HCA Florida Northside Hospital Celebrates 50 Years of Caring for the Community
Richelle Hoenes
Richelle.Hoenes@hcahealthcare.com
(941) 544-0961
HCA Florida Northside Hospital Celebrates 50 Years of
Caring for the Community
St. Petersburg, Fla. — (January 9, 2026) — HCA Florida Northside Hospital proudly marks its 50th anniversary, celebrating five decades of exceptional healthcare for the Pinellas County community. Since its opening in 1976, Northside Hospital has served tens of thousands of patients across multiple generations and has grown into a trusted source for advanced medical care.
“Fifty years ago, a group of visionaries founded Northside Hospital to bring high-quality care close to home and help people live longer, healthier lives,” said Phil Marchesini, chief executive officer of Northside Hospital. “Today, we honor that vision and continue the tradition of growing and investing in the best medical equipment, most advanced technology and best teams of physicians, nurses, and caregivers.”
One of the key faces behind the hospital’s opening was prominent St. Petersburg businessman Hubert Rutland. He, along with well-known politician C.W. Bill Young and a core group of physicians, recognized a need for more access to better healthcare in the area.
Over the past five decades, Northside Hospital has grown from its local beginnings into a facility recognized for best-in-class care. As one of the region’s top receiving centers for heart attack patients, the hospital continues to lead in life-saving cardiac interventions and routinely receives recognition for cardiac, stroke, critical and surgical care from national organizations such as the American Heart Association and Healthgrades.
As part of the 50th anniversary celebration, Northside Hospital is honoring employees who have contributed to its success over the years, including Bob Gross, who helped open the doors to the facility. Bob began his career at Northside while still in high school and has served in multiple roles, including security, engineering, and facilities maintenance.
For more information about Northside Hospital and its services, click here.
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About HCA Florida Northside Hospital
HCA Florida Northside Hospital is located in the heart of Pinellas County serving communities around Lealman, Pinellas Park and Kenneth City. It is a 288-bed, full service acute care hospital with more than 1650 physicians and colleagues caring for adults and children of all ages. The hidden gem of healthcare, Northside is a Comprehensive Stroke Center, providing preventive and corrective cardiac care and surgery, 24/7 emergency room services and the latest in minimally invasive and robotic surgery options. The hospital has been named one of America’s 250 Best Hospitals in 2025 and 2024 and was a 2024 Patient Safety Excellence award winner by Healthgrades. It is also recognized as among the Top 10% in the nation for Critical Care and Surgical Care. Additionally, HCA Florida Northside Hospital has earned the Get With The Guidelines Heart Failure Gold Plus with Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite Plus and Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll recognitions from the American Heart Association. For more information about Northside Hospital and its community initiatives, please visit HCAFloridaNorthsideHospital.com.