Wesley Chapel area residents gained a new 24-hour emergency care option when Orlando Health opened a freestanding emergency room, or ER, on State Road 54 in Lutz on Sept. 15.

Facility Features Exam Rooms, Imaging and Lab

The Orlando Health Emergency Room in Lutz sits at the corner of SR 54 and Henley Road, about 10 miles south of The Shops at Wiregrass. The 10,865-square-foot facility has 10 exam rooms, an imaging suite, a laboratory and an ambulance bay, according to Orlando Health's announcement. It is staffed around the clock with board-certified emergency physicians and offers both adult and pediatric care, Hoodline reported.

It is Orlando Health's third freestanding ER in the Tampa Bay region, the Tampa Bay Business Journal reported.

Pasco County's Rapid Growth Fueled the Project

Orlando Health purchased the land in December 2023 and began construction in 2024. Matt Taylor, senior vice president of asset strategy for Orlando Health, said in December 2023, when the system announced the land purchase, that the project was driven by Pasco County's population growth and rising demand for convenient emergency care.

That growth has been steep. Pasco County added more than 86,000 residents between 2020 and 2025, a gain of more than 13%, according to the Tampa Bay Business Journal. Over the past decade, the county's population grew by more than 32%.

New ER Follows Summer Hospital Opening

The Lutz ER is part of the same Orlando Health expansion that brought a full hospital to Wesley Chapel this summer. In July, the system opened Florida Medical Clinic Orlando Health Wiregrass Ranch Hospital, a five-story, 102-bed facility at 3000 Wiregrass Ranch Blvd. Orlando Health plans to add two more buildings and an off-site facility to that $750 million, 47-acre campus by 2028, Tampa Bay Beacons reported.

Hospital President Praises Staff, New Facility

Joe Delatorre, president of Orlando Health Wiregrass Ranch Hospital, spoke at the Wesley Chapel hospital's opening in July about the system's commitment to the area. He called the staff "the best" and praised the new facility.

"It helps that you have one of the nicest hospitals I have ever seen, but our employees, it's clear they want to work for Orlando Health and take great care of patients," Delatorre said.

Community Preview Drew Tours, Family Activities

The new ER site is adjacent to the Livano Sunlake development, a 234-unit luxury multifamily and mixed-use project. Orlando Health held a community preview at the Lutz facility on Sept. 12, with tours, refreshments and family activities, according to the Greater Pasco Chamber of Commerce.

The next phase of construction at the Wiregrass Ranch campus is expected to continue through 2028.