Brevard's First Freestanding ER Nears December Opening in Rockledge

Rockledge is weeks away from getting emergency care back close to home. Health First's freestanding emergency room at 3340 S. Fiske Blvd., near the I-95 Fiske Boulevard exit, is targeting a mid-December opening, according to FLORIDA TODAY. Health First's own project page lists the opening as December 2026 or January 2027.

The 13,500-square-foot facility will be Brevard County's first freestanding emergency room, and the first for Health First. It will hold 12 emergency beds and offer the same level of care as a hospital-based emergency room, with lab and imaging services including CT, X-ray and ultrasound, a three-bay low-acuity treatment area, full generator backup and a Category 4-rated structure. It will be staffed around the clock.

Health First broke ground on the roughly $22 million project on January 28, 2026, and expects it to create around 45 to 50 full-time jobs. Hiring was already underway by late summer, with more than 100 people expressing interest and over 35 accepting positions as of August.

The project was fast-tracked after Orlando Health closed Rockledge Hospital in April 2025, leaving Rockledge without a hospital emergency room. Health First says it has long planned freestanding emergency rooms for Brevard as the population grows, and it is also developing a second one to serve South Brevard.