(This story was updated because an earlier version included an inaccuracy.)
HCA Healthcare will call on Palm Beach County commissioners on Thursday, March 26, to approve zoning changes that would allow a freestanding medical emergency room to be built in The Acreage.
The county Zoning Commission has recommended that the zoning changes be made, letting HCA build the facility within 250 feet of homes. Area residents are expected to oppose the changes, arguing that the sirens and flashing lights from emergency vehicles will disrupt their quality of life.
The site is on 1.8 acres at 15730 Orange Blvd., about a mile north of Westlake at the southeast corner of Seminole Pratt Whitney Road.
It would be part of a 12-acre commercial development that includes a Walgreens, a McDonald’s and an AutoZone. To the north is a Publix-anchored shopping center. The 11,096-square-foot parcel was previously approved for a 3,010-square-foot medical office.
HCA, through HCA Florida-Palms West Hospital, acquired the vacant property for $1.82 million in 2024. The hospital company needed permission to operate 24 hours a day because the site is close to homes.
HCA building freestanding ER facilities throughout South Florida
Free-standing emergency rooms are rapidly expanding across South Florida, bringing hospital services closer to fast-growing suburbs like Westlake, where thousands of new homes are being built.
They are designed to be more convenient than driving to a hospital and usually have shorter waiting times. They provide for 24/7 emergency care to areas that may be underserved
Physicians can treat issues involving heart issues, trouble breathing, severe allergic reactions, broken bones and severe burns, according to the county staff.
Such facilities normally don’t have overnight beds and can’t provide high-level care for severe trauma. Patients who need that level of care are transferred to hospitals.
A licensed hospital must operate the freestanding ER, and HCA Healthcare runs more than 60 of them in Florida, with locations in Boynton Beach, Palm Beach Gardens and West Palm Beach. Another one is expected to be built at Palms West Hospital near Royal Palm Beach as part of a broader expansion there.
HCA Healthcare has been building freestanding ER facilities throughout South Florida
Under the zoning change, the facilities can now be built on properties designated for medical offices, removing barriers that may have affected the establishment of ER facilities, according to county planners.
At HCA’s request, the county revised its zoning code this year to remove a ban on emergency vehicle sirens and flashing lights, as Fire Rescue stated these are essential during emergency responses. The staff also found the regulation unenforceable.
The Acreage Landowners Association said it will oppose the proposed ER. It claims the site is suitable for an emergent care facility but not a 24/7 operation.
The county also established standards for ER locations that require vehicle drop-off points to be screened from the view of nearby residential areas.
Mike Diamond is a journalist at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. He covers Palm Beach County government. You can reach him at mdiamond@pbpost.com. Help support local journalism. Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: HCA seeks OK to build new emergency room in The Acreage-Westlake area
Reporting by Mike Diamond, Palm Beach Post / Palm Beach Post
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