A public pool maker now plans to bring health care to residents

Metro Development Group has made headlines for its unconventional approach to community planning with amenities such as large swimming pools, high-speed data and internet in every home and solar lighting. .

Now, the company wants to make healthcare a central part of the society of the future.

Metro recently launched a new partnership with BayCare Health Systems to provide telephone services and a 24-hour medical concierge service to help residents of Epperson and Mirada communities access health care.

And residents will also have the convenience of a new health clinic that will be built on the nearly 15-acre Epperson property that BayCare purchased for $12 million in Sept. 4. This center will include a free emergency department.

About 15,000 people live in Epperson and Mirada, both of which are in Pasco County. Metro principal Kartik Goyani said the contribution to the community is to help residents live a healthy and long life.

It’s an approach he believes can transform social infrastructure and make health care as much a community affair as a clubhouse and a pool.

“We are not here just to sell lots to builders,” said Goyani. “Our mission is not only to change society but also people’s everyday lives.”

Concierge services would be available 24 hours a day and online. It will help residents get specialized care within 24 hours or find the closest lab for blood work or other tests, according to BayCare.

Residents can also access BayCareAnywhere, a telehealth app for 24/7 consultations, doctor-on-demand and AI-driven symptom monitoring at home for health screenings.

In addition to the emergency department, the clinic will provide basic and intensive care and features to promote good health. Among them would be BayCare’s Tech Deck, a resource that connects users with a trainer who can teach the use of devices that record daily steps and heart rate.

The partnership with the developer is a first for BayCare, a nonprofit organization that operates 16 hospitals around Tampa Bay.

Ed Ralfalski, BayCare’s chief strategy and marketing officer said: “We envisioned a community intervention to help residents navigate the complex health care system.

BayCare has surveyed Epperson and Mirada residents to see what types of medical services are closest to them. These two areas include many new parents looking for baby services in addition to health and preventive care that promotes exercise and healthy eating. Some residents also requested lessons on how to cook healthy meals

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“It’s more than you can replace health services,” Ralfalski said. “The fun of it is that I never know how it’s going to play out.”

Metro previously partnered with AdventHealth in 2019 to incorporate technology into the home to promote health. Homes could have smart mirrors that sense when a resident is out of place while brushing their teeth, “smart toilets” that can collect urine tests and razors that monitor skin condition and water flow. .

The program did not survive this epidemic.

Based on citizen surveys, Metro leaders are confident that bringing health care to residents through a partnership with BayCare will be popular and sustainable.

“The vast majority have expressed a desire to have easy access to health and wellness, and something close to them,” said Goyani. “That was something people really enjoyed.”