Area residents, government officials and business leaders flocked to the site of the new Trailwinds Village ER in Wildwood on Thursday for the official topping off ceremony.
Those in attendance for the event, which marked the last beam being placed on the $13 million ER facility, were joined by members of owner Ocala Health’s leadership team. The 11,630-square-foot building, which fronts County Road 466A, is located at 6131 Seven Mile Dr. in the fast-growing Trailwinds Village complex, located just outside the walls of The Villages in Wildwood. Construction is expected to be completed this spring.
The new, 24/7 full-service, freestanding emergency department will feature 11 emergency room beds and will be capable of caring for all ages. The facility is expected to serve more than 11,500 patients a year and employ about 30 full-time healthcare professionals.
“While continuing to expand our Ocala Regional and West Marion campuses, we saw an opportunity to bring emergency care closer to the residents of Sumter County,” says Chad Christianson, Ocala Health CEO. “Over the last few years, we have seen more patients from Sumter County and Lake County choosing Ocala Health for their healthcare services. We believe this freestanding emergency room will provide our patients a more convenient, higher level experience for emergent care. We will continue to expand healthcare services where needed for our growing community.”
The Trailwinds Village facility is Ocala Health’s third freestanding emergency department. The healthcare provider opened the Summerfield ER in October 2016 and recently started seeing patients at the Maricamp ER in Ocala.
Ocala Health also encompasses Ocala Regional Medical Center, a 256-bed facility located in Ocala, and West Marion Community Hospital, a 174-bed hospital located in west Marion County. ORMC is a Level II trauma center and the region’s only Comprehensive Stroke Center.
Ocala Health’s outpatient facilities include Family Care Specialists, a primary care network of six locations throughout Marion County; Advanced Imaging Centers; a freestanding Wound and Hyperbaric Center; a Senior Wellness Community Center; and three surgical and physician specialty practices.
