Nemours Children’s Health is set to expand its presence in Central Florida with a $300 million investment aimed at growing its hospital campus in Lake Nona.

The Jacksonville-based health system plans to construct three new buildings as part of this expansion, which will be completed over the next four years. These developments will enhance the existing 130-bed Nemours Children’s Hospital, Florida campus.

The new buildings will include:

• A 110,000-square-foot expansion of the pediatric hospital, which will double the emergency department’s size, add more inpatient beds, and expand the imaging department. This project is slated to open in 2028.
• A 75,000-square-foot patient care center, featuring six new operating rooms and additional exam rooms. This facility will also accommodate the hospital’s orthopedics and sports medicine departments, opening in 2028.
• A 75,000-square-foot administration building, which will include an 800-space parking garage and is scheduled for completion in 2027.

Dr. R. Lawrence Moss, president and CEO of Nemours Children’s Health, emphasized the significance of the expansion, saying, “This expansion is a critical step in achieving our vision of bringing world-class children’s care to Florida. Our journey to become a nationally ranked children’s hospital here will give us the capacity to support even more families regionally, nationally, and internationally.”

Nemours currently operates more than 50 locations throughout Florida, serving over 300,000 children and teens. The pediatric population in Central Florida, which numbers over 1 million, is expected to grow by nearly 5% in the next five years.

Since opening its Orlando hospital in 2012 on nearly 60 acres of land, Nemours has continued to grow. As of 2023, the health system employs more than 2,824 full-time associates in Central Florida.

Source:  OBJ