by Janan Talafer • Jvt916@tampabay.rr.com

Here's a number for you: 10,151.

That's the number of residential units built in Hernando during the fire years 2000-2004.

Now consider this one: 17,385.

That's the number of planned new units on the books June 2005.

In midsummer, 36 subdivisions were in various stages of development. Some of the larger ones include:

• Seville, near U.S. 98 and the Hernando-Citrus border, 2,700 single-family residences and 800 multifamily units.

• Southern Hills Plantation on the east side of U.S. 41 and south of Brooksville, 2,500 single-family homes.

• Sterling Hill, near the Suncoast Parkway, 1,250 planned units.

• Pulte Homes, near U.S. 41 and the Hernando-Pasco border, 862 single-family homes.

• Avalon, also near U.S. 41 and the Hernando-Pasco border, 837 homes and 76 villas.

• Covington Hill, near U.S. 98 in north Brooksville, 723 homes. o Hernando Oaks, south of Brooksville, at least 989 single-family homes.

• New Ayers Estates, east side of U.S. 41 near the Hernando-Pasco border, 752 single-family homes.

• Majestic Oaks, east of U.S. 41 near Brooksville, 650 single-family homes.

Equally significant are the two major developments of regional impact (DRIs) under consideration near Interstate 75 and State Road 50. The Withlacoochee Regional Planning Council is still reviewing plans for Hickory Hill and Sunrise, says Craig Brashier, DRI planner. Both mixed-use projects could change the landscape in this sparsely populated part of the county.

According to Brashier, Hickory Hill is on the drawing boards as a 2,766-acre development that includes 1,170 residential units and 50,000 square feet of retail. Sunrise, meanwhile, has proposed 3,200 single-family residences; 1,600 multifamily; 430,000 square feet of retail, plus 700,000 square feet of office space on a little over 1,380 acres.

The city of Brooksville is also focused on growth. Last January, Brooksville expanded its enterprise zone, nearly tripling in size to 3.7 square miles. The new boundaries add 252 business parcels, making them eligible for a state incentive program that gives tax credits to businesses located in low-income areas.

Healthy Is as Healthy Does

Oak Hill Hospital (www.oakhillhospital.com), a member hospital of the HCA system, will soon offer a comprehensive cardiovascular surgery program that includes Hernando's only open heart program. The hospital expects the new program to be operational by January 2006. The sixth floor of the hospital has been converted to a new dedicated cardiac wing, which will feature services ranging from diagnostic testing and patient rooms to cardiac rehabilitation.

A brand new Brooksville Regional Hospital (www.hernandohealthcare.com) will open this fall on Cortez Boulevard and Lykes Dublin Road, replacing the older, outdated facility located just a few miles away. The new 186,000-square-foot, $53- million facility will have 120 beds and 90 private rooms, as well as an emergency department more than double the previous size, a 12-bed intensive care unit, 7-bed pediatric center and five operating rooms. Connected to the new hospital via a covered walkway will be the new, 60,000-square-foot Brooksville Regional Medical Park, housing doctors' offices.

One of the innovative features of the new hospital will be its advanced technology. For example, patients will wear bar-coded wristbands that can be swiped against a scanner, making it easy for hospital personnel to keep track of patients' locations if they're out of the room for a test. Swiping the band also will give physicians immediate online access to patients' medical history.

In other health care news, the Florida Cancer Institute (www.floridacancerinstitute.us) opened a new 25,000-squarefoot facility near State Road 50 in Brooksville, bringing the total number of its outpatient cancer centers in Pasco and Hernando counties to five. The cancer institute is affiliated with the US Oncology network dedicated to cancer diagnosis, treatment and research at centers nationwide.