Orange Park – During an emergency, having high-quality, expert health care in an accessible location is critical. That’s why Baptist Health is bringing specialized adult and pediatric emergency care to the Northern Clay County/West Jacksonville region with a new 20-bed freestanding emergency center.

The $23-million facility will be in Oakleaf Town Center at the corner of Argyle Forest Boulevard and Merchants Way. Located adjacent to the new First Coast Expressway, the state-of-the-art emergency center is designed to conveniently serve families in the rapidly growing area between I-10 and State Road 16.

Opening in early 2020, Baptist Emergency Center at Oakleaf will provide two emergency centers under one roof – with a dedicated Wolfson Children’s Emergency Center on one side designed specifically for patients age 0 to 17. All Wolfson Children’s Emergency Centers are connected to the only full-service children’s hospital in the region and the only state-designated Pediatric Trauma Center in Northeast Florida.

“At Baptist Health, meeting health care needs for the entire family means bringing our high-quality care closer to where people live and work,” said Darin Roark, vice president of ambulatory campuses and system emergency departments at Baptist Health. “Emergencies can happen at any age, at any time, and we have a responsibility to ensure this growing region has convenient access to our specialized care.”

A uniquely designed, child-friendly entrance will greet Wolfson Children's ER patients, backed by a full emergency team comprised of board-certified pediatric emergency physicians with Emergency Resource Group, pediatric nurses, respiratory therapists and radiologic technologists. Pediatric pharmacists will be available to consult on medication management and dosage with the physicians, which is critically important to children. Pediatric radiologists, who understand the development of children’s bones and growth, will interpret all pediatric X-ray images.

The Baptist/Wolfson Children's Emergency Center at Oakleaf will be the health system’s ninth emergency center in the greater Jacksonville. The 19,000 square-foot facility will offer the same 24/7 level of care found in a hospital-based emergency department, with a full complement of diagnostic services for both adult and pediatric emergency patients including a full-service laboratory, CT scanner, ultrasound, X-ray and emergency medical transport with an on-site ambulance and LifeFlight helipad.

The emergency center is only the first step in the journey to bring a tailored medical campus to the growing area. The 8.6-acre property will later include a Baptist Health medical office building. “We’re building with room to grow,” said Keith Tickell, vice president of strategic assets/real estate at Baptist Health.