Health First Announces Master Plan to Expand Viera Hospital; Will Double Capacity to 214 Beds, Enhance Emergency Care

projects designed to expand access, reduce wait times, and deliver more specialized care

WATCH: The Health First Board of Directors has authorized the development of a master plan for the future expansion of Viera Hospital, doubling licensed capacity to 214 beds and enhancing access to emergency, surgical, and cardiac care for the growing Central Brevard community.

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BREVARD COUNTY • VIERA, FLORIDA — The Health First Board of Directors has authorized the development of a master plan for the future expansion of Viera Hospital.

Once finalized, the plan is expected to guide the hospital’s next phase of growth — with the goal of doubling licensed capacity to 214 beds and enhancing access to emergency, surgical, and cardiac care for the growing Central Brevard community.

Health First will now look to develop a plan to add the following to its current campus:

■ 64 new inpatient beds
■ 2 operating rooms
■ 1 cardiac catheterization lab
■ Doubled emergency department capacity
■ 10-bed Clinical Decision Unit (CDU)
■ Expanded imaging and support areas
■ Shelled space for up to 32 additional inpatient beds, two operating rooms, one catheterization lab, and support space

“We are thankful to our Board of Directors for approving this next stage of development around the Viera Hospital expansion,” said Health First President and CEO Terry Forde.

“Long before Viera Hospital opened in 2011, Health First was actively engaged with local stakeholders and leaders in planning around the anticipated growth and development of the Viera and Central Brevard communities. While that growth continues as expected, the recent closure of Orlando Health’s Rockledge Hospital now affords us the opportunity to accelerate those plans as we meet the needs of our community.

“This master plan ensures we can thoughtfully and responsibly prepare for our community’s healthcare needs. We are deeply grateful to our physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, and partners whose hard work and dedication continue to make Viera Hospital an exceptional place of care for our community,” said Forde.

Currently, Viera Hospital operates 98 licensed beds, including the 14 new labor and delivery beds opened in 2024.

In the immediate term, Viera Hospital, over the next 18 months, will roll out a series of ambitious projects designed to expand access, reduce wait times, and deliver more specialized care.

After the 2024 opening of the Labor and Delivery unit, half of the hospital’s fifth floor is now primed for immediate expansion and usage. Construction on the new inpatient unit, adding up to 20 additional beds, is expected to be completed by spring 2026. Once open, the added capacity will help ease pressure on the emergency department, where patients have at times faced delays waiting for inpatient beds

“We’ve been waiting for the right time and purpose for that space, and now we’re moving forward with construction to add at least 20 inpatient beds,” said Mike Mullowney, president, Health First Hospital Division.

“Given the growth in our Mother/Baby services, we’re also designating four of those beds to support that program – allowing us to continue meeting the needs of our community as well as the continued demand in women’s health.”

Viera Hospital in August earned its third consecutive 5-Star Overall Hospital Quality Rating from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). It is the only 5-Star hospital in Brevard County and one of just 10 hospitals statewide to receive the distinction in 2025.

Health First is also advancing expansion projects across Brevard County, including:

■ Palm Bay Hospital: Planning for a five-floor patient tower that will increase capacity by 60 beds, with completion targeted for 2028.

■ Cape Canaveral Hospital: A replacement hospital and medical office complex on Merritt Island, scheduled to open in early 2027.

■ Free-Standing Emergency Rooms: New facilities in Rockledge and Palm Bay are in the planning stages

Viera Hospital ONGOING Projects:

Over the next 18 months, Viera Hospital will roll out a series of ambitious projects designed to expand access, reduce wait times, and deliver more specialized care – from maternity and cardiology – to gastrointestinal and surgical services. After the 2024 opening of the Labor and Delivery unit, half of the hospital’s fifth floor is primed for expansion and usage.

■ Viera Hospital is moving forward with construction to add at least 20 inpatient beds. Given the growth in our Mother/Baby services, we’re also designating four of those beds to support that program – allowing us to continue meeting the needs of our community as well as the continued demand in women’s health.
• Construction on the new inpatient unit is expected to be completed by spring 2026. Once open, the added capacity will help ease pressure on the emergency department, where patients have at times faced delays waiting for inpatient beds.
■ To further support maternal care, Viera Hospital has officially launched an OB Hospitalist Program this past July, providing 24/7 in-hospital physician coverage for obstetric emergencies — a significant upgrade in responsiveness and continuity of care.
• Viera Hospital has seen explosive growth in the Mother/Baby unit, which opened in August 2024 — greater than 30% more deliveries than we had previously at Cape Canaveral Hospital.
• The OB Hospitalist Program will allow in-house physicians to manage emergencies as they happen. This will allow Viera to triage every patient immediately, handle urgent needs on the spot, and focus on the quality and safety of the program — giving our community timely care they can rely on.”
■ Beyond maternal care, Viera Hospital is also addressing growth in other key service areas. To meet increasing surgical demand, the hospital is expanding its operating suite with two additional rooms.
■ Viera currently has six operating rooms, and Health First is adding two more for a total of eight that will be completed and estimated in December of 2025.
■ Gastroenterology services are also expanding with the opening of a newly built endoscopy suite this July. The upgraded space features three procedure rooms and is designed to support both elective and inpatient GI care. The added GI space is essential to keeping up with the growing volume of both elective and inpatient procedures.
■ Cardiac care is also entering a new chapter at Viera with the introduction of advanced heart rhythm services — a major step forward for local patients. We are upgrading all of our equipment to be able to offer electrophysiology procedures, which will be opening later this month – September 2025.
■ Finally, enhanced imaging capabilities are also planned. A state-of-the-art CT scanner will be installed at the nearby Viera Medical Plaza by March 2026, expanding outpatient access while freeing up in-hospital imaging for emergency and inpatient needs.

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