Altamonte Springs, Fla.-based AdventHealth and Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare are both separately expanding an emergency department presence in St. Johns County, Fla., as their state ED footprints grow.
AdventHealth shared plans Feb. 19 to build a 12-bed emergency department in the World Commerce Center in St. Augustine, Fla. The more than $27 million investment is expected to begin construction this fall and will open in 2027, according to a news release.
“As more families choose to call St. Johns County home, access to emergency care becomes increasingly important,” Rob Deininger, president and CEO of the AdventHealth East Florida Division, said in the release. “This investment reflects our commitment to growing alongside the community and ensuring care is available when and where it’s needed most.”
The ED plans come after AdventHealth Medical Group opened a 3,000-square-foot clinic in St. Augustine in early 2026. In March 2025, the health system also broke ground on a 12-bed freestanding ED in the county, which is expected to open this summer.
HCA Healthcare is also growing its emergency care footprint in St. Johns County by opening the HCA Florida St. Augustine Emergency facility Feb. 18. The 10,000-square-foot facility cost $18.5 million, of which $14.8 million went toward construction and $3.7 million to purchase the property in 2023.
HCA Florida St. Augustine Emergency is the second freestanding emergency room under Jacksonville-based HCA Florida Memorial Hospital in St. Johns County, as it already has HCA Florida Julington Creek Emergency.
“Our expansion into the St. Augustine area with our new freestanding emergency room will significantly enhance access to emergency care for patients in the community,” Reed Hammond, CEO of HCA Florida Memorial Hospital, said in a news release shared with Becker’s. “As part of HCA Florida Healthcare, the largest healthcare system in Florida, this facility will connect St. Augustine residents to an extensive network of statewide healthcare resources. Our unwavering commitment to providing high-quality, accessible healthcare continues to drive our efforts to serve communities like St. Augustine.”
