HCA Healthcare looks to build free-standing ER in North Lakeland off Carpenters Way

Sara-Megan Walsh, Lakeland Ledger
·3 min read
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HCA Healthcare recently opened this free-standing emergency room in Haines City and has submitted plans for a similar ER in North Lakeland, at Carpenters Way and U.S. 98.
HCA Healthcare recently opened this free-standing emergency room in Haines City and has submitted plans for a similar ER in North Lakeland, at Carpenters Way and U.S. 98.

LAKELAND — HCA Healthcare wants to build a new, free-standing emergency room off a busy North Lakeland intersection.

HCA Healthcare is asking for a major modification to the Planned Unit Development to build an 11,570-square-foot emergency room at 1075 Carpenters Way, at the site of an old bank building on the northeast corner of Carpenters and U.S. 98 North.

"We are in essence a self-sufficient ER that's placed in the community rather than you coming to a primary hospital," said Gary Ball, HCA's emergency manager at Brandon Regional Hospital. "The benefit of this being more in your community and reduces EMS transport time to our facility, getting you care faster."

The proposed plans call for demolition of the existing 4,554-square-foot building and redevelopment of the site. It was previously home to SunTrust, then Truist after the company's merger.

Ball said the freestanding ER would be capable of providing acute care, performing CT scans and X-rays, taking blood work and administering life-saving medications for heart attacks, strokes and sepsis. It would be open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year staffed by an ER physician and combination of nurses and paramedics.

"We are coming to meet the needs of the increasing population," he said. "The population growth anticipated over the next five years is about 6.5%, and the average age of 48."

Ball, 58, a retired Polk County Fire Rescue battalion chief, said the county struggles with its transport times, distance and manpower. He oversees the HCA Florida Lakeland Emergency at 3526 S. Florida Ave. in South Lakeland. Ball claimed the South Lakeland site has saved the county EMS services about 500 crew hours in the first six months by reducing lengthy transports.

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"Getting them back on the street is very vital," he said.

Planning and Zoning board member Leigh Ann Lunz asked whether a traffic study would be needed to determine what impact a free-standing ER could have on traffic conditions at U.S. 98 and Carpenters Way.

Chuck Barmby, Lakeland's planning and transportation manager, said a traffic study would not be needed.

"This generates less traffic than the bank," he said.

Barmby said the city's traffic operations staff are studying the intersections in hopes of improving backups and delays. The city is looking at changing the intersection's traffic signals to help.

Joseph Lauk, chairman of the Planning and Zoning Board, asked how often ambulances with active lights and sirens arrived at the South Lakeland ER operated by HCA Healthcare, "essentially shutting down the intersection."

Ball said approximately 95% of patients arriving via ambulance were non-emergencies. He said the South Lakeland site averages 50 to 60 patients a day and has not received any ambulances operating in emergency mode with lights and sirens in the past year.

City officials are also working with a developer to extend Lakeland Park Drive, which fronts Interstate 4, to create another outlet onto U.S. 98, Barmby said.

Lakeland resident Linda Bagley Wiggs asked city staff how many homeowners living off Carpenters Way were notified of the proposed development. Matt Lyon, the city's chief planner, said 18 letters were mailed out but didn't specify to whom. Under Lakeland's code, only those property owners within 500 of the feet of the proposed site must be notified.

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Board member Lyle Philipson asked what would happen if a patient's medical needs exceed what can be performed by the free-standing ER. Ball said the roughly 4% to 5% of patients who need to be admitted would be transferred to HCA's Brandon Regional Hospital. Those patients who objected to the distance could be transferred to Lakeland Regional Health Medical Center upon request.

The Planning and Zoning Board will hear city staff recommendations about the proposed project at its next meeting scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Sept. 19 before possibly voting on the issue.

Sara-Megan Walsh can be reached at swalsh@theledger.com or 863-802-7545. Follow on X @SaraWalshFl.

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: HCA Healthcare proposes North Lakeland ER off Carpenters Way and US 98