By David Clark
Broward Health is in the midst of a transformative period, advancing a comprehensive real estate strategy designed to expand access, enhance the patient experience and modernize care delivery across Broward County. With three new freestanding emergency rooms and two new medical office buildings, we are building a more connected, patient-centered system that meets the needs of today while preparing for future growth.
Broward Health North medical office building groundbreaking
At the core of this growth is a strategy to increase access to care through convenient locations. As our region continues to grow, so does the demand for timely, high-quality emergency care. By expanding locations across Broward County, we are reducing barriers to care and ensuring that high-quality services are available close to where patients live. Whether a patient requires emergency treatment, ongoing specialty care or preventive services, convenience and accessibility play a critical role in overall health outcomes.
To start, Broward Health is opening new freestanding emergency rooms in Lighthouse Point, Sunrise and Fort Lauderdale’s Holiday Park. Each location will be fully equipped to deliver hospital-level emergency services, including advanced imaging, laboratory capabilities and 24/7 physician coverage.
Broward Health Board of Commissioners at the Broward Health Medical Center groundbreaking
Broward Health Lighthouse Point ER is opening June 9, transforming a 1.03-acre site along Federal Highway into a two-story, 14,074-square-foot facility with 10 emergency exam rooms and additional space for medical offices on the second floor. The Broward Health Sunrise ER, opening early July near Oakland Park Boulevard and NW 94th Avenue, will feature 15 exam rooms, dedicated adult and pediatric resuscitation rooms, CT and X-ray imaging and thoughtfully designed family waiting areas. At Holiday Park in Fort Lauderdale, Broward Health is partnering with the YMCA of South Florida on a 58,000-square-foot community hub that uniquely integrates emergency care with wellness, recreation and community programming.
Our new facilities are not urgent care centers. They are fully licensed emergency rooms operating as extensions of our hospitals, ensuring continuity of care, rapid diagnostics and seamless admission when needed. This model allows us to bring emergency services closer to where patients live, reducing travel time during critical moments and easing congestion at our main campuses.
Complementing our emergency expansion is a significant investment in outpatient and specialty care that will be available in our multiple new medical office buildings we are building or have acquired. At Broward Health Medical Center, we recently broke ground on an eight-story, approximately 188,000-square-foot facility that will include 129 exam rooms, with capacity to expand to as many as 237. Included in the wide range of specialties available to patients are primary care, cardiovascular services, pulmonology, gastroenterology, neuroscience and women’s services. A seven-story parking garage with nearly 700 spaces will significantly enhance parking convenience for patients, visitors and staff.
At Broward Health North in Deerfield Beach, a six-story, 127,033-square-foot medical office building will expand access to specialty and outpatient care in northern Broward County. The design includes 75 exam rooms but allows us to grow the infrastructure to 123 rooms as demand increases. Patients will benefit from co-located services, including cardiovascular, orthopedic and neuroscience care, making it easier to receive comprehensive treatment in one setting.
Both buildings are being designed with standardized clinic layouts to promote consistency across the health system, while flexible floor plans allow us to adapt to evolving care models and emerging technologies. Architectural elements also reflect their surrounding communities, from coastal-inspired design at Broward Health Medical Center to lighthouse-inspired features in Deerfield Beach, both of which symbolize guidance and care.
These projects are part of a broader “medical district” strategy that also drives reinvestment within our existing hospital facilities. Relocating outpatient services into modern, purpose-built environments allows Broward Health to reclaim valuable space within legacy hospital buildings, some of which have not undergone major expansion since the 1980s. This creates new opportunities to modernize inpatient units, expand clinical capacity and upgrade technology to better support patient care.
Equally important is how these investments improve coordination. The result is a more integrated experience for patients and providers.
In addition, these investments strengthen our ability to attract and retain top clinical talent. Modern facilities equipped with advanced technology create an environment where physicians, nurses and care teams can deliver the highest standard of care while continuing to innovate and grow.
By integrating emergency services, outpatient care and hospital-based services into a cohesive network, we are creating a more responsive, efficient and patient-centered healthcare experience for the communities we serve today and for generations to come.
David Clark is Senior Vice President of Operations, Broward Health.
