LUTZ — A new $15 million freestanding emergency department opened March 25 at the southeast corner of State Road 54 and Sunlake Boulevard, the latest move by HCA Florida Healthcare to keep pace with Pasco County’s rapid population growth.
HCA Florida Sunlake Emergency will provide around-the-clock emergency care, advanced diagnostics and access to the broader HCA Florida Healthcare network, including no-cost transfers to HCA hospitals when inpatient care is needed.
The 11,000-square-foot facility features private exam rooms, a fully equipped trauma room, ambulance access and onsite laboratory testing, X-rays, CT scans and ultrasound imaging.
Construction began in summer 2025. The facility is one of three freestanding emergency rooms planned by HCA Healthcare’s West Florida Division at a projected cost of nearly $70 million.
The investment reflects surging demand. Pasco County has grown by 500,000 residents since 1970 and is projected to add more than 200,000 through 2045 — a 40% increase. HCA Florida Trinity Hospital, which oversees the new ER, provided emergency care to more than 74,000 patients last year.
“Pasco County is one of the fastest-growing counties in the United States, and opening our fourth freestanding emergency room allows us to better serve the healthcare needs of our community,” Mike Irvin, CEO of HCA Florida Trinity Hospital, said in a news release at the 2025 groundbreaking. “Sunlake Emergency will deliver high-level emergency care with board-certified physicians and specially trained nurses.”