Florida Hospital plans emergency departments in Waterford Lakes, Oviedo

Florida Hospital is launching a major expansion of services on the east side of Orlando, with stand-alone emergency departments planned for Waterford Lakes and Oviedo.

The Waterford Lakes emergency department will be located at Colonial Drive and Lake Pickett Road. Florida Hospital yesterday closed on the purchase of the 5-acre parcel where the emergency department will stand.

“We want to be where you live, with a complete network that’s easy to access. This will lead to steady growth in the coming years,” said Daryl Tol, president and CEO of Florida Hospital and the Central Florida Division of Adventist Health System. “Our new centers in Oviedo and Waterford Lakes are just the next step in our aggressive multiyear plan.”

Both emergency departments are expected to include 24 beds, including observation beds allowing patients to stay close to home should they need advanced care not requiring admission to a hospital. Services offered will include: diagnostic imaging (CT, MRI, X-ray), full-service laboratory and pharmacy services. The comprehensive clinical team at the new emergency departments will include board-certified emergency physicians and emergency nurses trained in both adult and pediatric emergency medicine.

In Oviedo, the center is slated to be built on Red Bug Lake Road near Oviedo Mall Boulevard on a parcel already owned by Florida Hospital. The parcel also houses a Centra Care urgent-care office, which will remain on the site.

Final design decisions will be made after input from city government and residents.

“Many Oviedo residents are established patients in the Florida Hospital network and seek it out when they need emergency care, so having this option available closer to home will be a real benefit,” said Oviedo Councilwoman Megan Sladek. “We look forward to working with Florida Hospital to create a facility that’s a great fit for Oviedo.”

Groundbreaking for the Waterford Lakes location is expected in June of this year, with the emergency department opening in the second quarter of 2019. Groundbreaking in Oviedo is set for this October, with the opening planned for the third quarter of 2019.