Staff, partners and St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce leaders came together Tuesday to celebrate the opening of Sunshine Health\u2019s new Community Connections Center in Pinellas Park.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sunshine Health is a Florida healthcare plan provider. The organization offers government-sponsored care through Medicaid, Long Term Care, the Health Insurance Marketplace (Ambetter Health) and Medicare Advantage and Prescription Drug Plans (Wellcare).\u00a0<\/p>\n
It serves about 2.4 million people across the state. Approximately 75,000 live in Pinellas County.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The 5,000-square-foot facility, at 8800 49th Street N., is a space where members and residents can access care, resources and community support. Additionally, they can learn about a variety of local programs that benefit their health and wellbeing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In 2025 alone, Sunshine Health collaborated with over 700 community\u2011based organizations to support housing stability, food security, youth mental health, maternal health and workforce development, according to the organization\u2019s website.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople can\u2019t prioritize their health if they have more basic unmet needs,\u201d Sunshine Health chief marketing and engagement officer Heather Urquides told the Catalyst. \u201cSo, we see these community centers as a way for us to bring community resources together so people can get their needs met.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Designed to be a hub, she added, people can receive services such as housing and utility assistance. Additionally, the center will be home to a monthly food pantry in partnership with the Farm Share food bank.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n Urquides said that the Pinellas Park facility has been in the works for about two years. Finding the right real estate was a key challenge. The Sunshine Health team began to use the center in early June.\u00a0<\/p>\n Not-for-profit organizations can use the property at no-cost for initiatives, she added.\u00a0<\/p>\n Many of the services offered at the Pinellas center will be accessible to individuals who are not members. To exemplify, Urquides explained that Sunshine Health partners with the American Heart Association to provide CPR training.\u00a0<\/p>\n Community members will be able to participate in a variety of classes. Sunshine Health leaders plan to form workforce training partnerships in Pinellas County as well.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe definitely try to locate where our members are to make it as easy as possible,\u201d\u00a0 Urquides added. \u201cWe want to serve them in person if that\u2019s how they want to reach out to us.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n