HCA Florida Palms West Hospital broke ground Wednesday, June 11 on a new 42-bed patient tower that will transform the hospital and help meet the growing healthcare needs of the western communities.
“Today isn’t just about turning dirt and signaling the start of a large-scale construction project. Far more profoundly, it’s about turning a new page in the healthcare story across our entire region that will never be erased,” said Jason Kimbrell, chief executive officer of HCA Florida Palms West Hospital. “This groundbreaking symbolizes our unwavering commitment to progress, innovation and, most importantly, the health, safety and welfare of our community. We are not just constructing a building; we are building a healthier tomorrow for generations to come, ensuring access to advanced care and a brighter future for all.”
The tower expansion, which was announced in March 2024, will stretch the footprint of the hospital nearly to Southern Blvd. and include a new hospital entrance, main lobby, registration area, coffee shop, academic classrooms, an auditorium and courtyard. The tower’s 42 beds will be dedicated to patients of the hospital’s Robotic Center of Excellence. While the initial plans are for a one-floor expansion, the tower is being developed to grow to five stories.
The groundbreaking timing was chosen due to its significance in the history of the hospital, as HCA Healthcare announced plans to build the hospital in June 1981. The hospital opened in 1986.
In a nod to the hospital’s history, former CEOs Mike Pugh, Bland Eng and Heather Rohan attended the ceremony. Pugh, the hospital’s beloved first CEO, was honored with the announcement that the courtyard in the new tower would be named in his honor.
The tower project is one of many investments that HCA Healthcare is making at Palms West Hospital over the next 18 months. Additional expansions include a 10-bed emergency room expansion, a second cardiac cath lab and a freestanding emergency room in West Palm Beach. These projects, along with the tower, are expected to add 150 new jobs to the community.
HCA Florida Palms West Hospital is a 206-bed, full-service acute care hospital providing high quality patient care in western Palm Beach County. As Palm Beach County’s only accredited Center of Excellence in Robotic Surgery, Palms West specializes in minimally invasive and robotic surgeries, as well as orthopedics, spine care and emergency medicine. The Women’s and Children’s Center is home to the area’s only dedicated pediatric emergency room and offers full pediatric services, pediatric intensive care services, maternity and Level III neonatal services.
