Jacksonville, Fla., Sept. 1, 2015 ̶ Site preparation has started on the new Baptist Health/Wolfson Children’s Hospital Emergency Center at the St. Johns Town Center.
With the demand for emergency services continuing to grow, Baptist Health is building a free-standing children’s and adult emergency center near the intersection of Interstate 295 and Town Center Parkway at 11026 UNF Drive. Construction of the building is expected to start in the next 30 to 60 days.
Emergency room visits in general have increased more than 12 percent in Duval County from 2011 to 2014 and more than 14 percent in the region, according to the Health Planning Council.
The new Baptist/Wolfson Children’s Emergency Center follows the introduction in 2013 of Baptist Health’s first free-standing emergency center, located in Clay County at U.S. 17 and Village Square Parkway in Fleming Island. The Baptist/Wolfson Emergency Center at Clay saw more than 22,000 adults and children in 2014.
The Baptist/Wolfson Children’s Emergency Center at the Town Center will house two emergency centers under one roof, staffed 24/7 by board-certified emergency medicine physicians. While sharing a common entrance, the Emergency Center is specially designed to meet the needs of two very different patient populations. One side of the Baptist/Wolfson Children’s Emergency Center will have a dedicated waiting area and eight adult emergency beds. The other side of the building will be completely dedicated to meet the unique needs of Wolfson Children’s patients and their families, with a separate waiting area and eight children’s emergency beds.
The most important elements of the Children’s Emergency Center will be the comprehensive Wolfson team who are trained to handle the rapidly changing and life-threatening situations that occur in children. Wolfson Children’s Hospital-trained pediatric nurses, respiratory therapists, and radiology technicians will work in concert with pediatric emergency medicine physicians, pediatric radiologists and the more than 200 pediatric medical/surgical specialists on staff at Wolfson Children’s Hospital. In addition, telemedicine consultation services will be available for detailed examination of unusual findings by pediatric physician subspecialists. The children’s and adult emergency center will be supported by a full-service laboratory, CT scanner, and ultrasound imaging services on-site.
The Baptist/Wolfson Emergency Center, expected to open in the summer of 2016, will be 17,030 square feet and is located on a 1.76-acre site.
“An extensive review of the market demonstrated a need for emergency care close to home for residents of all ages living in and around the St. Johns Town Center area,” said Darin C. Roark, administrator for the Baptist Clay Medical Campus and Emergency Services for Baptist Health. “The Town Center location also allows us to serve the needs of the growing University of North Florida student and educator populations, and surrounding communities. We are pleased to be able to provide Southside and Town Center residents quick, easy access to adult and pediatric emergency services close to home.”
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