HCA Florida Brandon Hospital has broken ground on a new freestanding emergency department at 12910 Boyette Rd. in Riverview, expanding emergency care in one of the fastest-growing areas of southeastern Hillsborough County.
The site, formerly home to the Ace Golf driving range, sits along the busy Boyette Road corridor connecting Riverview to Lithia and FishHawk, an area experiencing steady residential growth.
Hospital leaders, first responders and community members gathered for the April 1 ceremony, underscoring the increasing demand for emergency services across South County.
“This is more than just a 13,000-square-foot building. It’s more than a $19 million investment. It represents the commitment to meeting the needs of the community,” said Tripp Owings, CEO of HCA Florida Brandon Hospital.
The project builds on the hospital’s legacy of serving the community since 1977 and is part of HCA Florida Healthcare’s broader statewide network.
When complete, the 13,000-square-foot facility will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with 11 treatment rooms and full-service emergency care, including onsite laboratory services, X-ray and CT imaging.
Rescue Chief Todd Carnell of Hillsborough County Fire Rescue said the new location will improve emergency response.
“They have everything you need in the first few minutes or hours of your emergency. Then they have the ability to transfer you to the hospital by their own ambulance, leaving us available once again,” Carnell said. “They bring community medicine back into the community.”
Manager of Emergency Services Anna Hendrix, a U.S. Navy veteran and former emergency room nurse, said the project also carries personal significance.
“I live just minutes from here. As a mother, knowing there will be a trusted emergency department nearby gives me peace of mind — the kind every parent hopes for when their child needs help quickly,” Hendrix said.
Vice President of Emergency Services Nealy Kinnison emphasized the broader impact.
“These expanded emergency services will save lives in the community by being closer to home for the tens of thousands of residents,” Kinnison said.
Freestanding emergency departments provide full-service care, allowing patients to be evaluated and stabilized locally before transfer to a hospital if additional treatment is required.
During the ceremony, Lt. Levic Allen was recognized on his retirement after 34 years with Hillsborough County Fire Rescue.
The new ER adds needed capacity in a rapidly growing area where demand for emergency services continues to rise.
HCA Florida Healthcare operates more than 650 affiliated sites of care statewide, including hospital campuses, freestanding emergency rooms, urgent care centers and physician practices.
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