UF Health The Villages Hospital Gets New Name, Pays Tribute to Designation for Surrounding Community

Beginning June 20, UF Health The Villages® Hospital, the region’s hometown hospital, will become UF Health Spanish Plaines Hospital. The new name reflects UF Health’s continued commitment to providing world-class, leading-edge patient care to The Villages community and signals UF Health’s dedication to serving residents throughout the region, better aligning with the hospital’s specific location.

UF Health, in conjunction with The Villages® leadership, chose the name Spanish Plaines to pay tribute to the vibrant business and commercial district of Spanish Plaines, the longstanding designation for the area of The Villages immediately north of the community’s original downtown area — Spanish Springs. The new name represents The Villages’ deep-rooted Spanish theme, which can be found throughout the area’s architecture, as well as in the names of buildings, streets and bodies of water.

“We are excited to cement our presence within the existing business and commercial district of Spanish Plaines, providing excellence in health care to The Villages community,” said Heather Long, chief executive officer of UF Health Central Florida. “The new UF Health Spanish Plaines Hospital name is much more than just a name; it reinforces our commitment and investment in The Villages as we continually add new technology and clinical areas of focus to the hospital. We have achieved so much on behalf of our patients and the community at our hospital over the past four years, and there is much more to come.”

Since purchasing the hospital (formerly The Villages® Regional Hospital) in January 2020, UF Health has invested more than $34.7 million in new technology and enhanced services to bolster patient care and improve the health and well-being of residents of The Villages and surrounding communities. These advances include:

• In April 2023, the new comprehensive Heart & Vascular Center opened. The $18 million, 26,000-square-foot facility is located on the hospital’s second floor, and includes the addition of state-of-the-art cardiac catheterization suites, along with 16 private patient beds for pre/post-procedure care, dedicated rooms for cardio-diagnostics, an expansive cardiac rehabilitation gym, and capacity for future growth to meet the needs of the rapidly expanding community.

• In October 2023, UF Health added the Ion robotic-assisted bronchoscopy platform to its robotic program. This minimally invasive technology allows physicians to reach smaller areas of the lung, providing more precision during biopsies and the ability to detect lung cancer much sooner.

• In February 2024, UF Health expanded the hospital’s Brownwood Freestanding ER from 16 beds to 28 beds to meet patient demand and to address an increasing number of emergency room visits. The facility is continually recognized by Press Ganey for excellence in patient satisfaction, ranking in the 94th percentile nationally.

• UF Health also recruited a dedicated breast surgeon focused on performing advanced procedures and reducing the time between diagnosis and treatment for patients with breast cancer.

• In March 2025, The Villages will become home to Florida’s second Mobile Stroke Treatment Unit, allowing for rapid response, assessment, and treatment of acute stroke patients. This advanced, specialized unit aims to increase survival rates and minimize long-term disability. The unit is currently being further enhanced and upgraded with the latest technology specifically designed for mobile environments. It will be the first in the country — and world — to have a 32-slice CT scanner on board. This technology is pending FDA approval, which is expected by July 2024.

“This is a great day for our hospital and the entire community,” said Long. “While the new name marks a major milestone in our health care journey, our mission remains the same — providing the highest quality of care to those we serve. The heart of health care is humans caring for humans and that will never change. We have the best of the best at UF Health Spanish Plaines Hospital, and I couldn’t be more excited for what the future holds.”

New UF Health Spanish Plaines Hospital signs are already being installed around the campus.

Visit UFHealth.org for more information on UF Health Spanish Plaines Hospital.