JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Baptist Health Jacksonville and Wolfson Children’s Hospital celebrated a major milestone on Wednesday with the groundbreaking of a new four-story emergency and patient tower.
This project marks a significant expansion in access to advanced care for adults and children across Northeast Florida, the hospital said.
Recommended Videos
“More patients receive emergency care at Baptist Health Jacksonville’s main campus than at any other hospital in the Jacksonville area,” the Facebook post read. “This new tower will significantly enhance the health system’s capacity to provide the highest level of care for a wide range of medical needs, including chest pain, stroke, behavioral health crises, complex illnesses, injuries, pediatric trauma, and more.”
The 123,000-square-foot tower is named in honor of community philanthropists Debbie and Sutton McGehee Jr., whose generous gift helped make the project possible.
Key features of the McGehee Family Tower include:
- Two separate emergency centers—one dedicated to adults and one designed specifically for children—along with waiting areas and 100 emergency patient rooms. This includes 63 rooms for adults and 37 for children, with three pediatric trauma rooms located on the first floor.
- Dedicated imaging, laboratory, and ancillary resources to support emergency and trauma services.
- A new endoscopy suite and shell space for future cardiac procedure rooms, plus expanded areas for pre- and post-operative heart care on the second floor.
- Plans for future expansion adding 68 inpatient rooms on the third and fourth floors.
- An upgraded emergency entrance designed for a streamlined arrival experience, featuring a prominent patient drop-off zone for quick and easy access to care.
The hospital said the tower’s design focuses on both patient comfort and clinical efficiency, creating a compassionate care environment that supports patients and their families.
In a statement, Debbie and Sutton McGehee expressed their commitment to the community.
“We wanted to make a lasting gift for our community that we have called home for generations. We raised our kids here and our grandchildren are growing up here. Supporting this new patient and ER tower helps to make sure that Baptist Health and Wolfson Children’s Hospital can continue to care for current and future generations of families in the Jacksonville area.”
The new tower will open in phases and is scheduled for completion in 2029.
Throughout the construction period, emergency rooms at Baptist Jacksonville and Wolfson Children’s Hospital will remain open 24/7. Dedicated personnel and clear wayfinding signage are in place to guide patients and families to the emergency services they need.
To learn more about the McGehee Family Tower project and the McGehee family’s legacy of giving, visit: https://go.baptistjax.com/4ndYTv2