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Leaders and community members came together today to break ground on a 100-bed inpatient pavilion at AdventHealth Winter Garden -- the only inpatient facility to serve the fast-growing community.

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The seven-story, approximately 300,000-square-foot building will complement the existing 24-bed emergency room and medical office building on the site at 2000 Fowler Grove Blvd.

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"West Orange County is an area of high growth with tremendous demand for increased access to health care services. We want to make health care convenient and simple for consumers, and that means providing care close to home," said Carl Dupper, CEO of AdventHealth Winter Garden. "We want to partner with our neighbors and help them lead a life of wholeness -- body, mind and spirit. We believe the growing AdventHealth ecosystem in west Orange County, which includes primary care, specialists and other services, will help equip residents to lead their healthiest lives."

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Since opening in February 2016, the AdventHealth Winter Garden emergency room has seen tens of thousands of patients -- illustrating the strong and growing demand for health care services in west Orange County. The ER is expected to have treated more than 100,000 patients by the end of 2019.

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"AdventHealth has had a very positive impact on Winter Garden, and we look forward to the arrival of inpatient services here in our community," said Winter Garden Mayor John Rees. "Our community is a magnet for growth in a variety of areas, and health care is a key driver of that growth."

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The expansion is expected to create 700 hospital jobs with an annual average wage of $64,480. Total employment is projected at 5,509 people, including direct, indirect and induced jobs.

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The inpatient pavilion is expected to open in 2021.