Morton Plant Hospital

02/01/2026

At BayCare, we honor the lived experience, profound legacy, and ongoing contributions of our Black team members this Black History Month. We are thankful for our team members who play a vital role in shaping our community's health. We recognize their stories, achievements and the value they bring to BayCare.

01/30/2026

BayCare Medical Group proudly welcomes Alexander Paridon, MD, to our team. Dr. Paridon is board certified in obstetrics, gynecology and gynecologic oncology and is seeing patients ages 18 and over at the BayCare Medical Group practice at 900 Carillon Parkway, Suite 308, St. Petersburg.

Dr. Paridon’s clinical interests include uterine, ovarian, cervical and vulvar cancers. He works with his patients to improve understanding of their prognosis by providing accurate, up-to-date information about their condition and developing personalized treatment plans.

Dr. Paridon earned a Doctor of Medicine from Drexel University in Philadelphia and completed his obstetrics and gynecology residency and gynecologic oncology fellowship at Detroit Medical Center/Wayne State University in Detroit. He is a member of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American Medical Association and the Society of Gynecologic Oncology.

Dr. Paridon’s office phone number is (727) 446-2111. He accepts most major insurance plans.

Learn more: https://bit.ly/3YJz6jV.

01/25/2026

In 2025, we had the incredible honor of celebrating several team members with 50 years of service.

One of those, Ginny, will be retiring at the end of this week. Her unwavering commitment to the nursing profession, to her fellow team members here at Morton Plant and to the many patients and families she encountered will be sorely missed.

The youngest of five children, Ginny did not have the financial support to attend college after her father died when she was 19. Instead, she attended a program and received a nursing certificate, but that was enough to begin her career at Morton Plant in 1975.

Ginny began her career as part of the IV team and later joined PACU where she spent 30 years before transitioning to Phase 2 Recovery for the end of her career.

With the help of BayCare’s educational assistance programs, Ginny attended both what was then St. Petersburg Junior College and the University of South Florida and graduated with her degree in nursing.

Through many tears, Ginny said, “I have loved coming to work every day. I love Morton Plant. The people are like family, and the organization has done so much for me.”

Thank you, Ginny, for all you have done for us in serving our patients and your fellow team members so well. Enjoy your retirement! You have more than earned it!

01/19/2026

This week, honor the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. by dreaming big and serving others. 🌍🗣️❤️

01/18/2026

We are a large hospital with a rich history of 110 years of providing excellent, compassionate care for our community. We are also family. We celebrate good times together and mourn the sad times too. We also care for our team members when they need us. When one of our nurse managers, Sam, was diagnosed with breast cancer in May of 2023, her team rallied around her like a family should. Not only did she receive her medical care here, but her team provided care packages and swapped shifts or covered assignments to help her attend medical appointments and treatment sessions. Now that she is in remission, her Morton Plant family decided to host a surprise celebration. They told Sam something was wrong in the breakroom. She went in to find pink everywhere. The team wore pink shirts, breast cancer socks and breast cancer pins. They had breast cancer ribbon balloons, pink cupcakes, pink popcorn, pink drinks, heart glasses and bracelets. We are so proud of you, Sam, and grateful you are in remission! Providing life-saving care for one of our own is always the best celebration!

01/16/2026

Board certified in internal medicine Charl Khalil, MD, joins the BayCare Medical Group practice at 516 Lakeview Road, Villa 5, in Clearwater, where he sees patients age 18 and older. He focuses on caring for patients with slow and fast heart rhythms, fainting episodes, dizziness and cardiac arrest.

Dr. Khalil is committed to delivering comprehensive patient care using cutting-edge technology. He performs catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation, supraventricular tachycardia and ventricular tachycardia. Dr. Khalil utilizes new ablation techniques, including pulse field ablation, for the treatment of atrial fibrillation. He offers full-spectrum device therapy, including implantation and long-term management of conventional and leadless pacemakers, loop recorders, cardiac resynchronization therapy devices and implantable cardioverter-defibrillators, as well as transvenous lead extraction. Dr. Khalil performs left atrial appendage occlusion device implantations to reduce stroke risk in patients with atrial fibrillation.

With a strong academic background, he has authored and co-authored numerous publications in peer-reviewed journals, many of which have been presented at national and international conferences. Dr. Khalil’s active role in research enables him to integrate the latest evidence-based practices into patient care. He believes that exceptional care begins with listening to each patient’s story, concerns and goals. Dr. Khalil strives to treat the heart, both physically and emotionally, while building trust through compassion, clear communication and shared decision-making.

Dr. Khalil earned a Doctor of Medicine at Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University in Cairo, Egypt, and completed an internal medicine residency at the State University of New York-Buffalo in Buffalo. Dr. Khalil completed a fellowship in cardiovascular disease at John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County/Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, and an advanced fellowship in clinical cardiac electrophysiology at Aurora St. Luke’s Medical Center in Milwaukee.

Dr. Khalil’s office phone number is (727) 587-6999. He accepts most major insurance plans.

Learn more: https://bit.ly/44SJPfo

01/13/2026

Drew, a Biomedical Engineering Tech II, was recently selected as a 2025 WOW! Team Member of the Month.

This honor recognizes team members who go above and beyond job descriptions and expectations while supporting other team members and taking care of our patients and customers.

The manager of our mom/baby unit nominated Drew for everything he does to support our neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). She said, “Drew consistently demonstrates outstanding collaboration, responsiveness, and dedication to supporting our patients, families, and staff. Drew is always quick to respond to questions or concerns brought forward by the team, providers, or myself, and he actively works to identify safe and effective solutions.”

Drew was especially helpful in the development and launch of the NICU couplet care program, which allows infants requiring NICU-level care to remain at their mother's bedside. The nominator said, “Drew guided us through each step of this initiative, listened to every concern raised by the team, and helped implement solutions that met our needs while ensuring we could deliver safe, high-quality care.”

Drew’s actions consistently support quality, compassionate, patient-centered care and demonstrate what it means to be a WOW! Team Member.

Congratulations, Drew! We’re glad you’re on our team!

01/10/2026

BayCare Medical Group is proud to welcome Annmarie Moore, MD, who is board certified in gastroenterology and internal medicine. Dr. Moore’s clinical interests include inflammatory bowel disease and functional gastrointestinal disorders. She treats disorders of the esophagus, stomach, liver, pancreas, bile ducts and small bowel. She performs endoscopic procedures, including esophagogastroduodenoscopy, colonoscopy and video capsule endoscopy. Highly respected for her clinical expertise and compassionate care, Dr. Moore has been practicing gastroenterology in Clearwater for nearly 20 years and is committed to her patients' long-term health.

Dr. Moore earned a Doctor of Medicine from the University of New Mexico School of Medicine in Albuquerque and completed a combined internal medicine and pediatrics residency at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, where she served as chief resident. Following her residency, Dr. Moore completed a gastroenterology fellowship at the University of Arizona College of Medicine, Arizona Health Sciences Center in Tucson.

Dr. Moore’s office phone number is (727) 216-0057. She accepts most major insurance plans.

Learn more: https://baycare.org/doctors/anmarie-moore-1174734297.

01/06/2026

We’re excited to share the new rendering of the future Pagidipati Children’s Hospital at St. Joseph’s, opening in 2030. Every detail of the new facility has been intentionally designed with children and families at the heart. From its bold, multicolor exterior with dynamic lighting to playful, family-centered interior spaces, intuitive wayfinding and welcoming common areas, the environment aims to uplift, reassure and inspire hope the moment families arrive. Learn more about the new hospital and design plans: https://bit.ly/4pv8OwL

The future Pagidipati Children’s Hospital at St. Joseph’s, a freestanding, state-of-the-art facility opening in 2030, will advance pediatric health care across West Central Florida.

01/02/2026

Welcome to our first baby of 2026! Paislee arrived at 1:07 a.m. on New Year's Day, weighing 7 lbs. 1 oz.

Congratulations to her family on this beautiful gift to start the new year, and welcome to the world sweet Paislee! 🍼 🩷

01/01/2026

Happy 2026! Today we celebrate 110 years of serving our community. On Jan. 1, 1916, we opened our doors and begin our rich history of providing high-quality, compassionate care. As the area has grown, so have we. What began as a 20-bed facility is now a 599-bed facility that is known for advanced medical technologies, cutting-edge clinical research and outstanding patient care. Our exceptional physicians and care providers are continually honing their skills and seeking the best medical advancements to bring to our patients.

We are grateful for the many team members and physicians who have spent their careers here serving our community. If you were born here, or you or a loved one received care here, thank you for allowing us to be part of your health journey. We are looking forward to another 110 years of caring for our community. https://baycare.org/locations/hospitals/morton-plant-hospital/patients-and-visitors

12/31/2025

Katie, a clinical nurse III in our emergency room, was recently selected as a 2025 WOW! Team Member of the Month.

This honor recognizes team members who go above and beyond job descriptions and expectations while supporting other team members and taking care of our patients and customers.

Katie has been with BayCare for 27 years and at Morton Plant for 26 of those years. A true BayCare story, Katie began her career in registration and moved to a patient care technician, then a unit secretary before becoming a registered nurse. She has continued to advance to her current position of clinical nurse III.

Katie displays all the BayCare values and care for all patients like they are her own family.

Her nominator wrote, “When Katie is in charge, I know it is going to be a good day! When you have someone who is in charge who works hard and is supportive, it makes you want to work even harder.”

Katie creates a peaceful working atmosphere, which sounds impossible in an ER, but she makes it happen.

Katie is described as caring, intelligent, dependable and encouraging.

Congratulations, Katie! We’re glad you are on our team!