With a surge in population happening in and around Clermont, a new expansion is coming to meet the area’s healthcare needs.
Leaders with Orlando Health broke ground Monday on a new 95-bed patient tower at South Lake Hospital.
“Initially, we’ll shelf 30 beds, but we’ll add eight ICU beds,” hospital President Lance Sewell said. “We’ll add a 20-bed stepdown unit and a 30-bed med surge unit. We’ll also add services for our NICU later in the future.”
The expansion was made possible, in part, by a $50 million grant from the Live Well Foundation.
“To see what has grown and flourished here today is nothing short of transformational for health care in South Lake,” Chairman Kasy Kesselring said.
Hospital leaders said the expansion comes as hundreds of homes are being built in several communities surrounding the Clermont area.
“Certainly, the population growth is very much occurring with the housing expansion here in south Lake County,” Sewell said. “Clermont and Minneola, Montverde, Mascotte, Groveland are all a growing area.”
In addition to the tower, plans include an expansion and renovations to the Orlando Health South Lake Center for Women’s Health. The construction will include the addition of new beds for postpartum and labor and delivery, as well as expanded women’s services.
Renovations for the hospital’s Women’s Center will be completed in early 2022, while construction on the new tower is scheduled to be finished in late 2023.
This article was originally published on ClickOrlando.