- HCA Florida Gainesville Hospital is a new 90-bed full-service acute care facility opening in May, the first in the community in over 50 years.
- The hospital and its freestanding ER cover 217,000 square feet and the total project cost $235 million.
- The hospital offers private patient rooms, four operating rooms, an inpatient rehab unit, and advanced diagnostic imaging services.
The opening of HCA Florida Healthcare’s newest hospital in the city of Gainesville is fast approaching. And on Friday, local media and city leaders were provided a sneak peek at the new facility as part of a Media Day event.
HCA Florida Gainesville Hospital, a new state-of-the-art 90-bed, full-service medical and surgical acute care hospital, is expected to open the first week of May at 4094 SW 41st Blvd. in Gainesville (just off the Archer Road exit on Interstate 75).
According to HCA Florida Healthcare, the hospital will be the first full-service hospital to open in the community in over 50 years.
During Friday’s event, members of the media, along with city officials and community leaders, had the chance to take part in guided tours of the new hospital. Local leaders and representatives from HCA Florida North Florida Hospital also participated in a ribbon-cutting to celebrate the new hospital, which crews first broke ground on nearly two years ago.
“Opening [the HCA Florida] Gainesville Hospital is an exciting and meaningful moment for our community,” Michelle Farris, HCA Florida North Florida Hospital chief nursing officer (CNO), said while giving remarks. “This is not about a building. It’s about expanding access, strengthening care and putting the patients at the center of everything that we do.”
The hospital is an addition to the freestanding HCA Florida Gainesville Emergency Room, which opened on the same 40-acre parcel as the hospital in February 2024.
According to Mark Amox, HCA Florida North Florida Hospital chief operating officer (COO), the hospital and freestanding ER are a combined 217,000 square feet. He noted that 12,000 of that square footage is the ER, while the other 205,000 makes up the hospital.
The cost of the entire project – including construction of the ER and hospital – was $235 million, Amox said.
While giving remarks, Amox said 60 of the 90 beds at the hospital are private patient rooms. There is also an inpatient rehabilitation unit that includes 30 private rooms, according to a hospital fact sheet provided at Friday’s event. As part of this unit, there is also a rehab gym and two patient dining areas.
In addition to the rehab unit, the hospital also has four operating rooms, with the ability to perform general, orthopedic and spine surgeries, according to facts provided on the guided tour.
Other services the hospital offers include on-site laboratory testing and advanced imaging for diagnostics and testing, according to the fact sheet. This includes computed tomography (CT), X-ray and ultrasound.
“I’m glad to be able to welcome this hospital to our community,” Gainesville Mayor Harvey Ward said while offering remarks. “Our partnership with HCA is more than just permitting and providing basic services. We are real, honest-to-goodness partners with HCA. We’re glad that you’re here. We’re glad that we’re going to be able to better service folks in southwest Gainesville and the surrounding the communities.”
The importance of the hospital’s location was also highlighted by city officials from Williston. The hospital is less than 20 miles from the town.
“This location, being where it’s at, is just a phenomenal asset to our community, as well as the citizens here in Gainesville, interim Williston City Manager/Police Chief Mike Rolls said while giving comments. “The citizens of Williston, I’m sure, will take great pleasure in coming to this facility. It’s the best thing that we got that surrounds us right now. So, we’re thankful for it.”
The community will also have the chance to get a sneak peek at the new hospital on Saturday as part of a free community celebration and open house. The event, which runs from 6 to 9 p.m., will include tours of the hospital, live music, food, local dance teams and more.
Free parking is available at the Celebration Pointe South Parking Garage at 5021 SW 30th Lane, Gainesville, on floors two through four. Shuttle buses will pick up guests next to the south parking lot along SW 31st Lane and take them to the event.
Nick Anschultz is a Report for America corps member and writes about education for Mainstreet Daily News. This position is supported by local donations through the Community Catalyst for Local Journalism Fund at the Community Foundation of North Central Florida.
