The Covid-19 pandemic is only the latest challenge facing healthcare in the First Coast Region. Between 2010 and 2019 the Sunshine State’s population grew by more than 14%, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, and more than 20% of Floridians are age 65 and above – increasing the need for a wide variety of healthcare services.

To meet those needs, healthcare organizations all over the First Coast Region have announced or completed major infrastructure projects, including new full-service hospitals.

 BAPTIST HEALTH

To meet the growing need for health care services in Clay County, Baptist Health is building a full-service hospital on its existing Baptist Clay Medical Campus on Fleming Island, with an opening planned in 2022.

The 300,000-square-foot, full-service hospital will open with 100 beds and include women’s services and enhanced cardiology services. The hospital will be designed with modern features, including placing diagnostic equipment near the ICU for patients who need it the most, corridors designed with calming LED lighting and centralized staff services to minimize noise.

Baptist Health is investing $200 million to build the new hospital, which will create 700 new jobs in Clay County.

ASCENSION/ST. VINCENT’S

Ascension St. Vincent’s St. Johns County new facility is located in the northeast quadrant of Interstate 95 and County Road 210, part of a mixed-use development known as Fountains North.

The 150,000-square-foot project will open with 56 beds, including an eight-bed intensive-care unit, and provide emergency services, hospitalization, cardiovascular care, orthopedics and musculoskeletal care, general surgical services and laboratory and imaging services.

 “Our significant investment in this wonderful community is rooted in our desire to continue creating new options for St. Johns County residents to get the care they need, with the highest quality and compassion available, right here at home, right when they need us,” said Ascension Florida and Gulf Coast President and CEO Tom VanOsdol.

ADVENTHEALTH PALM COAST

AdventHealth broke ground in September on its 100-bed Palm Coast Parkway hospital. The four-story hospital, located on the north end of the county near Bridgehaven Drive, will be approximately 158,000 square feet.

AdventHealth Palm Coast Parkway will include an emergency department with full-service imaging, five operating suites, endoscopy services, an outpatient laboratory, heart catheterization labs, 20 critical care patient rooms and 80 general medical or surgical care rooms.

Plans also call for a 30,000-square-foot medical office building to be constructed as part of this $145 million project. AdventHealth Palm Coast Parkway will bring up to 700 new jobs to the area and is set to open in spring 2023.

ORANGE PARK MEDICAL CENTER CLAY COUNTY

Orange Park Medical Center broke ground in June 2019 on a 101,435 square foot tower that will house 48 patient beds for medical and surgical patients, bringing Orange Park Medical Center’s total number of licensed beds to 365.

The new space will also include two floors built as a shell space, designated for the future expansion of 48 additional patient rooms. As part of the expansion, over 100 new jobs will be created to care for the increased number of patients.

In addition the new patient tower, Orange Park Medical Center opened a 12,000 square foot expansion with 14 recovery rooms and two electrophysiology labs. The hospital has also expanded its NICU (neonatal intensive care unit) and kitchen and dining area. All projects are part of a $126 million expansion project.

FLAGLER HEALTH+ DURBIN PARK

Flagler Health+ broke ground in June on its new health and wellness campus located in St. Johns County’s Durbin Park development. With targeted services slated to open in early 2023, the 42.5-acre campus will feature a state-of-the-art hospital and outpatient surgery center as well as the signature Flagler Health+ Village concept. The health village will incorporate family medicine, specialty care, urgent care, imaging, laboratory services, healthy lifestyle programming and community engagement space with an emphasis on integrating nature and technology to enhance experiences. Flagler Health+ Durbin Park will also include a premier wellness facility, walking trails, and retail offerings.

“We are creating a premier health and wellness destination. The campus has been designed to create a sense of community, deliver uniquely personalized experiences, and achieve the best possible health outcomes for all people,” stated Flagler Health+ President and CEO Jason Barrett. “We are proud of our 130-year legacy of service to St. Johns County and look forward to further advancing physical, social and economic health for area residents with this new offering.”

FLAGLER HEALTH+ VILLAGE PALM COAST

Flagler Health+ broke ground in July on the Flagler Health+ Village at Palm Coast. Located on approximately seven acres at the southwest corner of Matanzas Woods Parkway and Belle Terre Parkway, the health village will incorporate family practice with embedded behavioral health services, orthopedics, specialty care, imaging and laboratory services all within a community-centric setting. It will also serve as home to the Flagler County division of Care Connect+, which links area residents in need with available services to address social determinants of health in a coordinated way throughout all of Northeast Florida.

“We are excited to move forward with our health village project – and others – to better serve the residents of Flagler County in ways that advance their physical, social and economic health. We have a long history of serving this community and I look forward to further expanding that relationship,” said Flagler Health+ President & CEO Jason Barrett.