Oviedo ER looks to expand

OVIEDO, Fla. — WFTV found out a new emergency room in Seminole County has been so busy, its owners are ready to spend millions to expand. The Oviedo ER just opened in November and its owner, HCA, wants to build a full acute-care hospital behind the current facility.

If the plans are approved at a state level, it will be the third time that health care administration officials have allowed a hospital to be built in Oviedo.

Before the new ER was built, the closest hospital was 10 miles away.

Oviedo Mayor Dominic Persampiere said plans by Central Florida Regional to add a hospital come after both Florida Hospital and Orlando Health backed out of plans to build an Oviedo hospital in the past.

“There have been many promises made to us to build a hospital here. Each network has promised the community they were going to build the hospital and never came through,” Persampiere said.

When Channel 9’s Karla Ray went to the hospital to see how busy it was, all the patient beds were full.

Officials said they expected to treat around 10,000 patients a year and the city of Oviedo itself has nearly doubled in population in the last 15 years.

“We are just grateful that they are our partners and that they realize the need here in the city," Persampiere said.

WFTV