Ocala Health, ambassadors of the Ocala Chamber and Economic Partnership and local dignitaries cut the ribbon on a new Emergency Room on Maricamp Road (2897 SE Maricamp Road, Ocala, FL 34471) on Monday morning.
The new 10,000 square-foot facility comes with a variety of emergency services and is equipped with a collection of state-of-the-art equipment that provide for a wider range of services.
The facility broke ground this past February and was built in record speed according to Ginger Carroll, Chief Executive Officer of the West Marion Community Hospital.
“This building is going to feature 12 patient rooms, laboratory imaging, and an expansive waiting area,” said Carroll of the new emergency facility.
Carroll, who indicated that around 30 full time employees were hired to staff the new facility, said the project took around $13 million to complete and is part of $98 million in capital and expansion projects that have been funded locally by parent company HCA Healthcare.
“This is a great location for a top-notch emergency care facility,” said Marion County Commissioner Kathy Bryant.
Bryant praised the location of the new facility, expressing the community’s need for a quicker option for those living in the area or visiting Jervey Gannt Park or Ocala Rotary Sportsplex.
“Access to quality healthcare in our community is an important asset and something that people seek out when they’re thinking about moving their families and when they’re considering areas to relocate or expand their businesses,” added Bryant.
“I just wanted to thank ORMC for all the things that you’ve done, and all of the money you’ve spent in our community over the years,” said Mayor Kent Guinn.
“So now you’ve got care for the body and care for the soul right next door to each other,” said Mayor Guinn, alluding to the adjacent property owned by First Baptist Church of Ocala.
“The opening of this facility comes within a time when we are opening multiple access points and expansions across Ocala Health and in the region,” said Carroll. She touched briefly on the $31 million dollar project at the main Ocala campus, where the organization is growing its emergency room and adding 34 beds dedicated to in-patient cardiovascular services, as well as a $27 million expansion project that will start this October at the West Marion campus.
According to Carroll, the organization also has plans to build a third, free-standing Emergency Room on County Road 466A in Wildwood, as well as expand the Summerfield Emergency Room that was opened in October of 2016.