New Surgical Unit Design Advances Quality Care, Efficiencies While Enhancing Human Experience

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Gresham, Smith and Partners has completed a new surgical unit at Baptist Medical Center Nassau, located in Florida. The firm designed the 29,500-square-foot addition, which expands and modernizes the campus’ confined surgical department. By relocating the existing surgery department, new opportunities for future improvements become available in the vacated space. The addition serves as the new public face for the campus and features updated signage to welcome patients and visitors. These improvements aim to enhance the patient experience, and support the health system’s commitment to quality care.

Along with enhancing care delivery, updating and relocating the surgical suite resulted in an adaptable and efficient floor plan that corrects previous adjacencies. The state-of-the-art addition includes shell space for future OR expansion, and places endoscopy adjacent to surgery, allowing both suites to share recovery facilities. A centralized nurse station oversees PACU and preoperative care.

Aesthetic improvements play a vital role in creating a better patient and staff experience. The exterior architecture features large expanses of storefront glazing, bringing daylight into the waiting area, while helping to frame the main entrance to the hospital. Clerestory windows at the preoperative care rooms are stylishly offset by lighter stucco accent panels. The modern interior reflects the revitalization of the surrounding Fernandina and Amelia Island communities, as well as the local topography, through a soothing palette of coastal blues, whites and grays. The interior also features a striking, large-format art installation. A lively watercolor piece created by local artist William Maurer journeys through Nassau County’s landscapes—from the beach and the waterways, to the pines in the western part of the county. The team used a creative yet cost-efficient approach to bring the impactful supergraphic to life, working with a local photographer to capture the watercolor as a high-resolution image, which is displayed on a 59-foot wall.

Brasfield & Gorrie served as general contractor.