AdventHealth Waterman celebrates grand opening for medical plaza in Mount Dora

More than 400 community members joined AdventHealth Waterman to celebrate the opening of the AdventHealth Medical Plaza in Mount Dora.

“When a lot people show up to an event, you've done well. When it is 50 degrees at night and you are in Florida, you've done really, really well!” Abel Biri, AdventHealth Waterman CEO said to the crowd with a resounding chuckle during the event.

Located between Country Club Blvd. and Wolf Branch Road at 19735 US Hwy 441 in Mount Dora, this two-story, 22,260-square-foot facility is the first-of-its-kind in northern Lake County and opened to patients on Jan. 6.

“We are so thankful for what AdventHealth Waterman has done to provide this facility. They've been a tremendous part of our community for a long time and this is their newest part of their journey,” said Mount Dora Mayor Cathy Hoechst. “I'm especially spoiled because now I only have to come less than half a mile to see my doctor!”

The first floor is home to AdventHealth Medical Group family medicine physicians Dr. Veronica Chastain, Dr. Devlin O’Connor, Dr. Anielka Rodriguez and Dr. Kurt Wagner, as well as Estrellita Lu, an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN).

“We are not just opening a primary care access space,” Biri said. “We are addressing the needs of the community, the busy, working families that may not be able to interrupt their day to access medical care. At this facility, we will offer longer hours and earlier hours, as well as self-scheduling and some same-day appointments.”

The second floor will open by the end of 2020 and will be home to AdventHealth Medical Group specialists and pediatric care.

The new AdventHealth Medical Plaza in Mount Dora has a sleek, bright, modern design to go with the modern-day approach to patient care. The spacious facility features locally inspired artwork and includes 21 examination rooms, procedure and consult rooms, an interior reception area and a large, glass-enclosed lobby.

“It is a beautiful building, but it is just brick and mortar,” Biri said. “It comes alive while our caregivers walk into it and open themselves up, not just their expertise, but their hearts. That becomes the true pulse of what we get to do here.”