Palm Bay expansion project is part of nearly $800 million worth of investments in Brevard County
Rockledge, Fla. – Brevard County-based Health First has announced an ambitious $230 million 5-floor patient tower expansion of Palm Bay Hospital.
The schematic design phase will begin this August, and construction is slated to begin in Summer 2026. The new tower is projected to significantly increase capacity and throughput of the current hospital and is scheduled to be completed in 2028.
This necessary investment provides our community with:
- 60 new inpatient beds, significantly easing current capacity challenges.
- Expanded Operating Rooms, Cath Labs, Pre-Op/Recovery spaces.
- Upgraded Sterile Processing Department.
- Two shelled floors to support future growth – potentially adding up to 60 additional beds.
- Enhanced access and patient experience through improved navigation and facility design.
- Relocating and doubling the number of Operating Rooms, Cath Labs, Pre-Op/Recovery space.
- Improved Hospital campus navigation and additional Visitor/Associate Parking.
Located on Malabar Rd., Palm Bay Hospital currently includes 120 beds, more than 200 highly skilled physicians, and offers more than 40 medical specialties. In 2024, the 27-bed Emergency Department treated over 53,000 emergency cases.
Palm Bay Hospital was originally built in 1992 as a 60-bed micro-hospital. And while Health First has made expansions to the campus over the years, the facility was never designed to handle the level of growth Brevard County and Palm Bay has experienced over the last decade.
“As we have for over 30 years, Health First is committed to growing with and meeting the needs of our community. This Palm Bay Hospital expansion project is one of many ambitions investments we have long planned, and we’re very proud and excited to see these plans quickly becoming a reality,” said Health First President and CEO Terry Forde.
“Palm Bay Hospital has faithfully served the south Brevard community since 1992. As the fastest growing city in Brevard County – and one of the most rapidly growing cities in the United States - Health First and Palm Bay’s community hospital is committed to meeting our community’s needs,” said Kyle Baxter, Palm Bay Hospital President. “I join our associates, providers, and volunteers in expressing our pride and excitement for this expansion that will improve access to quality care, and the health and wellness of our community.”
“Palm Bay is a city on the rise, and this transformative expansion by Health First reflects that momentum. It brings more jobs, more physicians, and more peace of mind to our residents,” said Mayor Rob Medina, City of Palm Bay
“We are grateful for this investment in the health and future of the greatest city on the face of the Earth, we call Palm Bay.”
Other ongoing Health First projects include:
Cape Canaveral Hospital:
Construction progress of the new $410 million Cape Canaveral Hospital and Medical Office Building on Merritt Island is on schedule expected to be completed by the end of 2026 and officially open to the public in early 2027.
The new 268,000-square-foot Cape Canaveral Hospital will include:
- 120 private inpatient hospital beds
- 25 Emergency Department treatment rooms
- 6 Operating Rooms.
3-story, 92,000-square-foot Medical Office Building.
The hospital was designed and will be built to withstand a Category 4 hurricane. Continuation of care and the potential for evacuation will be evaluated for individual storms, and in consultation with state officials. Additionally, the entire campus site will be constructed 13 feet above sea level to withstand storm surge.
Free-standing Emergency Departments:
Health First announced in April a $40 million investment and accelerated development of two new freestanding emergency departments (EDs) to help ensure residents continue to have reliable, 24/7 emergency care close to home.
Health First has long planned for the creation of freestanding EDs in Brevard County as the population is projected to grow steadily into the next decade. However, based on the evolving needs of the community, particularly given the recent announcement and swift closure of Orlando Health Rockledge Hospital, Health First will now fast-track efforts to expand access to emergency care across Brevard County.
Freestanding EDs deliver the same high-quality care found in hospital emergency departments— fully equipped and staffed around the clock by emergency physicians and trained care teams. Located in growing areas across the county, they help reduce travel times for patients and support faster treatment during critical moments.
Sites include:
Rockledge Site: Health First is actively working to develop a 13,000-square-foot, 12-bed freestanding ED at 3300 S. Fiske Blvd. Architectural assessments have confirmed the site’s viability, and the organization is engaging with city officials on zoning and permitting. Discussions with the Florida Department of Transportation are underway to improve traffic flow in the area.
Southern Brevard Site: A second freestanding ED is in the early stages of development to serve the southern part of the county. Details will be shared once plans advance further and permitting is underway.
First Flight Air Ambulance Fleet Expansion:
Health First officially launched in March its second full-time air ambulance (First Flight 2) doubling its emergency air response capabilities in Brevard County.
The First Flight Air Medical Program now operates two state-of-the-art EC135 helicopters, equipped with critical care interiors tailored for Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and Interfacility Hospital Transport. Both helicopters are staffed with highly trained professionals - including one pilot and two medical crew members: a Registered Nurse Paramedic (RN Paramedic) and a Critical Care Paramedic.
First Flight has served as the primary helicopter ambulance service for Brevard County and northern Indian River County for over 35 years, responding to multiple calls each day. The program now operates out of two strategic operation bases: one in Melbourne at the Melbourne Orlando International Airport - and the new base addition in Titusville, enabling the air teams to effectively support a wide range of emergencies, including Trauma, Cardiac, Stroke, and other acute medical conditions.
Epic Electronic Medical Record
In April 2024, Health First announced the investment of more than $100 million as part of a two-year transformative plan to modernize and transform Brevard County’s healthcare experience for patients, health plans members, providers, and care teams.
Health First is partnering with Verona, Wisconsin-based healthcare software vendor Epic to improve the health and wellness of the communities we serve. This ambitious project underscores Health First’s mission to deliver high-quality care and services in the most consumer-friendly manner.
The investment in the Epic platform will modernize Health First’s technology and improve our ability to support everyone we serve. This will enhance our ability to share data, streamline experience, and provide national best-practice decision support tools. All of these will provide our patients and plan members with quicker access to information they need to manage their health – and make the work of our clinicians and associates more efficient.