UF Health St. Johns Announces New Hospital and Medical Complex in Durbin Park

It was a transformational day in St. Johns County as UF Health St. Johns announced the construction of a 150-bed hospital and medical office complex on a 42.5-acre site in Durbin Park.  Carlton Devooght, CEO of UF Health St. Johns, said, Today marks the beginning of an extraordinary journey for UF Health.  It is time to celebrate not only the construction of a building, but the birth of a new era of healthcare for our community.”

Mori Hosseini, Chair of the University of Florida Board of Trustees, said, “Today is just the beginning.  We are here because the University of Florida has a bold vision for Northeast Florida.  Today we advance an agenda where we provide somewhere between 1,500 and 2,000 new jobs right here.  At that point, UF Health will have over 12,000 employees in Northeast Florida to go with a one-billion-dollar investment.”  UF Health St. Johns knows healthcare is evolving at a rapid pace and they are committed to staying ahead of the curve.  This expansion will be a significant part of that commitment. 

UF Health ranks in the top 2, with Mayo Clinic as the top healthcare provider in the state with both having a presence in Northeast Florida.  UF Health Durbin Park will be a full-service community hospital with a focus on Orthopedic, Neurosurgery, Cardiology and Women’s Services.  The UF Health College of Medicine is ranked number one in the state and the Neurosurgery Department is ranked number two in the United States. UF Health is the nation’s premier program for liver, lung, and kidney transplants. 

Dr. Ben Sasse, President of the University of Florida echoed Chairman Hosseini’s comments.  He said, “Our goal is to make sure Floridians have access to the highest level of healthcare and we are excited to be expanding in this special community and building in what is clearly a booming crossroads in the state, here in Northeast Florida.  At UF Health we want our research to develop discoveries in biomedical engineering that will be delivered quickly and practically to hospitals like Durbin Park.”

The hospital is expected to open in late 2025.