UF, UF Health celebrate expansion of health care services at Durbin Park, ongoing regional growth across Northeast Florida

University of Florida and UF Health leaders today broke ground at UF Health Durbin Park, a 42.5-acre health and wellness campus that will advance health care services as part of UF’s regional expansion plan for Jacksonville and St. Johns County.

The first phase of the UF Health Durbin Park development, located in northeast St. Johns County, will include a full-service 150-bed hospital with a focus on orthopaedics, neurosurgery, cardiovascular medicine, and women’s services, as well as a multidisciplinary medical office building and an ambulatory surgery center. The project is expected to bring 2,000 new jobs to the area, for a total of 12,000 jobs in St. Johns and Jacksonville over time, and represents a $1 billion investment in Northeast Florida.

The initiative reflects an infusion of additional resources into one of the state’s fastest-growing regions — not just financial resources, but human resources and intellectual capital. That includes technologically advanced care focused on world-class outcomes, research opportunities — including access to new clinical trials — and training programs for the next generation of care providers.

The latest effort complements UF’s goal of introducing innovative programs in medicine, business, and engineering throughout Northeast Florida, including Jacksonville, said Mori Hosseini, chair of the UF Board of Trustees. These are aimed at supporting the region’s growing workforce and academic needs in biomedical technology and focused on pioneering technology related to simulation, health applications of artificial intelligence, patient quality and safety, health care administration, and fintech — opportunities to create strong synergies by uniting UF’s powerhouse programs with the city’s rising stature as a national health care and technology hub.

“I have two simple messages: First, if you want the highest quality of care, UF Health is here for you. Second, we’re here because the University of Florida has a bold vision for Northeast Florida,” Hosseini said. “Our bold vision will let us accomplish great things together. When it comes to going bold, UF knows a thing or two. Make no mistake: The University of Florida does not make small plans.

“We dare to dream big. We set high goals. And we hold ourselves to high standards,” he added. “When we do this, we achieve incredible things. We raise the bar. We deliver incredible results for Floridians. That’s exactly what we are going to do for St. Johns and the Jacksonville community… When the moment calls for nothing short of the best, come to UF Health.”

Once complete, the 395,000-square-foot hospital will include acute, intensive, and emergency care; operating rooms; and an imaging suite and hybrid labs for interventional procedures. Site work for construction of the hospital began in December 2023 and UF Health expects to care for the first patient by late 2025. The ambulatory surgery center will focus on orthopaedics and other surgical services, providing a full spectrum of care, including operating and procedural rooms, office space, and rehabilitation facilities.

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