PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) - Both residents and visitors of Panama City Beach will no longer have to cross the bridge for health care.

Down the intersection of State Road 79 and Phillip Griffitts Senior Parkway, land is cleared for a new medical facility to be built right in the heart of PCB. Builders will start by constructing the medical offices and a hospital will come next.

City leaders said the campus is much needed for our growing area.

“We need a hospital facility here on the beach. especially during storms and things of that nature, or during high traffic times when you can’t get across the bridge to get into town and get to a hospital. So I think that is a huge step in the right direction for the residents and those out here on the island,” Panama City Beach Councilman Michael Jarman said.

Officials from Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare stopped by the city council meeting Thursday. They said the hope for the facility is to provide convenient and quality health care for the community.

“We really want this to be a comprehensive site, a real endpoint for healthcare. We really want the community, the patients in Bay County, Walton County, and the surrounding area, to look to our campus as a final endpoint for all their healthcare needs. Patients want to stay in their home communities, we are committed to doing that and being a partner to the community,” Andrew Starr, Chief Health Operations Officer at Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare said.

The medical office building is expected to be completed before the end of 2024 and completion of the main hospital is expected by 2027.

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