Baptist opens emergency room in St. Augustine

A new emergency room will open Monday in St. Augustine, and Baptist Health says it will make health care more accessible to area residents.

“There are approximately 140,000 people who live within 10 miles of our freestanding emergency department in St. Augustine,” says Tammy Daniel, chief nursing officer. Jacksonville today. “We know this community is growing. We know there are people who have emergencies every day and have to drive to St. Augustine or further to Jacksonville. Now they won’t have to.

Just off Interstate 95 near the St. Augustine’s Mall, the emergency department will fill a niche for the growing community: the nearest hospital is about 10 miles away and the dedicated children’s hospital is The closest is in Jacksonville.

“All the staff are trained to deal with pediatrics, which should reassure family members that they can bring their children here,” says Daniel. “And if they need extended care, we will have a mobile NICU and a mobile ICU that can transport them to our children’s hospital where we have full services.”

Head Nurse Tammy Daniel and Assistant Nurse Manager Charlie Chenoweth show off the touches to the new Baptist Health/Wolfson Children’s ER that make it more comforting for all ages. This mural in the pediatric waiting room is something emergency room staff hope will help children feel a little calmer during an emergency. | Noah Hertz, Jacksonville today.

The new 16-bed emergency department is fully equipped with an ambulance bay, resuscitation rooms and a helipad to airlift patients to nearby hospitals. When it opens, it will accommodate around 80 professionals, with two doctors on call during the day.

Baptist Health emphasized that emergencies are not limited to their emergency departments. One of the goals of the new facility is to provide nearby outpatient care to people who live and work in the area.

The facility can provide CT scans, mammograms, x-rays and other imaging services to patients, all with a separate entrance to the main emergency room. It’s all about trying to make things smoother for the community, Daniel says.

The new emergency room, located at 461 Outlet Mall Blvd., will open at 7 a.m. Monday.