watson Clinic Surgery Center South, and what are some of those procedures?
Patients who qualify for a same-day surgery can be referred to Watson Clinic Surgery Center South at 4050 Lakeland Highlands Road in south Lakeland for a variety of procedures.
- Our Otolaryngology (ENT) specialists will perform tonsil and adenoid removal, ear tube placement, major ear surgery, sinus surgeries, sleep apnea studies and implant placements.
- Our Orthopaedic Surgery specialists can perform total shoulder, hip and knee replacements, arthroscopic orthopedic surgeries, carpal tunnel and trigger finger surgeries, and repairs to small fractures of the wrists and ankles.
- Our Podiatric Surgeons will perform minimally invasive bunionectomies, hammer toe repairs and fracture repair of the feet and toes.
- OB-GYN procedures include hysteroscopies, endometrial ablations, tubal ligations, laparoscopies, nerve stimulator implants for urine and fecal incontinence, and bladder sling insertions.
- General surgeries include laparoscopic hernia repairs and gall bladder removals, appendectomies, port placements, and malignant tumor removals.
- Our Urology department can offer bladder surgeries, kidney stone removals, and bladder cancer treatments.
- Our Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery department can perform breast reductions and augmentations, tummy tucks, facelifts, liposuction, breast reconstructive surgeries, the removal of malignant lesions and skin grafting.
- And our Breast Surgery department can offer breast cancer surgeries including lumpectomies, mastectomies and sentinel node mapping and removal.
More involved surgical procedures that require a longer in-patient stay can be referred to the Orlando Heath Watson Clinic Lakeland Highlands Hospital, which is steps away on this same campus.
Visit WatsonClinic.com/SurgeryCenterSouth for more information on this facility.
- Will Watson Clinic continue to operate their original Watson Clinic Surgery Center as well?
Yes, the Watson Clinic Surgery Center located at 1315 N. Florida Ave. will continue to serve patients for pain management procedures and injections, colonoscopies and upper GI procedures, certain eye procedures including cataract surgery, and breast surgeries performed by Dr. Elisabeth Dupont.