Lake County residents now have greater access to healthcare services with the opening of two new AdventHealth clinics in Tavares. The AdventHealth Centra Care Tavares urgent care and AdventHealth Primary Care+ Tavares clinic began serving the community on October 13, offering expanded options for families seeking care close to home.
The urgent care clinic, AdventHealth Centra Care, is open seven days a week and provides walk-in care for non-emergency conditions such as sprains, infections, and fevers. AdventHealth Primary Care+ offers same-day appointments, evening and weekend hours, and virtual visits to accommodate patients with busy schedules.
These clinics are expected to create about 20 new jobs in Lake County. Rob Paswaters, AdventHealth chief operating officer and vice president of retail services, said, “Sometimes people delay care because they’re not sure where to go. By bringing urgent and primary care together right across from the hospital, AdventHealth is making it easier for families to get the care they need when they need it.”
The new facilities aim to address the growing need for timely and affordable healthcare in Lake County, where older adults make up more than a quarter of the population. The clinics offer an alternative to emergency room visits for minor illnesses or injuries, helping to reduce wait times and costs for patients while keeping hospital ERs available for serious emergencies.
Dr. Floriano Putigna, AdventHealth Waterman chief medical officer, explained, “Our ER is always here for life-threatening emergencies, but many people don’t realize how much faster and less expensive it can be to visit Centra Care or Primary Care+ for more minor needs. When people choose these clinics for minor issues, it means shorter wait times for them and more capacity for those who truly need emergency care.”
Both clinics are fully integrated with AdventHealth Waterman, allowing for coordinated referrals, shared electronic health records, and follow-up care. Paswaters added, “It’s like having a front door to the entire health system right in your neighborhood. If your child twists an ankle on Saturday, you can stop by Centra Care. If your blood pressure’s been creeping up, you can get in with Primary Care+ that same week. And if you need a specialist, those connections are right across the street. It’s convenient, but more importantly, it’s connected.”
AdventHealth, a nonprofit health system, reinvests its earnings into people, facilities, and technology. Across Florida, AdventHealth’s care network contributes more than $16 billion to the state’s economy. The organization, which includes AdventHealth Orlando—founded in 1908 and currently led by President Terry Shaw—operates a wide network of hospitals and clinics, including training and pediatric facilities in Orlando. Expansions like the new clinics in Lake County are part of AdventHealth’s ongoing investment in community health.
