By Brad Stager
Emergency medical care for an accident or illness is going to be more accessible to Brandon and nearby east Hillsborough County residents with the construction of a new, 18,000 sq. ft., freestanding emergency medical room by AdventHealth at 305 E. Brandon Blvd. The facility is expected to open in early 2020 and replaces a Florida Orthopaedic Institute clinic on the property.
Freestanding emergency rooms, or off-site emergency departments, are state-licensed medical facilities detached from but under the direction of a hospital, in this case AdventHealth Tampa in north Hillsborough County, about 30 minutes away. It is certified to provide the same level of care as a hospital-based emergency room and must be open 24 hours daily. Medical staff working in a freestanding ER are required to have the same qualifications as if they were working at an emergency room attached to a hospital.
According to Richelle HoenesAhearn, director of corporate communications for AdventHealth West Florida Division, the Brandon emergency department will be able to stabilize emergency patients and will have 12-24 beds available, with extended follow-up treatment just an ambulance ride away.
“If we had a patient come to the ER who needed to be admitted or transferred for in-patient care, they would go to AdventHealth Tampa.”
Hoenes-Ahern also said AdventHealth is committed to providing a high level of comprehensive emergency medical care.
“We are really heartfelt and passionate about looking at where our community needs more healthcare services, and we know there’s a lot of growth in Brandon, so we are very dedicated to making sure there are convenient, accessible, high-quality options for people there.”
Freestanding emergency rooms have become a trend in the local hospital industry. Existing facilities include St. Joseph’s Hospital-South Emergency Center in Riverview and TGH Emergency Center Brandon. AdventHealth is also constructing a freestanding ER in Carrollwood, and Brandon Regional Hospital, three minutes from AdventHealth’s new facility, has plans for a freestanding emergency room in Wesley Chapel.
AdventHealth Tampa hospital is located across the street from the University of South Florida, at 3100 E. Fletcher Ave.
