ORANGE PARK – Leadership broke ground last Thursday for the 101,435-square-foot tower at Orange Park Medical Center that will house 48 bed for medical and surgical patients. Once completed, the hospital will have 365 licensed beds.

The new space will also include two floors built as a shell space, designated for the future expansion of 48 additional patient rooms. As part of the expansion, more than 100 new jobs will be created to care for the increased number of patients.

“Like many businesses in our area we’re feeling the effects of the growth happening in Clay County,” says Chad Patrick, CEO at Orange Park Medical Center. “We are already the preferred healthcare provider for thousands of families in our community. We see their support especially in our ER. We want to continue earning their trust by providing more resources to keep them close to home when seeking medical care.”

In addition to the new patient tower, OPMC will be opening a 12,000-square-foot expansion in July that includes 14 recovery rooms and two electrophysiology labs serving patients suffering from irregular heart rhythm conditions such as atrial fibrillation.

The hospital also recently expanded their NICU (neonatal intensive care unit) and began the expansion of their kitchen and dining area. All projects are part of a $126 million expansion project.

Patrick says expanding into these new spaces will allow them to add the latest equipment and technology in a beautiful new environment. Charles Perry Partners, Inc. will lead the Orange Park Medical Center project and TMPartners, PLLC will be serving as the architect.