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AdventHealth Ocala

Florida Hospital Ocala Inc doing business as AdventHealth Ocala[1][2] is a non-profit hospital campus in Ocala, Florida, United States that is operated by AdventHealth. The medical facility is owned by the Marion County Hospital District.[3] It is a tertiary and primary stroke center that has multiple specialties.[4] The hospital district was largely funded by the US$213 million paid to the district by Community Health Systems in 2014 for the right to operate this facility.[3][5] CHS sold their lease to Adventist Health System in 2018.

History

1898-2003

In 1898, Marion General Hospital was founded. The impetus for building a local hospital was a man being run over by a horse and wagon.[6] The initial location was a three-story building owned by the publisher of the local newspaper, the Star–Banner, which was leased to the new hospital until 1901.[6]

The hospital operated in makeshift housing until 1915 when additional land was purchased for the hospital to expand. A three-story hospital building was constructed and was able to treat up to 50 patients in an emergency.[6] In 1927, local residents approved a bond to build an expanded four-story building that could handle 73 patients.[6] It was built on the same site and is still in use today as the northernmost building of the hospital.[7] In 1928, the hospital was renamed to Munroe Memorial Hospital in honor of community leader T.T. Munroe, a local banker,[8] who gathered community support and led the push to expand the hospital.

By the early 1960s, the hospital had grown to 130 beds. In 1980, the hospital was again renamed to Munroe Regional Medical Center.[8] The hospital expanded to 323 beds in 1994 and 421 beds in 2003.[9]

2012-2019

In 2012, hospital supporters proposed a tax for the hospital. The voters in November rejected the tax proposal.[8][10] In late April 2013, Health Management Associates and their partner UF Health Shands Hospital were chosen to operate Munroe Regional Medical Center. They would operate the 421 bed hospital for forty years.[11][12] Another bidder for the hospital was Duke LifePoint Healthcare.[10] The trustees of the Marion County Hospital District approved the lease unanimously. The trustees would create a foundation to spend the $212.8 million, that Health Management Associates are required to pay the Marion County Hospital District.[10] Health Management Associates would make $225 million in approvements to the hospital, while UF Health Shands Hospital would spend $10 million on academic and medical expertise.[10]

In early December 2014, Munroe Regional Medical Center told the Florida Department of Health that it was going to apply to become a Level II trauma center.[13] In late March 2015, the hospital changed its mind about building a trauma center, since Ocala Regional Medical Center already had a Level II trauma center.[14][15]

On April 18, 2018, Community Health Systems sold its forty-year lease of Munroe Regional Medical Center to Adventist Health System.[16][17][18] On August 1, 2018, Adventist Health System acquired Munroe Regional Medical Center and its TimberRidge ER. Florida Hospital a subsidiary of Adventist Health System began to operate the hospital and it was renamed to Florida Hospital Ocala.[8][19][20] On January 2, 2019, the hospital was renamed to AdventHealth Ocala, when Adventist Health System rebranded to AdventHealth.[21][22]

2021-present

On January 1, 2021, all hospitals were required to have their chargemaster on its website by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.[23] In early February 2023, almost all of the AdventHealth hospitals had their chargemaster on their website, including AdventHealth Ocala.[24]

On February 15, 2022, AdventHealth Ocala received a donation of $1.7 million from local philanthropists for the McKenzie Kearney Gray Maternal Fetal Medicine program. The program is named after a girl who died after she was born, the hospitals program began in the fall.[25][26][27] On June 7, the hospital revealed three new ambulances that it purchased.[28][29]

In late April 2024, there was a groundbreaking for a medical office building.[30] On June 12, 2025, it opened for $40 million.[31][32][33]

Active shooter drill lawsuit

In July and August 2022, AdventHealth Ocala was sued by five nurses who alleged false imprisonment and emotional distress during an active shooter drill in November 2021.[34][35] The lawsuits allege that an AdventHealth Ocala employee posed as a gunman at the direction of hospital management, simulated gunfire, told the nurses to lay on the ground and demanded drugs.

The lawsuits allege that it was 10 minutes before the nurses learned they were experiencing a drill.[34][35] Two of the nurses claim that they were being treated for post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of the events they experienced during the drill.[36]

Partnership

In September 2024, AdventHealth Ocala gave two financial endowments totaling $3 million to the CF Foundation. The AdventHealth Nursing Endowment and the AdventHealth Sciences Endowment will go to purchasing equipment and student scholarships.[37][38] On January 30, 2025, the 42500 sqfoot, AdventHealth Center for Nursing opened on the campus of College of Central Florida.[39][40][41] Money to have the nursing center built came from AdventHealth Ocala, the Marion County Hospital District, the Florida Legislature, Marion County Board of Commissioners and others.[37][38]

Awards and recognitions

On December 4, 2025,[42] AdventHealth Ocala was recognized by Forbes in its new Top Hospitals in 2026 list with a four-star ranking.[43][44]

See also

  • List of Seventh-day Adventist hospitals
  • List of stroke centers in the United States

Further reading

External links

References

  1. Florida Hospital Ocala Inc ProPublica, retrieved February 10, 2026^
  2. Provider Information for 1265183883 NPI Registry, retrieved February 12, 2026^
  3. Carlos E. Medina. Marion County Hospital District discusses targeting local social issues Ocala StarBanner, August 22, 2020, retrieved September 21, 2020^
  4. AdventHealth Ocala FloridaHealthFinder, retrieved April 22, 2025^
  5. Carlos E. Medina. Hospital district considers $9.1 million gym renovations for nursing Ocala StarBanner, July 28, 2020, retrieved 2020-09-21^
  6. David Cook. Historic Ocala: The Story of Ocala & Marion County HPN Books, 2007^
  7. Carlos E. Medina. Munroe Regional becomes Florida Hospital Ocala Ocala StarBanner, August 1, 2018, retrieved September 15, 2020^
  8. Carlos Medina. Munroe Regional becomes Florida Hospital Ocala Ocala StarBanner, August 1, 2018, retrieved April 19, 2023^
  9. (Munroe Regional Medical Center, 2018)^
  10. Fred Hiers. Munroe lease terms set The Gainesville Sun, December 16, 2013, retrieved April 19, 2023^
  11. Kristine Crane. Shands chosen to operate Ocala's Munroe Regional The Gainesville Sun, April 19, 2013, retrieved February 27, 2025^
  12. HMA Chosen as Munroe Regional Medical Center's Suitor Becker's Hospital Review, April 22, 2013, retrieved February 27, 2025^
  13. Fred Hiers. Munroe Regional wants to be second trauma center in Ocala The Gainesville Sun, December 2, 2014, retrieved February 27, 2025^
  14. Fred Hiers. Munroe Regional in Ocala ends effort to build a trauma center The Gainesville Sun, March 20, 2015, retrieved February 27, 2025^
  15. Editorial: Moves at Munroe Ocala StarBanner, March 25, 2015, retrieved February 27, 2025^
  16. Naseem Miller. Florida Hospital to acquire Ocala Hospital Orlando Sentinel, April 18, 2018, retrieved April 19, 2023^
  17. Tara Bannow. CHS to sell 421-bed Florida hospital to Adventist Modern Healthcare, April 18, 2018, retrieved February 25, 2025^
  18. Jeff Byers. CHS selling spree goes on with Florida hospital sale Healthcare Dive, April 19, 2018, retrieved February 25, 2025^
  19. Naseem Miller. Munroe Regional officially acquired by Florida Hospital Orlando Sentinel, August 1, 2018, retrieved April 17, 2023^
  20. Ayla Ellison. CHS divests 425-bed Florida hospital Becker's Hospital Review, August 1, 2018, retrieved April 15, 2025^
  21. Nikki Ross. Florida Hospital is now AdventHealth The Daytona Beach News-Journal, January 2, 2019, retrieved April 10, 2024^
  22. Florida Hospital is now AdventHealth Florida Trend, January 2, 2019, retrieved April 10, 2024^
  23. New report shows Tampa Bay hospitals not following medical transparency law Tampa Bay 28, February 23, 2022, retrieved April 26, 2024^
  24. Juan Chavez. Find out if Tampa Bay hospitals are hiding costs of medical care Tampa Bay Times, February 10, 2023, retrieved April 26, 2024^
  25. AdventHealth Ocala launching maternal fetal medicine program thanks to $1.7 million donation Ocala-News.com, February 21, 2022, retrieved October 26, 2022^
  26. Marian Rizzo. Huge donation funds Maternal Fetal Medicine (MFM) program for patients at AdventHealth Ocala Ocala Gazette, February 15, 2022, retrieved February 25, 2025^
  27. Emilie Kyler. AdventHealth receives $1.7 million donation for Maternal Fetal Medicine program WGFL, February 15, 2022, retrieved February 25, 2025^
  28. Nikki DeMarco. AdventHealth unveils new high-tech ambulance fleet in Marion County WFTV, June 7, 2022, retrieved February 25, 2025^
  29. Emilie Kyler. AdventHealth unveils three mobile ICU units in Marion County WGFL, June 7, 2022, retrieved February 25, 2025^
  30. Daniel Tozzi. AdventHealth breaking ground on new medical office building Ocala-News.com, April 23, 2024, retrieved September 2, 2025^
  31. Austin Miller. AdventHealth Ocala opens new medical office building Ocala StarBanner, June 13, 2025, retrieved June 13, 2025^
  32. Daniel Tozzi. AdventHealth Ocala opens new medical office building Ocala-News.com, June 14, 2025, retrieved September 2, 2025^
  33. Kathy Dugan. AdventHealth Ocala opens new medical office building with expanded specialty care 352today, June 14, 2025, retrieved September 2, 2025^
  34. Matt Trezza. Nurses sue Florida hospital alleging they were not warned of active shooter drill, and thought it was real Fox Orlando, August 5, 2022, retrieved April 23, 2023^
  35. Caroline Catherman. Three more nurses sue AdventHealth over faked active shootin Orlando Sentinel, August 17, 2022, retrieved April 23, 2023^
  36. Caroline Catherman. AdventHealth told nurses drill was real active shooter, lawsuit alleges Orlando Sentinel, August 10, 2022, retrieved April 23, 2023^
  37. CF to host ribbon cutting for AdventHealth Center for Nursing Citrus Chronicle, December 29, 2024, retrieved May 1, 2025^
  38. New AdventHealth Center for Nursing unveiled at College of Central Florida Ocala-News.com, January 31, 2025, retrieved May 1, 2025^
  39. Daja Clayton. College of Central Florida opens new center for nursing WCJB-TV, January 30, 2025, retrieved September 9, 2025^
  40. State-of-the-art center for nursing opens at College of Central Florida WUFT (TV), January 30, 2025, retrieved September 9, 2025^
  41. Kathy Dugan. AdventHealth Center for Nursing opens at College of Central Florida, expanding healthcare education 352today, January 30, 2025, retrieved September 9, 2025^
  42. Paige Twenter. 253 5-star hospitals: Forbes Becker's Hospital Review, December 4, 2025, retrieved December 31, 2025^
  43. Rick Mayer. Florida hospitals shine on Forbes Top 100 list, with 11 earning five-star ratings WUSF, December 8, 2025, retrieved December 31, 2025^
  44. Amanda Lumpkin. 29 FL Hospitals Among Best In U.S. In New Forbes Ranking Patch.com, December 9, 2025, retrieved December 31, 2025^