The City of Jacksonville is reviewing plans for major construction work on the Leon L. Haley, Jr., MD Emergency Department & Trauma Center at UF Health Jacksonville, a project estimated at nearly $57 million.

UF Health broke ground on the new facility on Nov. 21, 2024, at its campus at 655 W. Eighth St. The project calls for a one-story, 42,000-square-foot addition and a 42,120-square-foot renovation, expanding the hospital’s capacity to serve as Northeast Florida’s only Level I trauma center.

Named in honor of the late Dr. Leon L. Haley, Jr., the hospital’s former CEO and dean of the UF College of Medicine–Jacksonville, the expansion continues his legacy of advancing emergency and trauma care. Haley, who was instrumental in pushing for the facility’s growth, passed away in 2021 at age 56.

The $90 million project includes $80 million in state funding and $10 million from the City of Jacksonville and will be built in five phases.

The first phase, expected to take about 18 months, will expand the number of emergency and trauma rooms from 78 to 125, add 53 new beds, and introduce new adult and pediatric waiting areas. Later phases will renovate the existing 42,120-square-foot emergency department, adding diagnostic equipment, radiology facilities, and behavioral health space.

“This initiative reflects our unwavering commitment to providing the highest level of compassionate, expert care to every patient we serve,” said Dr. Stephen J. Motew, president and system CEO of UF Health’s clinical enterprise.

Source:  Jax Daily Record