- Orlando Health will close their Rockledge Hospital recently acquired on April 22, citing poor condition and high repair costs of the establishment.
- The health care company plans to build a new hospital in the County of Brevard, but has not yet determined a calendar or a place.
- Orlando Health acquired the Rockledge hospital, as well as two other hospitals, from Steward Health Care in October.
- Employees of the closing hospital will be offered positions in other Orlando health places.
Orlando Health will close its recently acquired acquired Rockledge Hospital On April 22, saying that the 298 bed hospital was in poor physical condition and too expensive to repair.
Four local ambulatory installations will also close, said Orlando Health.
Ohme ENTIN, main vice-president of the Orlando Health East region, said in a statement that her company planned to build a new hospital in Brevard County, but had not provided a calendar or a possible location.
In a memo to employees on the closure of the Rockledge hospital, the health care company said: “We have learned through inspections of professional architects and engineers that installation and its systems – like the ‘Electricity, CVC and plumbing – fail. “
The service note said that “the construction of a new hospital in the region can take several years, which is longer than our experts that the Rockledge Hospital can remain realistically open”.
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“The Rockledge Hospital is profitable, but the establishment was purchased in poor condition and does not make our standard for patient care environments,” said Orlando Health.
ENTIN said that Orlando Health “remains determined to take care of your community and will expand care in the region, including a new Brevard county hospital”.
Orlando Health said plans are also underway for other “new community care sites”.
“Additional details on these projects will be shared by the health care system in the near future,” said Orlando Health.
Once the Rockledge Hospital is finished, Orlando Health said it was planning to demolish the establishment. Hospital lands will be sold for redevelopment, and Orlando Health will continue to assess its other owned properties surrounding the hospital for future use.
‘It’s a very big problem’
“We are very disappointed,” said the mayor of Rockledge, Tom Price, who has traveled many calls from the city and hospital workers on Thursday about the announcement of Orlando health that L ‘Farm hospital and will be demolished. “It’s very important because we lose our hospital. It’s not good for Rockledge and it’s not good for cocoa.”
Price said Orlando Health does not undertake to build their new hospital in Rockledge, which leaves the residents of the Central Brevard who have a medical emergency with a longer distance to travel to the hospital. The closest hospital to Rockledge will be Health First Viera Hospital.
Price said that the city of Rockledge had donated land where the Rockledge hospital is now located for a hospital built on the site. The Rockledge original hospital opened its doors in 1941 with 10 beds of patients, and now has 298 through its many extensions over the years.
Price said he would ask the city’s legal personnel to seek this agreement to see if there would be a violation linked to Orlando Health closing the hospital and by detangling it.
Price said that if a full-service hospital is not built on this site, it would be open to Orlando Health to build an autonomous emergency complex there.
From 2015 to 2020, Price was the city representative to the board of directors who supervised the Rockledge hospital, also chairman of the board of directors.
October acquisition of three hospitals
In October, Orlando Health finished a $ 439 million agreement To buy what was then known as Rockledge Regional Medical Center – as well as the Melbourne Regional Medical Center at 119 beds and the Sebastian River Medical Center at 178 beds in Sebastian – Steward health care. The agreement also included practices of related doctors.
Acquisitions are the result of an asset purchase agreement with the steward health care that was approved by a judge of the bankruptcy court dealing with the steward bankruptcy case.
Orlando Health immediately renamed the old hospitals of the intendants as Orlando Hospital Health Melbourne,, Orlando Health Rockledge Hospital And Orlando Health Sébastien River Hospital.
ENTIN said: “When we acquired the Rockledge hospital last fall, the organization was aware that the establishment was in poor condition and did not meet our standards for patient care environments. We accepted To accept the Rockledge hospital when buying Melbourne and Sebastian River Hospital to avoid avoiding avoiding avoiding avoiding avoiding avoiding the immediate closure of The establishment during the bankruptcy of Steward. “
She said that “Following in -depth inspections which could only occur after the acquisition, it was determined that the cost of repairing and renovating the property of the Rockledge Hospital far exceeds the cost a new peak hospital. To ensure the safety of our patients and team members, we decided to close the hospital on April 22. “”
ENTIN said that Orlando Health “has already started long -term substantial investments in Orlando Health Melbourne Hospital and Orlando Health Sebastian River Hospital”. Orlando Health said that he “did not intend to close one or the other of these facilities”.
Orlando Health said four ambulatory services will also end with the Rockledge hospital. They are:
- Steward Wound Care and Hyperbaric Center in Rockledge, 1257 Florida Ave., Suite B, Rockledge.
- Diagnostic services Steward & Steward Pain Management Center, 2400 N. Courtenay Parkway, Merritt Island.
- Steward’s rehabilitation services – Merritt Island, 2400 N. Courtenay Parkway, Suite 100, Merritt Island. 32953
- Steward rehabilitation services – SUNTREE, 6300 N. Wickham Road, Suites 116 and 117, SUNTREE.
At the time of the acquisition of Orlando Health, the Rockledge Hospital had 852 employees, with 428 in Sebastian and 416 in Melbourne.
Orlando Health said that all employees of the Rockledge hospital who are “in good standing and open to jobs in other Orlando health locations are guaranteed positions within the organization. Some positions may require trips or reinstallation “.
Health first to open independent emergency services
Lance Skelly, Director of the Public and Media Relations System at Health First, the biggest health care company in Brevard, said that the announcement of Orlando Health according to which he closed the Rockledge hospital “does not come A shock nor a surprise, like us – like the community – have long understood the physical challenges present in the establishment, which makes it difficult to provide safe care and accessible to Patients.
Skelly said Health First is finalizing details to build and open two new independent emergency services in Brevard County by 2027. Their locations could be announced in next month.
“While the Space Coast Community is continuing its rapid development and expansion, this region will absolutely need a solid health care network that will develop and meet these future needs and requests,” said Skelly. “While our community continues to grow, the need for accessible and high quality emergency care has never been so critical. These new facilities will help guarantee that residents have practical access to the care they need nearby from home. “
Skelly said Health First is also ahead of the calendar with the construction of its new Cape Canaveral Hospital and the medical office building off State Road 520 on Merritt icing, with an opening date targeted at Beginning of 2027. This hospital will replace an existing health hospital in Cocoa Beach, and will be closer to the Rockledge / Cocoa region.
In addition, Health First has widened its first flight air ambulance program, with a second full -time helicopter. The new helicopter and crew will be stationed in the northern level of the Brevard county, while the original plane and crew will remain in Melbourne, covering the southern level and certain parts of the county of Indian River.
“Concerned about emptiness”
Johnette Gindling, president and chief executive officer of the Space Coast Health Foundation, said: “Like many in the community, we are saddened to learn the new” from the coming closure of the Rockledge hospital.
“Our reflections concern the staff and doctors of the establishment, as well as those who use the services,” said Gindling. “Space Coast Health Foundation understands and appreciates the decision to close the establishment. We are however concerned about the vacuum that this will leave in access to health care for members of the Rockledge / Cocoa communities. The Foundation wants to be a community partner In discussions for access to health care for residents of the Brevard center.
The Foundation is a non -profit organization founded after the 2010 sale in Wuesthoff Health System, a former owner of the Rockledge Hospital.
What health patients in Orlando should know
Darby Phillips Miller, Rockledge resident, Special Projects, manager of the Fark Learning Coalition in Brevard, said that she was disappointed to learn that the firm rockledge hospital.
“It was such a must in the community,” said Miller, who was born at the hospital in 1960. “Another icon of Brevard County is leaving. It’s just a great shame.”
Orlando Health said that patients at the Rockledge hospital can continue to receive care in other Orlando health establishments located in the center and center-east of Florida.
Patients can call 321-637-3030 if they have a question on a current appointment or a need to reprogram. Patients can request copies of their medical records via the hospital’s patient portal, stewardconnect or by fax or e-mail. For more details, call 321-636-2211, ext. 4
Orlando Health said some services at Rockledge Hospital could be reduced before the hospital on April 22 of the hospital. They will also provide career consulting services to current employees at Rockledge Hospital, including interviews and curriculum vitae construction workshops and career fairs to help find a new position in Orlando Health.
Orlando Health also appointed Nick Zaccagnini as a new administrator of the Rockledge Hospital “to lead the team through the closure of the hospital”. Orlando Health said that he had “over 20 years of experience in supporting organizations during transition periods.
Dave Berman is a company publisher at Florida today. Contact Berman at dberman@floridatoDay.comon x at @bydaveberman And on facebook at www.facebook.com/dave.berman.54