Healthcare district grants $10M to Health Central Park expansion

Health Central Park, a nursing home and rehabilitation center in Winter Garden, is getting major upgrades thanks to a large grant from the West Orange Healthcare District.

The district has committed $10 million to Orlando Health to help pay for the $25 million expansion project, which will include the construction of a nearly 65,000-square-foot building addition.

The design and permitting stage has begun and should take about eight months.

Deconstruction of the original section of the building, which was built in 1967, is expected to start in January with construction of the new building addition beginning in early 2023. The 1967 section is being replaced with a new 110-bed, contemporary section for long-term care and memory care residents, bringing the total number of beds to 228.

The new addition will feature private rooms and include courtyards for outdoor respite and new rehabilitation areas for patients.

“With a growing senior population in our community, the West Orange Healthcare District made a strategic decision four years ago to evaluate investments in the community that will create lasting benefits for seniors,” said Wendy J. Roundtree, of Jarel Communications.

The West Orange Healthcare District board of directors and Orlando Health senior leaders have been discussing this opportunity to benefit the community for the past year and finalized the grant agreement in July. 

"We're excited about bringing this renewed facility to the Winter Garden community and so appreciative of the West Orange Healthcare District for partnering with us on the project," said Greg Ohe, senior vice president of ambulatory care for Orlando Health. "Once complete, skilled nursing, long-term care and memory care residents will benefit from being in one location and in a new facility that allows for senior care to be second to none in the region."

“From a 118-bed skilled nursing home in the 1970s to an expansion of this magnitude, we're thrilled about putting the health and wellness of our residents at the forefront," said Tracy Swanson, chief executive officer of the West Orange Healthcare District. "This expansion also closely aligns with the district's strategic decision several years ago to evaluate investments in the community that will create lasting benefits for seniors."

Orlando Health officials anticipate the project will be ready for occupancy in the spring of 2024.

For more than 70 years, the West Orange Healthcare District has served as a champion for improving access to health care services and quality of care for residents in West Orange County. Over the past decade, the district has invested more than $245 million into assets, programs and initiatives focused on health and wellness.