AdventHealth Palm Coast may soon need to open a permanent high-electrolyte hydration center so its executives can catch their breath between unveilings and dedications: the new medical office building on Palm Coast Parkway was dedicated barely a month ago. The new, 100-bed hospital next to it will be dedicated in two weeks.
And today, officials and benefactors unveiled the latest expansion of the State Road 100 campus: the Freytag Health Plaza, a $30 million, 30,000 square foot, two-level cancer and rehab center that will open with the newest technology at the beginning of 2025.
Why move the existing center from the main building across the parking lot? Let Tony Papandrea, chairman of the AdventHealth Palm Coast Foundation, explain.
“Back in 2015 Dottie was diagnosed with lung cancer,” Papandrea said, referring to his wife. “I could have gone anywhere in the country to get her treatment. I chose to stay here, in AdventHealth Palm Coast. Her treatments were exceptional as far as the medical goes. As far as the logistical, she had her infusions, her blood transfusions or medicine for hours sitting in a cramped room with a lot of people around. It is undaunting sometimes. This building will prevent people from having to do that. They can come here, stay in town, don’t have to go to Jacksonville or to go to Moffitt or to go to Tampa. They can stay here at home, get their treatments and not have to worry about the travel and logistics. This is a beautiful thing for Flagler County.”
It’s been in the works for three years. The building will also have outpatient rehab facilities, with occupational and speech therapy and other services. Its name honors Peter and Sue Freytag, who have long been associated with the hospital foundation and its projects. “They have made a very generous contribution to getting this building launched,” AdventHealth Palm Coast CEO Denyse Bales-Chubb said.
The building is also something of a fulfillment, not only because Peter has himself survived cancer, or because many members of his family had cancer, but because the hospital has played a central role in the Freytags’ life decisions.
Years ago when they were still in Bloomington, Ill.–she was a schoolteacher, he was an insurance executive–a friend kept telling them to move to Palm Coast. They gave the town a look. It had a library, which was a plus. It didn’t have a hospital, which was not a plus. Back then you had to go to Memorial Hospital in Bunnell.
“I said I’m not moving here until we have good medical care,” Sue said. “So then we came back to visit them another time and the hospital had opened.” The one that rose behind her this morning on the 100-acre campus of AdventHealth Palm Coast, the one that hasn’t stopped seeding expansions in its 20-year history.
The Freytags have been part of the expansions, as at the Freytag Children and Outpatient Rehab Center in the Medical Plaza. The Foundation named Peter and Sue Freytag the 2015 Humanitarians of the Year.
And today, as they stood on the grassy expanse of the hospital campus fronting State Road 100, the Freytags lent their name to what they consider to be an essential medical service.
In Flagler, cancer was a very close second-leading cause of death (after heart disease) in the 2019-21 span, according to the Florida Department of Health. Flagler’s cancer death rate was 156.8 per 100,000 people during that span, compared to 137.7 for Florida. The county has the 37th highest incidence of cancer in the state, out of 67 counties. The population has been aging, and as it does, the cancer rate is expected to increase–cancer-fighting advances notwithstanding.
In 2017 AdventHealth Palm Coast invested $4.5 million in what’s called True Beam radiation, providing pinpoint accuracy in the treatment of malignant lesions and expediting treatment. What would have taken 40 to 50 sessions could be reduced to 10, lessening exposure to radiation and shortening the slow-burn, debilitating effects on patients. Now, even that’s about to improve.
“There will be a piece of equipment equivalent to the True Beam that we have,” Wally De Aquino, president and CEO of AdventHealth Palm Coast Parkway, said. “But it’s a newer technology. It can treat patients faster.” He called it “a huge investment.”
As for what will become of the space currently used in the main hospital building for the cancer center, a space analysis is ongoing, De Aquino said, to determine what services will be provided there. Early discussions are focusing on imaging services, the cardiac catheterization lab and cath rehab, and other opportunities.
There continues to be other possibilities for the 100-acre campus as well, which still has numerous buildable parcels, although Bales-Chubb, who oversees the Flagler-St. Johns market, said eyes might be looking north: “We are exploring what services might be provided up in the St. John’s market area,” she said–which does not necessarily mean in St. Johns, but would also include northern Palm Coast and north Flagler, which currently tends to look to St. Johns for its health care needs. “And so I can tell you that we are exploring what services we might be able to bring to that community to enhance their health care.”
AdventHealth conducts an annual Health Needs assessment to determine what the communities’ needs are and what health care services to focus on.
The dude says
Still no maternity or pediatrics huh?
My daughter recently needed to see a surgeon, we called all around between here and J’ville. We finally gave up and drove her up to Atlanta about 5 weeks ago.
Yesterday a pediatric surgeon from Daytona followed up with my wife to arrange an initial consultation.
Thank goodness it wasn’t a life threatening medical issue, and thank goodness we maintained our relationships with our Atlanta medical providers.
I guess if she had needed a hip replacement or possibly a MOHS procedure done, we might’ve had better luck… but anything pediatric and you’re SOL.
Jamie says
I remember my grandpa had his first heart attach around 1978. The old hospital saved his live. 2001 they could not. Around 1980, grandma broke her hip and went there. By determination alone (physical therapy did not exist), she pushed herself to walk to the mail box, then the next one, then the next. Then she was back to playing golf. I never heard my grandfolks complaining about the health care that was or not available.
We now have knee replacements and folks are walking very soon after. I know John Subers, Tony P and the Freitag’s from my time on the foundation board. They are people who came here far from the places they raised their children, and have invested so much in our community. I love these people as they are invested, fully in our community. I hope to grow up and become like them. If you want to expand services, invest more than a keyboard.
The Sour Kraut says
Adding needed services and quality jobs in Flagler County. Sounds like we all win.
Ban the GOP says
How many of you can afford care over there? oh thats it oldies get free insurance on the public dime and vote against you getting it.
Whathehck? says
This is the most positive news I have read lately. Thank you Mr. & Mrs. Freytag, I hope I will never need your center, this is a great asset to our community.
Nancy N. says
I highly recommend Shands at University of Florida in Gainesville for specialty children’s care should you have the need again. My daughter has had care there, including multiple surgical procedures, from multiple specialties for years, and we’ve always felt in good hands.
ASF says
How is Adventhealth hoping to be able to fill the physician positions that the new hospital center is going to need?
bill says
still no pediatric care hospital or doctors in this city that brags about over 100,000 people and about building more schools it seems like advent health shies away from it may be because there is not enough money involved in it as far as profit I had to take my daughter to Orlando for hip readjustment this city is a joke as a city saying there’s no children just senior citizens. Maybe they should take a walk around the city or drive when school gets out and see all the kids you’ll have no problem finding dermatologist or
podiatrist
bill says
because they earn it through their lifetime, they paid into Social Security they paid into Medicare care
S. Peters says
Seriously? there are only 3 actual cancer MD’s in Palm Coast. Padmaja Sai, MD (Hematology & Oncology); Justin Ja-Li Wu, MD (Radiation Oncology); Madhu Unnikrishnan, MD (Hematology and Oncology). And one ARNP for Hematology & Oncology.
The turnover of Drs. for cancer care at Advent Palm Coast has been a nightmare for my friend. Sadly, Dr Sai, who has an outstanding reputation, is only one person and cannot do it all.
I’m not impressed at all.