4-minute read

Orlando Health and Watson Clinic are aiming to fill 1,500 jobs before their new, seven-story hospital opens at the southeast corner of the Polk Parkway at Lakeland Highlands Road in late June or early July. 

People interested in working at the Orlando Health Watson Clinic Lakeland Highlands Hospital can meet with recruiters on Jan. 31 during a public hiring event at Polk State College. 

Once it’s fully staffed, the hospital is poised to be the sixth-largest employer in Lakeland and the 15th-largest employer in Polk County.

Hiring event details

Who: The job fair is open to anyone, from experienced nurses to those seeking entry-level support roles.

When: Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026

9 a.m. to noon: Interviews for non-nursing, non-physician roles including therapy, respiratory, imaging, pharmacy, food and nutrition, environmental services, customer service and more.

1 p.m. to 4 p.m.: Interviews for nursing and nursing support professionals.

Where: Polk State College – Lakeland Campus, Lakeland Technology Building (LTB), 3425 Winter Lake Road

What to bring: A printed copy of your resume

How to prepare: Registration is not required, but applicants are encouraged to review openings at OrlandoHealth.com/Lakeland and apply online before the event.

The upcoming fair will be the hospital’s second public hiring event. More than 1,000 applicants attended the first one in August, according to Public Affairs and Media Relations Manager Kimberly C. Moore.

The hospital named its leadership team in October.

“We are now hiring mid-level managers and supervisors, along with the front-line team and members in all disciplines,” Moore said. “We still have several hundred positions open as we move into the next phase of hiring.” 

The hospital at 4000 Lakeland Highlands Road is expected to open with more than 300 inpatient beds, 69 emergency and observation beds, 11 operating rooms, four cardiac and interventional suites and an 18-bed intensive care unit, which will grow to serve 36 patients.

Obstetric services will include eight labor and delivery rooms, two special C-section operating rooms and more than 25 postpartum rooms. A 12-bed neonatal intensive care unit is expected to debut shortly after the hospital opens.

“This is one of the largest hospital capital investments Orlando Health has made,” Hospital President Carlos Carrasco said. “It’s a big commitment to the community. But it’s a big commitment because the community deserves it.”

Health care building boom

The new facility will be only the second hospital to open in Lakeland — arriving more than a century after Lakeland Regional Health, founded in 1916 as Morrell Memorial. 

But it won’t be the last. AdventHealth is planning a 10-story, 400-bed hospital at the southeast corner of Harden Boulevard and Frontage Road/Polk Parkway that could open as early as 2027.

The new hospitals join six new freestanding emergency rooms and at least 14 urgent care centers, four of which opened last year. 

Building a talent pipeline

Will Polk County have enough health care workers to staff all of these facilities?

Local business and education leaders hope so. Polk County Public Schools has invested heavily in its career academies over the past decade.

The district now offers health science career academies at 12 of its 16 high schools, including Lakeland, George Jenkins, Kathleen, Lake Gibson, Auburndale and Bartow. There are also health science “pre-academies” at many middle schools.

Moore said Orlando Health is “hiring from all over, but definitely targeting the Polk County market.” It has been a PCPS business partner for several years.

“We help them with supplies and equipment for the academy programs,” Moore said. “This is our third year with George Jenkins High School, second year with Auburndale High school and first year with Bartow.”

Moore said the hospital system offers tours, guest speakers, mock interviews and hands-on training in ultrasound, EKG, trauma care, phlebotomy and more.

“We have EMS days scheduled with all three schools, where the Air Care helicopter flies onto the football field,” she said. 

‘Hope and opportunity of higher education’

Carrasco said Orlando Health has a formal agreement with Polk State College to pay the full cost of eligible employees’ tuition and books through its Preferred Education Program.

Polk County high school students can earn certifications through the academy programs, get a job in the Orlando Health system after graduation and pursue a nursing or radiology degree at no cost, as long as they work at least 20 hours a week.

The hospital also has an agreement with Florida Southern College to reimburse employees for master’s degrees, Moore said.

“This program gives many students, who wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford it, the hope and opportunity of higher education,” Carrasco said.

LOAD MORE ARTICLES

Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.