St. Lucie Hospital Expansion to โAddress Surging Birthโ Rates on Treasure โฃCoast
PORT ST. LUCIE, FL -โฃ HCA Florida St. โLucie โฃHospital is expanding its capacity to โฃmeet a dramaticโฃ increaseโ inโ labor andโ delivery demand along Florida’s Treasureโข coast, with new facilities slated to open in December or January. The expansion comes as the region experiences rapid โขpopulation growth โand followingโ the recent closure of the maternityโค unitโ at โCleveland Clinic Martin North Hospital.
Hospital officials report births at St. Lucie Hospital nearly quintupled in August, โขrising from 26 deliveries in August 2024 to 140 in August 2025.Theโค expansionโฃ will add 25โค new labor and delivery beds, includingโค 10 Level II Neonatal intensive โขCare unitโ (NICU) โbeds, with additional Level III NICU beds planned to follow.
“So the needs โare โฃdefinitely [what] โ we seeโค from a capacity perspective, โคjust accommodatingโ the number of deliveries and thenโฃ also the acuity of services-even having โthe NICU,” said Corey Lovelace, CEO of HCA Florida St. Lucie Hospital.
The increased capacity is expected to alleviate pressure on the regional healthcare system. samantha suffich, โขCEO of the Martin Countyโ Healthy start Coalition, stated, “I think โit’s a wise decision โthat HCA โSt. Lucie decided to expand โthe wayโ that they did. It wasโฃ very timely and very proactive. It should relieve that pressureโฃ for the โคentire system rightโข now.”
Dr. Michael McCurdy โof Women’s Healthโ Specialists, which recently relocated all deliveriesโข to HCA Florida St. Lucie Hospital, echoed โฃthis sentiment. “Almost on a daily basis,I getโข requests. Not โjust for people โฃwho are newly pregnant, but for people who are in theirโฃ second trimester or third โขtrimester,” McCurdy โsaid. “We โฃare seeing a big โinflux.” He added,โฃ “It’s much less likely we’ll have toโฃ everโ transfer ourโ patientsโ and our patients will have care even โขin those circumstances of prematurity.”
The closure โขof Cleveland Clinicโ Martin North’s maternity unit contributed to the strain, with a notable influx of patientsโ directed to Cleveland โClinic’s Tradition hospital. The expansionโ at HCA Florida St. Lucie Hospitalโค aims to address theโฃ growingโ needs of expectant mothers โand provide โcomplete care, including advanced NICU services, throughout the Treasure Coast region.