Health First has announced a major expansion of Viera Hospital that will more than double its size in the coming years.

The Brevard County healthcare provider unveiled plans on Sept. 2 to increase the hospital’s capacity from 98 to 214 beds, adding new facilities and services to keep pace with the area’s rapid population growth.

The expansion plan includes:

• 64 new inpatient beds, plus shelled space for up to 32 more
• Two additional operating rooms
• A cardiac catheterization lab, with room for a second
• A significantly larger emergency department
• A 10-bed Clinical Decision Unit
• Expanded imaging, support areas, and future growth capacity

While there’s no set construction timeline yet, Health First is entering the design and planning phase and must secure approvals from Brevard County.

Health First President and CEO Terry Forde credited the organization’s board for supporting the project, which was accelerated following the closure of Orlando Health’s Rockledge Hospital earlier this year.

“This area has been growing rapidly, and we’ve long anticipated the need to expand,” said Health First spokesman Lance Skelly, noting that demand for additional capacity was expected even before Viera Hospital opened in 2011.

The expansion comes as part of Health First’s broader investment in Brevard County healthcare, totaling nearly $800 million in recent years. Other initiatives include:

• A $410 million replacement for Cape Canaveral Hospital, set to open on Merritt Island in 2027
• A $230 million, five-story patient tower for Palm Bay Hospital, which will double its capacity by 2028

Viera Hospital has already been steadily expanding, including the addition of a labor and delivery unit last year. By 2026, more beds for maternity care and general inpatient services will be added to the hospital’s fifth floor, further strengthening its role as a growing healthcare hub in central Brevard.

Source: Florida Today