New West Orange- and Southwest Orange-based hospitals focused on community needs

Most people try to avoid hospitals.

Philip Koovakada, the president of Orlando Health — Dr. P. Phillips Hospital, said it’s the job of the hospital to ensure it is providing excellent care, so when people decide to come into the hospital or need to, they are well cared for during that time.

“There’s not another system that is well positioned as Orlando Health is in West Orange to continue to grow and take care of that community,” Koovakada said. 

Along with Maggie Bonko, the president of Orlando Health — Health Central Hospital, and Joseph Khayat, the president of Orlando Health — Horizon West Hospital, Koovakada said their hospitals collectively address the health and wellbeing of West Orange and the changes that come with the continued growth of the area.

“For us, being able to make sure we have optimal care experience working through those different challenges, that we’re the light for people in that time of darkness, I think, is important,” Koovakada said. “Every day, there’s instant gratification, because we just see patients and the impact we make — not only for those patients but inside the community. … The most exciting thing about being a president of each one of our hospitals is we get to make a difference, and we get to be a pillar of what health should mean, what it should mean for the community and be an educator to try to make sure we pioneer that path for each one of our hospitals.”

In 2025, it’s the goal of the three new hospital presidents to deepen connections with the community to provide care that meets the needs of the communities they serve. 

Khayat said having a brick-and-mortar facility in the community only is a piece of the puzzle. Spending time with residents, forming partnerships with business and organizations and supporting nonprofit organizations within the community all are part of meeting the community’s needs, Khayat said. 

New year, new programs

West Orange is growing in population, and people are having to drive farther to receive care. 

Addressing the growth is vital for the hospitals to continue to find ways for patients to receive care closer to home. 

Bonko is focused on the new limb preservation program Orlando Health — Health Central Hospital launched in December. 

“We are one of few programs in the United States really focused on ensuring patients who have had vascular challenges don’t run into a situation where they have a loss of limb,” she said. “Having that expertise here is a collaborative effort.”

Through the program, a multidisciplinary team will provide care to patients at risk for limb loss to prevent a life-changing emergency. 

Also at Orlando Health — Health Central Hospital will be the opening of an infusion center to be able to infuse blood into patients from throughout Central Florida. The infusion center will be able to provide infusions to any patient, regardless of whether they are seeing a doctor within the Orlando Health system. 

“Anything that we can do to make that experience less frightening, less difficult, less strenuous, we’re going to do,” Bonko said. “Being able to have infusions close to your house so you’re not driving to the outer limits is important. Being able to do that as a patient, not only from an Orlando Health side but from a community side, is exciting.”

As Orlando Health’s newest hospital in West Orange,  Horizon West Hospital, which opened four years ago, is quickly becoming a “crown jewel for Horizon West,” Khayat said. As such, patients are going to dictate the services the hospital provides. 

“Whatever it is they want, we’re going to be there to provide for them,” Khayat said. “Right now. we’re going to be very good at being our local-based community hospital and provide those general services that are needed in the hospital. As the community grows, we will be listening to what services need to be added onto it. We have plenty of opportunity with plenty of land there to build on, and now it’s just a matter of what does the community need and how can we best grow with the community?”

The hospital recently relaunched its cardiac catheterization program, which Khayat said was instrumental for the hospital so residents don’t have to drive far distances to receive care during a cardiac event. 

Koovakada said Orlando Health — Dr. P. Phillips Hospital serves not only Dr. Phillips and the surrounding communities but also tourism areas. His goal is ensuring Orlando Health is the provider of choice when people leave the city of Orlando, whether they are a permanent resident or a tourist. Orlando Health — Dr. P. Phillips Hospital is focused on enhancing its services and programs, Koovakada said. 

“What we’re going, I believe, to see is a lot of community hospitals continuing to grow but now starting to serve more as regional hubs,” he said. “Historically, we would focus on what we call a primary service area, which is the area that you support locally. The reality is as we continue to grow as a community, we’re making sure we provide services at an acuity level that’s higher that serves more of a regional hub … so patients don’t have to drive 50 minutes for those kinds of services.”

Addressing needs efficiently

For Orlando Health as a whole, Koovakada said access to care is crucial. As more people move to the area, he said the Orlando Health system will have to continue to develop access for residents. 

“Now everybody needs a hospital, so how do we partner with our medical group to also create primary care access points, specialty access points,” he said. “I think that’s what you’re seeing a lot across West Orange and even farther south in the Davenport area is we’re really partnering holistically with the whole entire Orlando Health Group to say, ‘OK, what does that community need again and how do we make sure that access is available for them quickly?’”

Khayat added not only is access to care vital but also making sure it is done efficiently. 

“If we’re growing in population, it doesn’t mean we just start building more facilities. We need to ensure our service that we provide is high quality and efficient as well,” Khayat said. “You don’t want to go to the hospital, but when you do, you want to quickly and you want to get the best care possible. It’s constantly being focused within our teams to ensure we’re efficient with whatever the volume of patients that are around us.”

Part of working efficiently, Koovakada said, is leveraging the resources and experience of those in the Orlando Health system. 

“It’s challenging to be a hospital by yourself. I mean, you’re reinventing the wheel every single time,” he said. “When you get to work and leverage the scale of a system, I believe you’re able to exponentially move the needle on any initiative that you’re working on faster, better and more efficiently, right? That’s because the reality is one mind is great, seven minds is much better. Working in that team environment is truly what healthcare is. Everybody really knows that health care is an absolute team sport, and everybody’s viewpoints and lenses should be appreciated.”

Continuing quality care

Each of the West Orange- and Southwest Orange-based hospitals is a LeapFrog A-rated facility, and each of the presidents is determined to keep that high standard. The LeapFrog Hospital Safety Grade is the only hospital rating focused exclusively on hospital safety. 

As a relatively new hospital, Khayat said Orlando Health — Horizon West Hospital earning an A rating from LeapFrog gives him immense pride in the hospital. 

“That means a lot. It doesn’t happen by accident. That is intentional work by each member of the team, from engineering to the clinical team and others. Everyone is focused on the quality and the safety of our patients, and being recognized by a large national organization with an A grade feels really good, and the team is so proud of that,” Khayat said. 

Bonko said Orlando Health — Health Central Hospital was a top teaching hospital in 2024, according to LeapFrog.