A ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday celebrated a new freestanding ER, set to begin caring for patients by July 28.
AdventHealth Fruitland Park ER will bring 24/7 emergency care to the community. The facility will be the first emergency room within Fruitland Park’s city limits.
“This is an important step in strengthening access to emergency care in Lake County,” said Rob Deininger, president and CEO of AdventHealth’s East Florida Division. “We know trust is earned, and we take that responsibility seriously. As this community grows, we are committed to growing alongside it.”
Lake County’s health needs are changing. More than one in four residents is 65 or older, and that share is expected to increase over the next decade, according to AdventHealth Waterman’s Community Health Needs Assessment. The assessment also identified health care access and quality as a local priority.
Located on a 27-acre site at the intersection of County Road 466A and Colony Boulevard, the facility features 12 private patient rooms, including one designed for children. It also offers respiratory therapy services, an on-site full-service laboratory, and advanced diagnostic imaging, including CT scans, X-rays and ultrasound.
“For families in Fruitland Park, this ER provides a nearby option during a sudden illness or injury,” said Brandon Nudd, president and CEO of AdventHealth Waterman. “It means access to answers and treatment without having to leave their community.”
Board-certified emergency physicians and emergency nurses will staff the facility. The opening will add 40 clinical and support jobs in Lake County and give first responders another destination when transporting patients who need immediate medical attention.
“During an emergency, patients and families are often trying to process a lot at once,” said Dr. Patricia Smolter, medical director of the AdventHealth Waterman emergency department. “When the space is built for focus, clear communication and teamwork, our clinicians can do their jobs with confidence and patients can move toward answers sooner. For someone who arrives scared, hurting or unsure of what comes next, that kind of clarity can bring real comfort.”
Headquartered in Central Florida, AdventHealth is a faith-based health care system focused on whole-person care, with 57 hospitals across nine states. Its Florida network includes 33 hospitals and hundreds of clinics. With the opening of the AdventHealth Fruitland Park ER, that network will include 31 freestanding emergency rooms.