Nemours Children’s Hospital, Florida Announces $300 Million Expansion

Investment highlights Nemours commitment to children’s health

ORLANDO, Fla. (Dec. 17, 2024) – As part of its overall commitment to pediatric health, Nemours Children’s Health will invest $300 million in Central Florida over the next four years to meet growing needs for highest-quality pediatric care.

“This expansion is a critical step in achieving our vision of bringing world-class children’s care to Florida. Our journey to become a nationally ranked children’s hospital here will give us the capacity to support even more families regionally, nationally and internationally,” said R. Lawrence Moss, MD, FACS, FAAP, President and CEO of Nemours Children’s Health.

As part of Nemours commitment to providing optimal health to children in Delaware, Florida and beyond, the plan consists of three new buildings on the Nemours Children’s Hospital, Florida campus:

• A 110,000-square-foot expansion of the pediatric hospital will double the size of the Emergency Department, increase space for the hospital’s Imaging Department and add new inpatient beds and observation rooms. It is scheduled to open to patients in 2028.
• A new 75,000-square-foot facility will house an expanded surgery center with six new operating rooms and new patient exam rooms. To be completed in 2028, this state-of-the-art patient care center will:
  • House Nemours rapidly growing orthopedics division, including a new International Center for Limb Lengthening and a new Gait and Motion Analysis Lab—the first and only accredited in Florida
  • Expand Nemours Sports Medicine program and outpatient rehabilitation therapy services
• A new 75,000-square-foot administrative building, which includes a new 800-space parking garage, will be completed in 2027.

“While Nemours has offered world-class pediatric healthcare services to children in the Delaware Valley for years, this significantly deepens our commitment to Central Florida, strengthening our position as the state’s leading children’s healthcare system,” said Martha McGill, MBA, MHA, President of the Central Florida Region for Nemours Children’s. “This investment is designed to care for more children, many of whom require highly complex care. It also directly aligns with our broader mission to reimagine children’s health to keep them well beyond medicine.”

As the fastest growing state in the nation, Florida faces an increased need for pediatric services. Nemours currently serves over 300,000 children and teens in the state. In Central Florida alone, the pediatric population of 1 million is expected to grow by nearly 5% over the next five years. Nemours Orlando expansion will better support both immediate capacity needs and future growth to meet the needs of patients and families.

Nemours has more than 50 locations in the state and employs Florida’s largest and most well-distributed team of pediatric specialists.

“The health of any community starts with its children, and we intend to play a leading role in creating the healthiest generations of Americans through our multistate pediatric health system,” said Dr. Moss. “We’re thrilled that through careful stewardship and commitment, we can make these critical investments across our system to set up patients, families and communities for the best possible health outcomes.”

Nemours Children’s Health is operated by the Nemours Foundation, formed from the legacy and philanthropy of Alfred I. duPont. This investment in Central Florida honors duPont’s legacy of stewardship, with Nemours strong financial position enabling it to invest in new and expanded facilities across its multistate pediatric health system to further its mission.

About Nemours Children's Health
Nemours Children’s Health is one of the nation’s largest multistate pediatric health systems, which includes two free-standing children's hospitals and a network of more than 70 primary and specialty care practices. Nemours Children's seeks to transform the health of children by adopting a holistic health model that utilizes innovative, safe, and high-quality care, while also addressing children’s needs well beyond medicine. In producing the highly acclaimed, award-winning pediatric medicine podcast Well Beyond Medicine, Nemours underscores that commitment by featuring the people, programs and partnerships addressing whole child health. Nemours Children's also powers the world’s most-visited website for information on the health of children and teens, Nemours KidsHealth.org.

The Nemours Foundation, established through the legacy and philanthropy of Alfred I. duPont, provides pediatric clinical care, research, education, advocacy, and prevention programs to the children, families and communities it serves. For more information, visit Nemours.org.

Contact:
Mario Roberts, [email protected]