Lake Nona Advances as National Hub for Healthcare Institutions with UCF Nursing Expansion and AdventHealth Hospital Milestone

• Two institutional anchors rise in Lake Nona's Medical City: UCF's new Dr. Phillips Nursing Pavilion has opened to expand enrollment capacity amid Florida's nurse shortage, and AdventHealth's hospital has topped off ahead of its 2026 debut with robotic, incisionless surgery and smart-room innovations to provide whole-person care to patients from Central Florida and around the world
• With nationally ranked universities and leading health systems expanding side by side, Lake Nona cements position as national epicenter where institutions co-locate to train the next generation of caregivers and pioneer advanced care models

ORLANDO, Fla., Dec. 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Lake Nona, a purpose-built district advancing new models in health, science and urban living, is entering its next phase as two anchor institutions take shape. AdventHealth has topped off construction of its new hospital and broken ground on a medical office building that will focus on advanced cancer care, while the University of Central Florida College of Nursing has opened an expanded facility that doubles space, triples simulation capacity and will increase graduates by 150 newly licensed eligible nurses per year. Together, the projects underscore Lake Nona's growing role as a national model for integrated health innovation.

Lake Nona Medical City was designed as a new model for American healthcare, bringing together hospitals, universities, and research centers that often operate in silos. Today, VA physicians work alongside pediatric specialists at Nemours Children's Hospital, medical and nursing students train in the same facilities where they will practice, and researchers collaborate directly with clinicians. The district houses Nemours, the Orlando VA Medical Center, and UCF's Colleges of Medicine and Nursing, with AdventHealth's advanced surgical center set to open in 2026. This concentration enables real-time knowledge sharing, accelerated clinical trials and care models that wouldn't be possible if these institutions developed separately.

"Florida faces one of the most acute nursing shortages in the country, and we know that solutions won't come from any single institution," said Gloria Caulfield, Vice President of Strategic Alliances for Lake Nona. "By co-locating a top-ranked nursing program with destination hospitals and research centers, we're creating a pipeline where training, clinical experience and innovation happen side by side. That's what will keep talent here, and that's why institutions are choosing Lake Nona."

AdventHealth's 25-acre campus will feature a 10-story facility with 95 beds initially, with the ability to add another 200 beds, and is slated to open on November 30, 2026. Positioning itself as a robotic and incisionless epicenter, the hospital will offer histotripsy technology using ultrasonic waves to destroy tumors without incisions, specialized men's health services, collaborative robots for surgical support and patient smart rooms. Beyond state-of-the-art clinical services, the campus will include a promenade with medical offices, cancer services and health-focused retail space designed to integrate healthcare and wellness into daily community life.

"AdventHealth has been providing whole-person care in the Lake Nona community for over a decade," said Chase Tikker, President and CEO of AdventHealth Lake Nona. "We are excited to be expanding our presence with AdventHealth Lake Nona, which will be both a community hospital to serve Central Florida and a health care destination for patients from around the world. We are bringing nationally recognized care to Lake Nona, so that no one will need to travel out of the area to get the specialized care they need."

The UCF College of Nursing expansion arrives as Florida faces a projected shortage of 37,000 registered nurses within 10 years. The new Dr. Phillips Nursing Pavilion, which was supported by the State of Florida and the community, including UCF Pegasus Partners AdventHealth, Orlando Health, Nemours Children's Health and Addition Financial, will increase graduating classes at a time when Florida's population grows by more than 800 people daily -- and with over half of new residents age 60 or older. UCF's nursing programs are nationally recognized for academic excellence, and UCF nursing graduates continuously exceed state and national averages for first-time pass rates on national licensure exams. The new state-of-the-art facility will also expand UCF's global prominence in healthcare simulation with the Helene Fuld Health Trust STIM Center, featuring dedicated spaces for immersive AR/VR learning and high-tech simulated healthcare environments, including critical care and pediatrics, to prepare nurses for clinical practice.

"A majority of UCF's nursing graduates live and work in Florida, so this facility will have a direct, and positive, impact on our communities," said Dr. Sharon J. Tucker, Dean of UCF's College of Nursing. "Through continued partnerships as well as greater collaboration and innovation in Lake Nona, UCF will continue to help solve our world's most pressing healthcare challenges to improve patient care and ensure a healthier future for all."

About Lake Nona
Lake Nona is a 650-acre health and life sciences campus in Lake Nona, Orlando, Florida, uniting leading hospitals, research institutions, universities, and life sciences companies to accelerate innovation in health, wellness, and education. Anchored by world-class organizations including UCF Lake Nona Hospital, AdventHealth, the University of Central Florida College of Medicine and College of Nursing, Nemours Children's Health, and the Orlando VA Medical Center, Medical City is a destination for transformative care, training, and research. The campus features advancements in high-fidelity medical simulation, robotic surgery, prosthetics innovation, pediatric specialty care, AI-enabled health systems, and collaborative research programs that improve outcomes worldwide. Purpose-built to foster collaboration, the campus brings together clinical care, academic training, and research breakthroughs in one location, creating a destination for global talent and patients alike. With state-of-the-art facilities, community-centered spaces, and a shared mission to advance human health, Lake Nona Medical City delivers care that serves both local communities and people from around the world.

For more information, visit www.lakenona.com.

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SOURCE Tavistock Development Company