ROCKLEDGE, Fla. — Orlando Health has announced it is closing the hospital it purchased in Rockledge just months ago, saying extensive mold, raw sewage leaks and structural damage left the facility unsalvageable.
Rockledge Hospital will be closing for good Tuesday, but Orlando Health noted in a statement that if it hadn't purchased the bankrupt hospital in October 2024, it would have likely closed regardless.
According to information from Orlando Health, the hospital was given a $0 value at the time of its purchase "following decades of neglect by previous owners."
"Orlando Health knew the Rockledge Hospital was in bad condition, but we didn't know it was dangerous until we started opening walls and ceilings post-acquisition," the company said in the statement.
Extensive mold was found covering the walls in the basement under the emergency room, company officials said. In some places, it was so bad that "we have received direction from mold mitigation experts that people entering some parts of the building should don full protective equipment."
Information from Orlando Health also described numerous areas where sewer lines were so corroded that raw sewage was leaking into buildings. And structural damage to one exterior wall was so severe that "it cannot be repaired."
Officials at Orlando Health said it was determined in that it would cost more to renovate and repair the Rockledge Hospital than it would to build a new hospital. The new facility, which is still in the planning stages, is expected to cost around $600 million, with free-standing emergency rooms planned on top of that at a cost of $30 million each.
According to information from Orlando Health, $60 million will also be spent to build medical pavilions, physician practices and other facilities.
Health First announced in early April that a 13,000 square foot, 12-bed free standing emergency department will be built at 33 South Fiske Boulevard, 10 minutes from where Rockledge Hospital currently stands.
A southern Brevard site is also in the works.
"As we expand across the county, our goal is to serve more citizens than the Rockledge Hospital was ever able or equipped to serve," the company said in a statement.
Orlando Health did not release any information on when or where the new facilities will be built.
Hospital employees have said they felt blindsided by the closure, considering Orlando Health only purchased the hospital a few months ago. And patients have expressed concern that without a hospital nearby, they would be left without emergency medical services.
The Space Coast Health Foundation has been partnering with other health care providers to plan for the hospital closing.
“I want to give a big kudos, especially to Brevard County EMS and Coastal Ambulance, and also Health First, who are really the ones who are going to feel the brunt of this,” Space Coast Health Foundation President and CEO Johnette Gindling said.
On Tuesday, Brevard County commissioners announced Orlando Health will be donating $10 million to the Space Coast Health Foundation and more.
"Demolish the building at their expense, and give the property back to the city of Rockledge," said Commissioner Rob Feltner in the meeting.
The hospital in Rockledge was one of three that Orlando Health purchased out of bankruptcy — the other two are in Melbourne and Sebastian.
