JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – As Northeast Florida continues to grow, so does the demand for healthcare.
Friday morning, HCA Memorial Hospital of Jacksonville introduced its newest state-of-the-art free-standing emergency room that was built to serve residents living in the Arlington area.
“Just this section of Merrill Road has grown over the past four years, so having a free-standing ER here at this location with 11 beds with trauma capability; with us being a level two trauma facility, is fantastic to be able to have that footprint and that access to the main hospital on University,” HCA Chief Operating Officer Chris Covacs said. “We want to gain access and help to grow that resource for these communities. As they grow. We want to grow with them.”
The new ER is open 24-hours and has multiple rooms equipped to handle trauma patients. It’s also equipped with an in-house lab, and imaging department for quick diagnoses.
City Councilman Ken Amaro represents the Arlington area and says the new emergency room couldn’t have come at a better time.
“With newer apartment communities, multiple family communities, the need is here and I think this was the perfect timing for this facility to be here,” Amaro said.
HCA officials say there’s a growing need for trauma rooms to be strategically located in various communities throughout Northeast Florida.
“We opened a free-standing ER in Yulee. We’ll be opening another one in St. Johns County. Next month is our goal. We’re looking at all the areas where we have growth and there’s a need,” Covacs said.
HCA Memorial is not the only hospital in town spending millions of dollars to address the growing need for medical services.
Last week, Baptist Health opened a new state-of-the-art medical training facility to train new healthcare workers during a time when there is a nationwide shortage of nurses. They also recently increased their fleet of helicopters to handle the growing need for airborne ambulatory services.
Mayo Clinic is investing a billion dollars to expand its campus size, accommodate more patients and provide a new cancer treatment service.
UF Health is in the process of building a new hospital in Durbin Park as well as a stand-alone emergency room in the intercoastal area of Atlantic Blvd.
Ascension St. Vincent is building a $115 million hospital in St. Johns County as well as a free-standing ER on Jacksonville’s Southside.
“They’re not only filling a gap, their meeting a need,” said Amaro