UCF Lake Nona Medical Center brings comprehensive hospital care to Medical City at Lake Nona.

In late 2018, HCA Healthcare’s North Florida Division and the University of Central Florida broke ground on UCF Lake Nona Medical Center, located adjacent to the UCF College of Medicine in Orlando’s Medical City at Lake Nona. On March 1, the three-story, $175 million hospital opens to the public, providing a full range of healthcare services to Southeast Orlando and surrounding communities in Orange and Osceola counties. A milestone that has been years in the making, the hospital’s grand opening is the realization of a vision that will impact the Lake Nona community for generations. 

UCF Lake Nona Medical Center will offer 24/7 emergency care; inpatient medical, surgical, and intensive care; outpatient surgery and diagnostic services; a family birthing unit; and a comprehensive list of medical and surgical specialties. While providing convenient access to much-needed healthcare services in the region, according to Wendy H. Brandon, FACHE, chief executive officer, the warmth and compassion of the UCF Lake Nona Medical Center family is what really sets the hospital apart. She said hospital leaders have worked hard to build a team dedicated to the hospital’s mission:

Above all else, we are committed to the care and improvement of human life. We achieve this through the delivery of exceptional patient care, groundbreaking research, and outstanding education.

“We have been intentional in selecting colleagues to join our team who share our commitment and who will contribute to our goal of elevating the standards of care in our community,” Brandon said. “We want to be seen as the pillar of health and healing in the Lake Nona community. We want our friends and neighbors to know they can trust us to care for them like family.”

Brandon shared that through UCF Lake Nona Medical Center, Lake Nona and surrounding communities now have convenient access to patient-centered care supported by some of the latest technology in the industry. The hospital has invested in innovative solutions that support its commitment to superior quality care and patient safety. A few examples include:

• A “smart” nurse call system that allows caregivers to proactively respond to patient needs.
• A digital footprint identification safety system for all babies born at the family birthing unit at UCF Lake Nona Medical Center, providing enhanced safety and security for newborns.  
• HCA Healthcare’s SPOT monitoring system to provide early detection of sepsis, saving lives through earlier diagnosis and treatment of deadly infections.  
• The latest electronic tools for caregivers to document patient care as well as to provide patients online access to test results, patient registration, and scheduling.

Also at the core of UCF Lake Nona Medical Center’s mission is a commitment to the future of healthcare in Central Florida by supporting research and training for tomorrow’s physicians. As a joint venture partnership between HCA Healthcare’s North Florida Division and UCF, the hospital supports the learning experience for medical students at the University of Central Florida College of Medicine. In addition, HCA Healthcare and UCF have partnered to create 28 accredited residency and fellowship programs across Florida. Patients and physicians-in-training alike will benefit from the healthcare system’s clinical knowledge and innovative operating strategies as well as the cutting-edge research initiatives at UCF Lake Nona Cancer Center and Sarah Cannon Research Institute. The cancer center, located next to the hospital, also opens on March 1. Sarah Cannon, the national cancer research arm of HCA, is the largest provider of cancer care in the nation, serving more than 2.5 million patients a year. 

“Our partnership with HCA Healthcare allows to us provide care to all in Lake Nona. It is the missing piece in our medical city,” said Deborah C. German, M.D., UCF’s vice president for health affairs and dean, College of Medicine. “Our faculty, students and residents will have a hospital in Lake Nona dedicated to care, learning and the creation of new knowledge. This hospital of the future enables UCF to create an Academic Health Sciences Center that will serve many of the university’s clinical programs – including nursing, physical therapy, and social work.”

With the rapid growth in Central Florida, the HCA Healthcare-UCF Academic Health partnership is helping to address the physician shortage here and beyond. And, with the rapid growth in Lake Nona, UCF Lake Nona Medical Center fulfills the region’s need for safe, high-quality, compassionate care close to home. UCF Lake Nona Medical Center is well-equipped to grow with the Lake Nona community and engage in the region’s innovative wellbeing initiatives. Whether you need treatment for an acute injury or illness, or if you are seeking specialty care, the team at UCF Lake Nona Medical Center is ready to become your choice for innovative, convenient, and comprehensive healthcare services delivered with the care and dedication to excellence our community deserves.