OCALA, FL (352today.com) – A ribbon cutting was held Aug. 26, to welcome HCA Florida West Marion Hospital’s new state-of-the-art patient tower. HCA Florida West Marion Hospital broke ground on the overall $120 million expansion project in February 2024.
HCA Florida West Marion Hospital expansion included the addition of 40 new beds, 24 med/surgical inpatient beds, 16 rehabilitation beds, four new operating rooms, an expanded central sterile suite, a second-floor shell that allows for additional expansion, 247 new parking spaces, a renovated lab and a relocation of the hospital’s engineering plant.
The expansion will play a critical component in providing access to healthcare for Marion County residents, said Isaiah Zirkle, HCA Florida West Marion Hospital chief executive officer. The expansion also added 52 jobs.
“HCA Florida West Marion Hospital and HCA Florida Ocala Hospital are among America’s 250 best hospitals, America’s top 100 hospitals for joint replacement procedures, orthopedic surgeries, spinal surgery procedures and is in the top 50 hospitals nationally for vascular surgery,” said Zirkle. “HCA Florida West Marion Hospital is the leading hospital in Florida for orthopedic surgery.”
The expansion brings the total to 585 total beds within the hospital system, said Zirkle.
“We started the expansion project because we recognized the need of the growth that we have here in the southwest area of Ocala,” said Zirkle. “We know that we need to create access for our patients south and west in this community…and today, we see the first fruits of this project. A state-of-the-art patient tower that will have 40 new beds, expanding our inpatient rehab and medical and surgical departments.”
HCA Florida West Marion Hospital and HCA Florida Ocala Hospital are recipients of the distinguished National Patient Safety Excellence Award presented by Healthgrades.
“This is a phenomenal blessing for our community and it kind of reinforces the motto of HCA, ‘We Show Up,” said Jim Duke, HCA Florida West Marion Hospital board of trustees’ member, who has been a part of the community since 1991. “HCA has continued to do that. It’s been amazing to see the whole growth of what’s happened especially with West Marion. In 2002, I did the first surgery here. In 23 years, we’ve seen a phenomenal expansion, and this is just another part of that.”
It’s a project that’s already making a difference within the community, the opening of the new tower, said Kathy Bryant, Marion County Board of County Commissioners chair.
“This expansion is more than a construction project,’ said Bryant. “It’s a commitment to providing new healthcare services, and greater assets for our growing community. And as our community continues to thrive, HCA is truly making their mark. This expansion will be especially important for residents along the SR 200 corridor providing easier access to healthcare.”
HCA Florida West Marion Hospital Inpatient Rehabilitation Medical Doctor Dr. William Palmer Jr. views rehabilitation as an important component within the continuum of care of the hospital.
“For many patients, it’s the last step before they transition home,” said Palmer Jr. “So, these 16 additional beds allow for more patients to be served by our community.”
