AdventHealth opens urgent and primary care clinics to meet growing Lake County demand

Lake County residents have easier access to care with two new AdventHealth clinics, which opened Oct. 13 across

from AdventHealth Waterman on U.S. Highway 441 in Tavares. The AdventHealth Centra Care Tavares urgent care and AdventHealth Primary Care+ Tavares clinic bring convenient, connected options for families who want care on their schedule, close to home.

AdventHealth Centra Care offers walk-in care seven days a week for non-emergency illnesses and injuries, such as sprains, infections, or fevers that shouldn’t wait for an appointment.

AdventHealth Primary Care+ provides flexible access to a doctor or advanced practice clinician, with same-day appointments, evening and weekend hours, and virtual visits designed for busy lives. Dr. Eduardo Hernandez-Verge is the primary care physician at the clinic.

Together, the two clinics will create about 20 new jobs in Lake County.

“Sometimes people delay care because they’re not sure where to go,” said Rob Paswaters, AdventHealth chief operating officer and vice president of retail services. “By bringing urgent and primary care together right across from the hospital, AdventHealth is making it easier for families to get the care they need when they need it.”

The clinics also address a growing need for timely, affordable care in Lake County — particularly among older adults, who make up more than a quarter of the population.

For patients, these new clinics offer a more convenient and lower-cost option for minor illnesses or injuries. They make it easier to get care quickly, without the long wait or higher costs of an emergency visit, while helping keep hospital ERs available for true emergencies.

“Our ER is always here for life-threatening emergencies, but many people don’t realize how much faster and less expensive it can be to visit Centra Care or Primary Care+ for more minor needs,” said Dr. Floriano Putigna, AdventHealth Waterman chief medical officer. “When people choose these clinics for minor issues, it means shorter wait times for them and more capacity for those who truly need emergency care.”

Both clinics are open seven days a week and are fully integrated with AdventHealth Waterman, allowing for seamless referrals, shared electronic health records and coordinated follow-up care.

“It’s like having a front door to the entire health system right in your neighborhood,” said Paswaters. “If your child twists an ankle on Saturday, you can stop by Centra Care. If your blood pressure’s been creeping up, you can get in with Primary Care+ that same week. And if you need a specialist, those connections are right across the street. It’s convenient, but more importantly, it’s connected.”

As a nonprofit health system, AdventHealth reinvests every dollar it earns into people, facilities, and technology rather than shareholders. Across Florida, AdventHealth’s care network contributes more than $16 billion to the state’s economy, strengthening local jobs and access to care. Expansions like this are part of that ongoing investment in helping people stay healthy, feel whole, and thrive close to home.