AdventHealth marked the opening of the Fruitland Park’s first emergency room with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday, with the new AdventHealth Fruitland Park ER scheduled to begin caring for patients by July 28.

Located on a 27-acre site at the intersection of County Road 466A and Colony Boulevard, the freestanding emergency department will provide around-the-clock emergency care for residents of Fruitland Park and the surrounding area.

“This is an important step in strengthening access to emergency care in Lake County,” says 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.”

The facility includes 12 private patient rooms, including one designed specifically for children. It also features 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,” says Brandon Nudd, president and CEO of AdventHealth Waterman. “It means access to answers and treatment without having to leave their community.”

According to AdventHealth Waterman’s Community Health Needs Assessment, more than one in four Lake County residents is age 65 or older, and that percentage is expected to grow over the next decade. The assessment also identified access to quality health care as a priority for the community.

The emergency department will be staffed by board-certified emergency physicians and emergency nurses. The new facility is expected to create 40 clinical and support jobs in Lake County while providing local first responders with another destination for patients requiring emergency medical care.

“During an emergency, patients and families are often trying to process a lot at once,” says 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 with 57 hospitals across nine states. Its Florida network includes 33 hospitals and hundreds of clinics. The Fruitland Park facility becomes the health system’s 31st freestanding emergency room in Florida.

Photos by Cindy Peterson